Stage names:
Bandô Matatarô IV
Arashi Kuhachi
Guild: Tôgokuya
Line number: YODAIME (IV)
Poetry name: Tôzan
Existence: ??? ~ 13 September 1801
Connections:
Father: Arashi Otohachi I
Masters: Ichimura Uzaemon IX, Ichimura Uzaemon VIII
Brother: Arashi Otohachi II
Career:
November 1747: he makes his first appearance on stage, at the Nakamuraza, playing a child role in the kaomise drama "Izu Gunzei Sumô no Nishiki".
November 1753: he becomes disciple of Ichimura Uzaemon VIII and takes the name of Bandô Matatarô IV at the Ichimuraza, playing the role of the yakko Kiyarasuke in the kaomise program "Kamuri Kurabe Yatsushi Kuronushi".
November 1759: Matatarô becomes katakiyaku during the Ichimuraza kaomise program "Okunizome Shusse Butai".
May 1762: his master Ichimura Uzaemon VIII dies.
November 1762: Matatarô plays the role of Koretaka Shinnô in the Ichimuraza kaomise drama "Kisoe Uta Sakae Komachi".
January 1763: Matatarô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, katakiyaku section, is jô-jô (superior - superior).
November 1768: Matatarô becomes tachiyaku and achieves a great success by playing the role of Arakawa Tarô in the Ichimuraza kaomise drama "Otokoyama Yunzei Kurabe".
January 1770: Matatarô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
November 1770: Matatarô moves to Ôsaka and plays the role of Eda Genzô in the kaomise program "Ma'ichimonjiya Sakigake Hyôban", which is produced by Ogawa Kichitarô I at the Naka no Shibai.
January 1771: Matatarô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent).
November 1771: Matatarô is back in Edo and plays the role of Harata Rokurô in the Ichimuraza kaomise "Kono Hana Yotsugi no Hachinoki".
January 1772: Matatarô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Umeômaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". The roles of Matsuômaru and Sakuramaru are played by Ôtani Hiroji III and Arashi Sangorô II.
November 1772: Matatarô moves to the Nakamuraza and takes part in the kaomise program "Ôyoroi Ebidô Shinozuka", which celebrates the great shûmei of the actors Ichikawa Ebizô III, Matsumoto Kôshirô IV and Ichikawa Komazô III.
November 1773: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the play "Gohiiki Kanjinchô", performed as a kaomise drama. Matatarô plays the roles of Bandô Tarô (!) and Ise no Saburô [casting]. This 46-days long performance, which is also the shûmei of Nakamura Rikô I, is a tremendous success.
September 1774: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role of Maboroshi no Takeemon in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki".
November 1774: Matatarô moves to the Moritaza and plays the roles of Kasuya Tôta and Kisanta in the kaomise drama "Ichi no Tomi Tsuki no Kaomise".
January 1775: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune in the new year program "Shida Yuzuriha Hôrai Soga". The roles of Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô V and Bandô Mitsugorô I.
August 1775: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role Watanabe Mimbu in the drama "Keisei Tsuki no Miyako".
November 1775: Matatarô moves to the Ichimuraza and achieves a great success by playing the role of Ômori Hikoshichi in the kaomise drama "Oyafune Taiheiki". His stage partners are Ichikawa Ebizô III, Iwai Hanshirô IV, Matsumoto Kôshirô IV, Ichikawa Yaozô II, Osagawa Tsuneyo II, Nakamura Noshio I and Sakata Hangorô II.
July 1776: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role of Sukune Tarô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
November 1776: Matatarô moves to the Nakamuraza and plays in the kaomise drama "Sakuya Kono Hana no Kaomise".
August 1777: Matatarô plays in the same theater the roles of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
September 1777: Matatarô plays in the same theater the roles of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki and Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan in the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna".
November 1779: Matatarô becomes jitsuaku and plays in the kaomise drama "Uta Kurabe Tôsei Moyô", which celebrates the shûmei of Ichikawa Yaozô III.
March 1780: Matatarô plays in the same theater the roles of Umeômaru and Shundô Gemba in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". The roles of Matsuômaru and Sakuramaru are played by Nakamura Nakazô I and Ichikawa Yaozô III.
May 1780: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role of Ariômaru in the drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi". The role of Shunkan is played by Ichikawa Danzô IV.
September 1780: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role of the farmer Yomosaku in the drama "Yamatogana Ariwara Keizu".
November 1780: Matatarô plays at the Moritaza the role of Namba Jirô, the villain of the "Shibaraku" scene starring Ichikawa Danzô IV, in the kaomise drama "Tokimekiya Oedo no Hatsuyuki", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata star Arashi Hinasuke I.
March 1781: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role of Teraoka Heiemon in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of Yuranosuke and Okaru are played by Ichikawa Danzô IV and Nakamura Kumejirô.
November 1781: Matatarô plays in the same theater the role of Hachiman no Saburô in the new year program "Nanakusa Yosooi Soga".
July 1782: Matatarô plays in the same theater the roles of Watanabe Mimbu and the yakko Dampei in the drama "Datezome Shikata Kôshaku", whose plot and characters belong to the "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" world.
April 1783: Matatarô plays at the Moritaza the roles of the yakko Hatasuke, Sakama Dembei and Hosokawa Yoriyuki in the drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie".
February 1784: Matatarô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Denkaibô in the drama "Shinjû Ten no Amijima".
June 1800: Matatarô appears on stage for the last time, at the Ichimuraza, playing the role of Hida Saemon in the drama "Gempei Nunobiki no Taki".
Comments:
Bandô Matatarô IV was a good katakiyaku and tachiyaku of the second half of the eighteenth century. his forte were aragoto roles in jidaimono dramas. In the last years of his career, he took an active part in the management of the Ichimuraza but it did not work well and the theater had to close. He also managed a bath house in the district of Segawa-chô.
Bandô Matatarô IV in a print made by Katsukawa Shunshô