Stage names:
Bandô Hikosaburô V
Bandô Takesaburô I
Bandô Tsurunosuke I
Other name: Bandô Shinsui V
Nickname: Meijin Hikosaburô (Hikosaburô the expert)
Guild: Otowaya
Line number: GODAIME (V)
Poetry names: Shinsui (5), Shinshi
Existence: 1832 ~ 13 October 1877
Connection:
Adoptive father: Bandô Kamezô I
Father-in-law: Ichimura Uzaemon XII (Takenojô V)
Brother-in-laws: Onoe Kikugorô V, Bandô Kakitsu I
Career:
1832: born in Edo in the district of Asakusa. His father, a carpenter called Tamezô, gives him the name of Tetsuzô.
Spring 1840: Tetsuzô is adopted by the actor Bandô Hikosaburô IV.
November 1842: he makes his first appearance on stage at the Nakamuraza, receiving the name of Bandô Tsurunosuke I and playing in the drama "Kinryûzan Chikai no Ishizue".
January 1846: Bandô Tsurunosuke I takes the name of Bandô Takesaburô I at the Kawarazakiza, playing in the drama "Sato Moyô Hiyoku no Inazuma".
1846 ~ 1847: Takesaburô becomes zamoto at the Yûkiza, leading a troupe of children-actors (kodomo shibai).
April 1849: Takesaburô plays at the Kawarazakiza the roles of Senzaki Yagorô and Ôboshi Rikiya in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
April 1851: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the Tokiwazu-based dance "Kioi Jishi Kabuki no Hanakago", commonly called "Kioi Jishi", starring Ichikawa Kodanji IV, Onoe Kikujirô II, Iwai Kumesaburô III and Takesaburô.
August 1851: premiere at the Nakamuraza of Segawa Jokô III's drama "Higashiyama Sakura Sôshi" (commonly called "Sakura Giminden"); Takesaburô plays the roles of Ashikaga Yoshihisa, Ishidô Unemenosuke and Ogata Nagatonosuke [casting].
March 1852: Takesaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of En'ya Hangan, Hayano Kampei and Yazama Jûtarô in the drama "Yayoi no Hana Iroha no Honsetsu" (similar to the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura"). The roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Okaru are played by Bandô Hikosaburô IV and Onoe Baikô IV.
April 1854: Takesaburô plays at the Kawarazakiza the role of Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". The roles of Shizuka Gozen and Tadanobu are played by Bandô Shûka I and Arashi Rikaku II.
November 1854: Takesaburô plays at the Kawarazakiza the roles of En'ya Hangan and Hayano Kampei in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of Yuranosuke and Okaru are played by Arashi Rikan III and Bandô Shûka I.
March 1856: great shûmei at the Ichimuraza for the Bandô branch of the Otowaya guild; Bandô Hikosaburô IV and Bandô Takesaburô I respectively take the names of Bandô Kamezô I and Bandô Hikosaburô V. The two actors play together in the dramas "Tsuruhachi to Suehiro Soga", "Hikinuide Kasumi no Midomise" and "Yume Musubu Chô ni Torioi".
July 1856: Hikosaburô plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Yasuke and Taira no Koremori in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". The role of Shizuka Gozen is played by Onoe Kikugorô IV.
May 1858: tour in Ise with Bandô Kamezô I; Hikosaburô plays the roles of Satô Shirobyôei Tadanobu, the fox Genkurô and Osato in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is staged at the Furuichi Shibai.
June 1858: tour in Miyajima with Bandô Kamezô I and Nakamura Jakuemon I; Hikosaburô plays the roles of Satô Shirobyôei Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
November 1858: Hikosaburô plays the roles of Satô Shirobyôei Tadanobu, the fox Genkurô and Osato in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is staged in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai.
March 1859: Hikosaburô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Sakuramaru and Sukune Tarô in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
March 1860: Hikosaburô plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of En'ya Hangan, Ôboshi Rikiya, Hayano Kampei, Odaka, Oran no Kata, Ishidô Nuinosuke and Ôwashi Bungo in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of Yuranosuke and Okaru are played by Arashi Kichisaburô III and Onoe Kikujirô II.
