Stage names:

Bandô Mitsugorô VIII
Bandô Minosuke VI
Bandô Yasosuke III

Guild: Yamatoya

Line number: HACHIDAIME (VIII)

Existence: 19 October 1906 ~ 16 January 1975

Connection:

Adoptive father: Bandô Mitsugorô VII

Adopted son (and son-in-law): Bandô Mitsugorô IX

Grandson: Bandô Mitsugorô X

Great-grandson: Bandô Minosuke II

Career:

January 1913: he made his first appearance on stage, receiving the name of Bandô Yasosuke III at the Ichimuraza.

June 1928: Bandô Yasosuke III took the name of Bandô Minosuke VI at the Meijiza, playing the role of Ushiwakamaru in the drama "Kurama Genji".

1932: Minosuke worked on a modern stage version of the classic novel "Genji Monogatari" but the project was forbidden by the Japanese Authorities.

1935 ~ 1939: Minosuke joined a Kabuki troupe managed by the Tôhô Company; his stage partners were Nakamura Moshio IV, Ichikawa Komazô IX and Ichikawa Sumizô VI.

July 1937: premiere in Tôkyô at the Yûrakuza of Hasegawa Shin's drama "Ori", with a casting mixing Kabuki and non-Kabuki actors. Nakamura Moshio IV, Minosuke and Nakamura Komanosuke VII played the roles of Yûchin/Goroichi, Shichibê and the daiku Gen.

1940: Minosuke settled in Kamigata and became one of the leading actors in Takechi Tetsuji's Kabuki troupe, nicknamed Takechi Kabuki.

January 1946: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of the Gidayû-based version of the dance-drama "Shôjô"; Minosuke played the role of a shôjô [more details].

July 1951: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of Uno Nobuo's drama "Jiisan Baasan"; Minosuke played the role of Shimojima Jin'emon [casting].

August 1953: revival of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's masterpiece "Sonezaki Shinjû" at the Shinbashi Enbujô; Minosuke played the role of Hiranoya Kyûemon [more details].

September 1953: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of the dance "Ryûko", starring Minosuke and Jitsukawa Enjirô II in the roles of the Dragon and the Tiger.

July 1956: premiere at the Ôsaka Kabukiza of the dance-drama "Uma Nusubito"; Minosuke played the role of Akuta [casting].

January 1958: Minosuke played at the Bunrakuza in Ôsaka the role of Sekibê (in reality Ôtomo no Kuronushi) in the dance-drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To"; his stage partners were Hayashi Mataichirô II (Yoshimine Munesada) and Ôtani Tomoemon VII (Ono no Komachi, Sumizome).

March 1958: Minosuke took part in the final Kabuki performance at the Ôsaka Kabukiza [more details].

June 1958: revival at the Tôyoko Hall of the drama "Kishi no Himematsu Kutsuwa Kagami"; Minosuke played the role of Asaina Saburô Yoshihide [more details].

1961: Minosuke was back in Tôkyô.

4 November 1961: his adoptive father Bandô Mitsugorô VII died.

June 1962: revival at the Kabukiza under the supervision of Takechi Tetsuji of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi"; Minosuke played the role of Kondô Gunjibê [more details].

September 1962: great shûmei for 3 generations of actors belonging to the Yamatoya guild (Yamatoya Sandai Shûmei); Bandô Minosuke VI and Bandô Yasosuke IV respectively took the names of Bandô Mitsugorô VIII and Bandô Minosuke VII; this was also the hatsubutai of Bandô Yasosuke V; the new Mitsugorô played the roles of Kisen and Hoshikage Doemon in the dance "Rokkasen Sugata no Irodori" and the drama "Gosho no Gorozô".

June 1963: Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa" was produced for the first time at the Kabukiza; Mitsugorô played the role of Iwai-buro Jisuke [casting].

November 1966: opening ceremony of the National Theatre in Tôkyô with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in which Mitsugorô played the roles of Sukune Tarô and Matsuômaru [casting].

December 1966: second month of the opening ceremony of the National Theater with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in which Mitsugorô played the roles of Fujiwara no Shihei and Shiratayû [casting].

March 1967: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which was supervised by Gunji Masakatsu; Mitsugorô played the roles of Tsurigane no Gonsuke and Shinobu no Sôta [casting].

July 1967: Mitsugorô played at the Kabukiza the role of Sekibê (in reality Ôtomo no Kuronushi) in the dance-drama "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Sadanji III (Yoshimine Munesada), Nakamura Shikan (Ono no Komachi) and Onoe Baikô VII (Sumizome).

November 1967: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre 3 roles (including Katagiri Katsumoto) in Tsubouchi Shôyô's drama "Kiri Hitoha".

June 1968: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Gappô in the drama "Sesshû Gappô-ga-Tsuji"; the role of Gappô's daughter Tamate Gozen was played by Onoe Baikô VII.

January 1972: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the roles of Dozaemon Denkichi and Soga Gorô Tokimune in the drama "Sannin Kichisa Kuruwa no Hatsugai" and the bombastic short play "Ya-no-Ne".

May 1973: Mitsugorô played at the Kabukiza the leading role of the dance "Yakko Dôjôji".

September 1973: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Urahashi Jûdayû in Kawatake Mokuami's rarely-staged drama "Kokubyakuron Oriwake Hakata".

January 1974: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Tôjin'ame no Ichibê in Kawatake Mokuami's rarely-staged drama "Ninjô Banashi Kamiyui Tôji".

December 1974: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Kakogawa Honzô in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; *the roles of Honzô's wife Tonase and Honzô's daughter Konami were played by Nakamura Utaemon VI and Nakamura Matsue V.

16 January 1975: Mitsugorô died of paralysis and convulsions after eating fugu liver in a Kyôto restaurant.

Comments:

Bandô Mitsugorô VIII was a talented tachiyaku and katakiyaku of the Shôwa era. He was particularly excellent in aragoto roles.

Bandô Mitsugorô VIII's best roles: Akizuki Daizen ("Shin Usuyuki Monogatari"), Nuregami Chôgorô ("Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"), Ikyû ("Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura"), Kô no Moronô ("Kanadehon Chûshingura"), Nagao Kenshin ("Honchô Nijûshikô") and Senoo Tarô ("Heike Nyogo no Shima").

Bandô Mitsugorô VIII playing the role of Nuregami Chôgorô in the drama "Sumôba"

Print made by Natori Shunsen in 1953

The Bandô Yasosuke line of actors

The Bandô Minosuke line of actors

The Bandô Mitsugorô line of actors