MORITA KAN'YA
   
FOURTEEN GENERATIONS
Morita Kan'ya I
 

The zamoto Morita Kan'ya I held this name from the 5th lunar month of 1668 to the 2nd lunar month of 1679.

Morita Kan'ya I in 1675

Morita Kan'ya II
 

The actor and zamoto Bandô Matakurô II held the name of Morita Kan'ya II from Spring 1679 to the 10th lunar month of 1699.

Morita Kan'ya II in an ilustration from the book
"Kokon Shibai Irokurabe Hyakunin Isshu" (1st lunar month of 1693)

Morita Kan'ya III
 

The actor and zamoto Bandô Matakurô III held the name of Morita Kan'ya III from the 11th lunar month of 1699 to Spring 1712.

Yamanaka Heikurô I (bottom/left), Morita Kan'ya III (bottom/right) and Fujimoto Hanagiri (top/right) playing the roles of Shiraga Kintoki, Kinpira and Fujitsubo in the new year drama "Shiraga Kintoki Shusse no Uwanari", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1705 at the Moritaza

Morita Kan'ya IV
 

The actor and zamoto Morita Kan'ya IV held this name from Spring 1712 to the 9th lunar month of 1743.

Morita Kan'ya IV playing the role of Katagiri Yashichi in the kaomise drama "Banmin Taiheiki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1719 at the Moritaza

Morita Kan'ya V
Morita Matazaemon  In Japanese | Morita Kan'ya V  In Japanese | Morita Kinzô  In Japanese
 

Date of birth unknown. He was related to the Morita clan through his mother. He started his career as a disciple of Morita Kan'ya IV, who gave him the name of Morita Kinzô. His master died in the 9th lunar month of 1743 and he married his daughter in 1744, taking on this occasion the name of Morita Kan'ya V. The Moritaza, which had to stop its business and give its license to the Kawarasakiza in Spring 1734, was finally back in business in the 11th lunar month of 1744. Kan'ya produced his first kaomise drama, which was entitled "Higashiyama Bandai no Watamashi" and starred Tomizawa Tatsujûrô, Utagawa Shirogorô, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Sanjô Kantarô II, Tsuruya Nanboku II, Sanogawa Senzô and Yamamoto Kyôzô. He retired in the 11th lunar month of 1751, taking the name of Morita Matazaemon and entrusting the management of the Moritaza to his son-in-law Sawamura Kodenji II, who took the name of Morita Kan'ya VI. Matazaemon took the tonsure in the 5th lunar month of 1780. He died the 2nd day of the 10th lunar month of 1802 [3]. His haimyô was Zukô.

The name of Morita Kan'ya V in a 1751 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red shape on the left side of the picture)

Morita Kan'ya VI
 

The actor and zamoto Morita Kan'ya VI held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1751 to the 10th lunar month of 1774.

Morita Kan'ya VI in a print made by Ippitsusai Bunchô in 1770

Morita Kan'ya VII
Morita Kan'ya VII  In Japanese | Morita Tarobê II  In Japanese | Morita Kanjirô I  In Japanese
 

Date of birth unknown. His father was Morita Kan'ya VI and his mother was Morita Kan'ya V's daughter. He made his first stage appearance in the 11th lunar month of 1753, at the Moritaza, where he received the name of Morita Kanjirô I. He took the name of Morita Tarobê II in 1765. His father Morita Kan'ya VI retired in the 11th lunar month of 1774, taking the name of Morita Yasosuke and giving the management of the family theater to his son, who took the name of Morita Kan'ya VII. He managed the Moritaza up to his death the 10th of the 8th lunar month of 1783 [1].

Haimyô Yagô
Gai, Senchô, Zankyô [4] Kinojiya

The name of Morita Kan'ya VII in a 1776 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red shape on the left side of the picture)

Morita Kan'ya VIII
 

The actor and zamoto Bandô Yasosuke I held the name of Morita Kan'ya VIII from the 8th lunar month of 1783 to the 10th lunar month of 1801.