April 1860: tour in Shikoku with Bandô Kamezô I; Hikosaburô plays several roles, including Masaoka, in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".
June ~ July 1860: tour in Miyajima with Bandô Kamezô I, Fujikawa Tomokichi III, Nakamura Jakuemon I and Ôtani Tomomatsu; Hikosaburô plays the roles of En'ya Hangan and Hayano Kampei in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". He also plays the role of Ashikaga Yorikane in "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".
November 1860: Hikosaburô plays the roles of Kokingo, Yasuke and Taira no Koremori in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", which is staged in Ôsaka at the Horie Ichigawa no Shibai.
February 1861: Hikosaburô is back in Edo; he plays at Nakamuraza in the drama "Okuni no Matsu Soga Nakamura".
1861: he gets married with the daughter of Ichimura Uzaemon XII.
April 1861: Hikosaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Ashikaga Yorikane, Masaoka and Nikki Danjô in the drama "Date Kurabe Okuni Kabuki".
March 1862: Hikosaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Ashikaga Tadayoshi, Hayano Kampei, Ono Sadakurô, Teraoka Heiemon and Tonase in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of En'ya Hangan, Ôboshi Yuranosuke, Kô no Moronô and Okaru are played by Sawamura Tosshô II, Kataoka Gadô II, Bandô Kamezô I and Sawamura Tanosuke III.
November 1863: Hikosaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Yasuke and Taira no Koremori ("Sushiya") in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". The role of Osato is played by Sawamura Tanosuke III. Hikosaburô also played the roles of Kô no Moronô, Ichimonjiya Saibei and Amagawaya Gihei in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of En'ya Hangan, Hayano Kampei and Teraoka Heiemon are played by Kawarazaki Gonjûrô I.
May 1865: Hikosaburô plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of Kô no Moronô, the yakko Otohei, Sagisaka Bannai and Teraoka Heiemon in the drama "Chûshingura Sugata no Eawase" (similar to the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura").
July 1866: Hikosaburô plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of Kô no Moronô, Senzaki Yagorô, Honzô's wife Tonase, Takehei, Sudô Rokurobei and Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
April 1867: Hikosaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Rokusuke in the drama "Hikosan Chikai no Sukedachi" (similar to "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"); the roles of Osono and Kyôgoku no Takumi are played by Onoe Kikujirô II and Ichikawa Kuzô III.
July 1867: Hikosaburô plays at the Moritaza the roles of Kawagoe Tarô, Suke-no-Tsubone and Igami no Gonta in the drama "Ichi no Mori Kujira no Ôyose" (similar to the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura").
November 1868: Hikosaburô plays the roles of En'ya Hangan, Ichimonjiya Saibei, Kakogawa Honzô and Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the drama "Azuma no Miyako Chûshin no Yurai" (similar to the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura"), coproduced by both the Moritaza and the Nakamuraza.
January 1869: Hikosaburô goes to Ôsaka and plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Iwafuji in the drama "Keisei Tsuii no Ume" (similar to "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie"), which is produced by Jitsukawa Enjaku I; the roles of Ohatsu and Onoe are played by Arashi Rikan IV and Nakamura Komanosuke V.
August 1869: Hikosaburô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of Hôkaibô in the drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage".
October 1869: Hikosaburô plays at the Chikugo no Shibai the role of Matsuômaru in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Umeômaru and Sakuramaru are played by Arashi Rikan IV and Jitsukawa Enjaku I.
November 1869: Hikosaburô plays at the Horie Ichigawa no Shibai the roles of Sekibei (in reality Ôtomo no Kuronushi) and Matsuemon (in reality Higuchi Jirô Kanemitsu) in the dramas "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To" and "Hirakana Seisuiki".
January 1870: Hikosaburô plays at the Naka no Shibai the role of the king of thieves Ishikawa Goemon in the drama "Keisei Koi no Ishikawa"; he also performs in duo with Arashi Rikan IV in the dance "Iro Kurabe Ninin Dôjôji" (a version with 2 leading dancers of the famous "Musume Dôjôji").
March 1870: Hikosaburô plays in the same theater the role of the sumô wrestler Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Hiyokumon Chôchô no Irozashi" (similar to "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"). His stage partner in the role of the sumô wrestler Hanaregoma Chôkichi is Arashi Rikan IV.
