Stage names:
Bandô Mitsugorô I
Takeda Minosuke
Guild: Yamatoya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Zegyô
Existence: 1745 ~ 10 April 1782
Connection:
Adoptive father: Bandô Sampachi I
Father-in-law: Morita Kan'ya VI
Son: Bandô Mitsugorô III
Disciples: Ogino Izaburô II (Bandô Mitsugorô II), Bandô Kijûrô
Career:
1745 ~ 1766: born in Ôsaka. He starts his career at the Takeda no Shibai, a hama shibai theater, playing under the name of Takeda Minosuke. Bandô Sampachi I decides to adopt and train him in 1766.
Fall 1766: Bandô Sampachi I and Minosuke go together to Edo.
November 1766: Takeda Minosuke takes the name of Bandô Mitsugorô I at the Moritaza, playing 2 roles in the kaomise drama "Tsuno Moji Izu no Irifune".
Fall 1767: Mitsugorô achieves a great success at the Moritaza by playing the role of the yakko Yokambei in the drama "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami".
November 1767: Mitsugorô moves to the Ichimuraza and plays in the kaomise drama "Nue Shigedô Sakiwake Yûsha".
August 1768: Mitsugorô achieves a great success by playing at the Ichimuraza the role of Takebe Genzô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". The roles of Kan Shôjô, Matsuômaru and Genzô's wife Tonami are played by Ichimura Uzaemon IX, Sawamura Sôjûrô II and Sanogawa Ichimatsu II.
November 1768: Mitsugorô moves to the Moritaza and plays the role of Minamoto no Yoshiie in the kaomise drama "Mutsuchidori Meika no Yumitori".
April ~ June 1769: Mitsugorô plays at the Moritaza the role of Teraoka Heiemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of Okaru and Yuranosuke are played by Iwai Hanshirô IV and Sakata Hangorô II.
November 1769: Mitsugorô plays at the Moritaza 2 roles in the kaomise drama "Na mo Takashi Kumoi no Yumihari".
January 1770: his adoptive father Bandô Sampachi I dies; Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the role of Kobayashi no Asaina in the new year drama "Kurikaesu Soga no Odamaki". He also plays the role of Hanbei in a shinjûmono, which is staged as the second part (nibanme) of this program. The role of Hanbei's lover Ochiyo is played by Yamashita Kinsaku II.
June 1770: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the role of Issun Tokubei in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami". The roles of Danshichi Kurobei, Tsuribune Sabu and Otatsu are played by Kasaya Matakurô, Sawamura Kijûrô I and Yamashita Kinsaku II.
September 1770: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the role of Shôji's wife and a bonze in the dramas "Ashiya Dôman Ôuchi Kagami" and "Hidakagawa Iriai Zakura", which celebrates the departure of Yamashita Kinsaku II and Iwai Hanshirô IV to the Nakamuraza.
November 1770: Mitsugorô plays the role of Nagata no Tarô in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Miyako Zome Giô Katsugi", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the actor Nakamura Tomijûrô I.
January 1771: Mitsugorô plays at the Moritaza the role of Kudô Suketsune in the drama "Ehô Soga Nennen Goyomi".
May 1771: Mitsugorô plays at the Moritaza the roles of Kokingo and Yasuke in the drama "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura".
November 1771: Mitsugorô plays the role of Kashiwagi Emonnosuke in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Fukikaete Tsuki no Yoshiwara". His stage partners are Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Yamashita Kinsaku II, Nakamura Sukegorô II, Ôtani Hiroemon III and Nakamura Jûzô II (who came from Kamigata).
August 1772: Mitsugorô plays at the Moritaza the role of Lord Ashikaga Yorikane in the Tokiwazu dance-drama "Sono Utsushie Matsu ni Kaide". His stage partners in the roles of the courtesan Takao (and the ghost of Takao) and the ghost of Seigen are Nakamura Noshio I and Ichikawa Danjûrô V.
November 1772: Mitsugorô plays in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Izu Goyomi Shibai no Ganjitsu", which celebrates the shûmei of Sawamura Chôjûrô IV.
January 1773: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year drama "Iro Makie Soga no Sakazuki". The roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are played by Nakamura Noshio I and Ichikawa Danjûrô V.
November 1773: Mitsugorô plays at the the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai".
April 1774: Mitsugorô plays at the Moritaza the role of En'ya Hangan in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
November 1774: Mitsugorô plays in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Ichi no Tomi Tsuki no Kaomise".
January 1775: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari, Umezawa Yoshibei and Mioya Shirô in the new year program "Shida Yuzuriha Hôrai Soga". The roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are played by Bandô Matatarô IV and Ichikawa Danjûrô V.