Morita Kan'ya VIII in a print made by Tôshûsai Sharaku

Morita Kan'ya IX
 

The actor and zamoto Morita Kan'ya IX held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1801 to the 4th lunar month of 1830.

Morita Kan'ya IX playing the leading role of the drama "Matta Shibaraku Imairi Sugata", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1805 at the Kado no Shibai

Morita Kan'ya X
Morita Kan'ya X  In Japanese | Bandô Sanpachi III  In Japanese | Bandô Mitahachi II  In Japanese
 

Date of birth unknown. He was adopted by Bandô Minosuke I, who gave him the name of Bandô Mitahachi II in the 11th lunar month of 1820 at the Tamagawaza. He took the name of Bandô Sanpachi III in the 9th lunar month of 1824 at the Ichimuraza. In the 5th lunar month of 1830, Morita Kan'ya IX, who decided to retire, took the name of Bandô Yasosuke and Bandô Sanpachi III received both the name of Morita Kan'ya X and the management of the closed Moritaza. He became in 1832 the stage assistant of Bandô Mitsugorô IV. The Moritaza finally reopened in the 11th lunar month of 1833 and Kan'ya produced as the opening program the drama "Shitennô Kabuki no Yorizome", which starred Ichikawa Ebizô V, Bandô Mitsugorô III, Iwai Tojaku, Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII, Iwai Hanshirô VI, Sawamura Tosshô I, Iwai Kumesaburô III, Bandô Minosuke II, Bandô Tamasaburô I and Ôtani Tomoemon IV. The Moritaza went bankrupt in Fall 1837 and Kan'ya had to give his license for Kabuki performances to Kawarasaki Gonnosuke V, the head of the Kawarasakiza, the hikae yagura of the Moritaza. He was not able to reopen his theater for quite a long time and decided to retire in the 11th lunar month of 1850, giving his name and the management of the closed Moritaza to Bandô Mitsugorô IV, who took the name of Morita Kan'ya XI at the Ichimuraza. He died the 11th day of the 7th lunar month of 1838 [2].

Haimyô Yagô
Gai Kinojiya, Yamatoya

The cover of a playbill for the last Kabuki program, which was produced by Morita Kan'ya X in his theater in the 9th lunar month of 1837

Morita Kan'ya XI
 

The actor and zamoto Morita Kan'ya XI held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1850 to the 11th lunar month of 1863.

Morita Kan'ya XI playing the role of Ômori Hikoshichi in the drama "Nanitaka Shimari Uta Jitsuroku", which was staged in the 7th lunar month of 1855 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III)

Morita Kan'ya XII
 

The zamoto Morita Kan'ya XII held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1864 to August 1897.

Morita Kan'ya XII (center) with the actors Nakamura Shikan IV (left) and Ichikawa Danjûrô IX (right) in a print made by Toyohara Kunichika
Morita Kan'ya XIII
 

The actor Morita Kan'ya XIII held this name from November 1906 to June 1932.

Morita Kan'ya XIII playing the role of Midaroku in the drama "Kumagai Jin'ya", which was staged in June 1927 at the Imperial Theater

Morita Kan'ya XIV
 

The actor Morita Kan'ya XIV held this name from January 1935 to March 1975.

Morita Kan'ya XIV playing the role of Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the drama "Kanjinchô", which was staged in June 1941 at the Meijiza

 

Notes

[1] The 10th of the 8th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Tenmei era was the 6th of September 1783 in the western calendar.

[2] The 11th day of the 7th lunar month of the 9th year of the Tenpô era was the 30th of August 1838 in the western calendar.

[3] The 2nd day of the 10th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Kyôwa era was the 28th of October 1802 in the western calendar.

[4] Others possible readings: Zankô, Sankyô or Sankô.

 
Search this site powered by FreeFind
  Site map | Disclaimer
Contact | Main | Top | Updates | Actors | Plays | Playwrights | Programs | Links | FAQ | Glossary | Chronology | Illustrations | Prints | Characters | Derivatives | Theaters | Coming soon | News