With his father's (Tanosuke V) retirement in 1964, he succeeded his name as Tanosuke SAWAMURA VI when he performed Konami of "Kudanme of Kanadehon Chushingura" (9th Act of The Treasury of Loyal Retainers), Ofune of "Shinrei Yaguchi no Watashi" (The Yaguchi Ferry and the Magic Arrows), and Kosuo of "Yoritomo no shi" (The Death of Yoritomo) at the Kabuki-za Theater on April of the same year.
1964年（昭和39年）父・五代目田之助の引退に伴い、同年4月に歌舞伎座『仮名手本忠臣蔵・九段目』小浪、『神霊矢口渡』のお舟、『頼朝の死』の小周防で六代目澤村田之助を襲名。