May 1775: Mitsugorô plays at the Moritaza the roles of Umeômaru and Takebe Genzô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". His stage partners are Ichikawa Danjûrô V (Kan Shôjô), Matsumoto Kôshirô IV (Matsuômaru, Kakuju), Iwai Hanshirô IV (Sakuramaru, Genzô's wife Tonami, Umeômaru's wife Haru).
November 1775: Mitsugorô plays in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Kikujidô Shuen no Iwaya".
March 1776: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the role of Kajiwara Genta Kagesue Kagetaka in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki". The roles of Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka, Chidori and Enju are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Yoshizawa Iroha I and Sawamura Chôjûrô IV.
June 1776: tour in Kôfu; Mitsugorô plays in the precinct of the Kyôanji Temple the role of Issun Tokubei in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami". The roles of Danshichi Kurobei, Tsuribune Sabu and Otatsu are played by Yamashina Shirojûrô, Arashi Otohachi II and Yamashita Kinsaku II.
November 1776: Mitsugorô moves to the Nakamuraza and plays in the kaomise drama "Sakuya Kono Hana no Kaomise".
Summer 1777: the book "Yakusha Sensakuron" ("About actors prying") is published in Edo. It gives some private information on actors. Edo readers learn that Mitsugorô lives with his spouse and his young son in the district of Kobiki-Chô and his annual salary is 650 ryô.
November 1777: Mitsugorô plays in the Nakamuraza kaomise drama "Masakado Kanmuri no Hatsuyuki". His stage partners are Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Matsumoto Kôshirô IV, Iwai Hanshirô IV, Ichikawa Monnosuke II and Yoshizawa Sakinosuke III.
February 1778: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Kyô no Jirô in the new year program "Kaidô Iro Yawaragi Soga. His stage partners in the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are Ichikawa Monnosuke II and Ichikawa Danjûrô V.
July 1778: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the play "Date Kurabe Okuni Kabuki"; Mitsugorô plays the roles of Ashikaga Sakingo Yorikane, the Nanzenji tôfu maker Saburobei, Imagawa Tarô, Akaneya Hanshichi, Dote no Dôtetsu and Tosa no Matahei Mitsuoki [casting].
November 1778: Mitsugorô plays at the Nakamuraza 2 roles in the kaomise drama "Motomishi Yuki Sakae Hachinoki", which celebrates the shûmei of Yoshizawa Ayame IV and the first stage appearance of Mitsugorô's son Bandô Mitahachi I.
January 1779: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Kobayashi no Asaina in the new year program "Gohiiki Nennen Soga". His stage partners in the roles of Jûrô's lover Ôiso no Tora and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are Nakamura Rikô I and Matsumoto Kôshirô IV.
May 1779: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the roles of Takebe Genzô and Umeômaru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Matsuômaru and Sakuramaru are played by Matsumoto Kôshirô IV and Ichikawa Monnosuke II.
November 1779: Mitsugorô plays at Nakamuraza the the roles of Nitta Yoshisada and Oyamada Tarô in the kaomise program "Kaeribana Eiyû Taiheiki". The performance is a tremendous success.
January 1780: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and Fuji Mibu in the new year program "Hatsumonbi Kuruwa Soga". His stage partners in the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are Ichikawa Monnosuke II and Ichikawa Danjûrô V.
May 1780: tour in Sendai.
November 1780: Mitsugorô plays at the Ichimuraza 2 roles in the kaomise drama "Mure Takamatsu Yuki no Shirahata".
September 1781: Mitsugorô plays in the same theater the role of Kameya Chûbei in the shinjûmono "Keisei Koi Bikyaku". The role of Chûbei's lover Umegawa is played by Segawa Kikunojô III.
January 1782: Mitsugorô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is just one rank below jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
Spring 1782: Mitsugorô appears on stage for the last time, at the Moritaza, playing the role of Soga Jûrô in the drama "Haru no Kotobuki Tokiwa Soga".
April 1782: Mitsugorô collapses and dies in the backstages of the Moritaza.
Comments:
Bandô Mitsugorô I was a talented tachiyaku and dancer, who won fame for himself during the Meiwa and An'ei eras.
His forte were nimaime roles, like Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the sogamono. He had excellent personal appearance and techniques but it is said that his diction was not very good because and he did not really get rid of the bad influence of the years spent in hama shibai. He occassionnally performed onnagata roles.
Bandô Mitsugorô I was also the manager of a cosmetics store in the district of Kobiki-chô.
Bandô Mitsugorô I in a print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1773
Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô
Print made by Katsukawa Shunkô
The Bandô Mitsugorô line of actors