May 1870: Hikosaburô plays at the Minamigawa no Shibai the role of Matsuômaru in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Umeômaru and Sakuramaru are played by Nakamura Kanjaku III and Jitsukawa Enzaburô II. Hikosaburô also plays the role of Rokusuke in "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"; the roles of Osono and Kyôgoku no Takumi are played by Jitsukawa Enzaburô II and Nakamura Jakuemon I.
October 1870: Hikosaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Matsuômaru in the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Umeômaru and Sakuramaru are played by Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VII and Onoe Kikugorô V.
November 1870: Hikosaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of the sumô wrestler Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki". His stage partner in the role of the sumô wrestler Hanaregoma Chôkichi is Onoe Kikugorô V.
November 1871: Hikosaburô plays the roles of Satô Shirobyôei Tadanobu, the fox Genkurô, Irie Tanzô, Yasuke and Taira no Koremori in the classic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura", coproduced by both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza.
March 1872: Hikosaburô plays at the Murayamaza the roles of Nikki Danjô and Masaoka in the drama "Date Zensei Kuruwa Kagami", whose plot and characters belong to the "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" world.
July 1872: premiere at the Murayamaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's dance "Renjishi", which stars Hikosaburô and Sawamura Tosshô II in the roles of the spirits of Lions (parent and cub).
September 1873: Hikosaburô plays at the Moritaza the role of Osono in the drama "Katakiuchi Chikai no Hikosan" (similar to "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi"); the roles of Rokusuke and Kyôgoku no Takumi are played by Nakamura Shikan IV and Ichikawa Sadanji I.
November 1873: his adoptive father Bandô Kamezô I dies.
December 1876: tour in Nagoya with Onoe Kikugorô V and Bandô Kakitsu I; Hikosaburô plays the role of Ashikaga Takauji, Momoi Wakasanosuke, Yuranosuke, Tonase and Amagawaya Gihei in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which is staged at the Shinmoriza.
March 1877: Hikosaburô goes to Ôsaka and plays at the Ebisuza the role of Ôoka Echizen in the drama "Otonikiku Ôokakô Sabaki no Jitsuroku". He also performs in duo with Jitsukawa Enzaburô III in the dance "Rokkasen".
May 1877: Hikosaburô appears on stage for the last time, at the Naka no Shibai, playing in the drama "Shôgi Seikai Hana no Yozakura".
Comments:
Bandô Hikosaburô V was an outstanding actor, able to play tachiyaku, onnagata or katakiyaku roles, in both jidaimono and sewamono. His forte were the great Gidayû Kyôgen roles.
Bandô Hikosaburô V, star of the first half of the Meiji era, had a strong artistic influence on Onoe Kikugorô V, the future star of the second half of the Meiji era. He unfortunately died too early, at the age of 45.
Bandô Hikosaburô V's best roles: Yuranosuke/Tonase/Kô no Moronô/Hayano Kampei Kampei ("Kanadehon Chûshingura"), Tadanobu/the fox Genkurô/Yasuke ("Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura"), Nuregami Chôgorô ("Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"), Nikki Danjô/Masaoka ("Meiboku Sendai Hagi").
His rivalry with Nakamura Shikan IV was one of the hottest in Kabuki history: "So nearly matched in ability were Shikan and Hikosaburô, with but two years' difference in their ages, that they were pitted against each other, and their patrons often indulged in fights over them. During a performance, when these actors were playing together, they came through the audience by way of the two hanamichi, the one to the right of the stage a mere footpath, that to the left a platform that was in reality a continuation of the stage proper. They quarrelled as to who should take the main hanamichi, and the dispute waxed so hot that they finally drew lots to settle the matter." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")
Bandô Hikosaburô V playing the role of Takechi Mitsuhide (print made by Toyohara Kunichika)
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1860
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1861
Print made by Meirindô Kakushijo in 1862
Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1865 (courtesy of V.)
Print made by Utagawa Kuniteru in 1867
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1871
Print made by Toyohara Kunichika in 1874
The Bandô Tsurunosuke line of actors
The Bandô Takesaburô line of actors
The Bandô Shinsui line of actors
The Bandô Hikosaburô line of actors