Stage names:
Bandô Sampachi I
Bandô Matahachi I
Other name: Ôta Sanjûrô
Guild: Yamatoya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Heikyû
Existence: ??? ~ 11 January 1770
Connections:
Father: Yamatoya Matahachi (Nakamura Koyata)
Master: Ichimura Uzaemon VIII
Adopted son: Bandô Mitsugorô I
Disciple: Bandô Sampachi II
Career:
??? ~ 1745: he is the son of Yamatoya Matahachi, who was a wakashugata playing under the name of Nakamura Koyata from 1703 to 1707. He starts his career as a shamisen player performing at the Ichimuraza under the name of Ôta Sanjûrô.
1745: he decides to be an actor, becomes disciple of Ichimura Uzaemon VIII and receives the name of Bandô Matahachi I.
January 1746: Matahachi appears on stage for the first time, at the Ichimuraza, as a katakiyaku, playing the role of Miura no Yoichi in the new year drama "Kikeba Mukashi Soga Monogatari".
January 1750: Matahachi achieves a great success at the Ichimuraza by playing the role of Kobayashi no Asaina in the new year drama "Kayôkami Chidori Soga".
November 1750: Bandô Matahachi I takes the name of Bandô Sampachi I at the Ichimuraza, playing the role of Yuasa Magoroku Nyûdô in the kaomise drama "Gaijin Taiheiki".
February 1751: Sampachi becomes tachiyaku, achieving a great success by playing in the same theater the role of Yabo Daijin in the drama "Hatsuhana Sumidagawa".
November 1751: Sampachi plays the roles of Taira no Munemori and Matano no Gorô in the Ichimuraza kaomise drama "Kamimukae Nigiwai Genji", which celebrates the shûmei of Bandô Hikosaburô II.
January 1752: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Tsuruwakamaru in the new year program "Suzuriha Sugatami Soga".
July 1752: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Sasara Sampachi in the drama "Hitokanade Taihei Nagoya".
November 1752: Sampachi plays the role of Kanawa Gorô in the Ichimuraza kaomise drama "Ume Sakura Ninin Semimaru".
January 1753: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Kobayashi no Asaina in the new year program "Haru Fukami Iroha Soga".
July 1753: the play "Hirakana Seisuiki" is performed for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza [casting]. Sampachi plays the role of Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka.
November 1753: Sampachi plays the role of Ôe Iwato Saemon in the Ichimuraza kaomise program "Kamuri Kurabe Yatsushi Kuronushi", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the actor Kasaya Matakurô I.
November 1754: Sampachi plays the role of the Hayami Tetsudômaru in the Ichimuraza kaomise program "Keisei Asakusa no Kane".
November 1755: Sampachi plays in the Ichimuraza kaomise program "Kashiwagatôge Kichirei Sumô".
November 1756: Sampachi moves to the Nakamuraza and plays the role of Bandô Tarô in the kaomise program "Masakado Shôzoku no Enoki", which celebrates the arrival of Arashi Tominosuke I in Edo.
November 1757: Sampachi plays the roles of Araoka Genta and Dekurobei in the Nakamuraza kaomise drama "Onna Musha Kaijin Yashima".
November 1758: Sampachi moves to the Moritaza and plays the role of Shibuya no Konnômaru in the kaomise program "Akazawa Genjiyama".
November 1759: Sampachi moves to the Ichimuraza and plays the role of Sasara Sampachi in the kaomise program "Okunizome Shusse Butai".
November 1760: Sampachi moves to the Nakamuraza but there is no kaomise program this year.
March 1761: Sampachi plays at the Nakamuraza the roles of Akogi no Heiji and Ise no Saburô in the drama "Ai no Yama Onna Katakiuchi".
November 1761: Sampachi moves to the Moritaza and plays in the kaomise drama "Misonô Banzei no Hachinoki".
April 1762: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Momoi Wakasanosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".
November 1762: Sampachi plays the aragoto role of Toriumi Yasaburô in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Tôzai Tôzai Wagakuni no Umeyashiki".
February 1763: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara", which is staged at the Moritaza; Sampachi plays the role of Bunji [casting].
November 1763: Sampachi plays in the Moritaza kaomise drama "Ume ya Suisen Izu no Irifune", which celebrates the shûmei of Nakamura Sukegorô II.
August 1764: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Taroku in the drama "Ono no Tôfû Aoyagi Suzuri".
November 1764: Sampachi moves to Ôsaka and plays in the kaomise drama "Tatsu no Miya Yunzei Kotobuki", which is produced by Mimasu Daigorô I at the Naka no Shibai.
December 1764: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Dankurô in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari".
May 1765: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami". The roles of Danshichi Kurobei and Issun Tokubei are played by Mimasu Daigorô I and Arashi Kichisaburô I.
November 1765: Sampachi plays in the kaomise drama "Ôzatsuki Shuen no Kachidoki", which is produced by Mimasu Daigorô I and Nakamura Utaemon I at the Naka no Shibai.
May 1766: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Koshina Danjô in the drama "Honchô Nijûshikô".
Fall 1766: Sampachi and his adopted son Takeda Minosuke go together to Edo.
November 1766: Sampachi plays the roles of Arajishi Otokonosuke and Matahei in the Ichimuraza kaomise drama "Higashiyama Dono Kabuki no Tsuitachi"; his adopted son Bandô Mitsugorô I celebrates his shûmei at the Moritaza.
January 1767: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Hachiman no Saburô in the new year drama "Soga Yawaragi Soga".
February 1767: first Kabuki adaptation, at the Ichimuraza, of Chikamatsu Hanji's puppet theater drama "Taiheiki Chûshin Kôshaku"; Sampachi plays the roles of Jiroemon and Amakawaya Gihei [casting].
November 1767: Sampachi plays in the Ichimuraza kaomise drama "Nue Shigedô Sakiwake Yûsha".
August 1768: Sampachi plays in the same theater the role of Sukune Tarô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
November 1768: Sampachi plays in the Ichimuraza kaomise drama "Otokoyama Yunzei Kurabe".
May 1769: Sampachi plays in the same theater the roles of Yoichibei and Teraoka Heiemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The roles of Okaru and Yuranosuke are played by Nakamura Matsue I and Sawamura Sôjûrô II.
September 1769: Sampachi appears on stage for the last time, at the Ichimuraza, playing in the drama "Ono no Tôfû Aoyagi Suzuri".
Comments:
Bandô Sampachi I was a good tachiyaku and katakiyaku, who excelled in jitsugoto and yakko aragoto roles. He was the first actor in the Bandô clan to use Yamatoya as a yagô. He did not reach the jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) level in the Edo hyôbanki but his best rank was not far from this level of excellence.
Bandô Sampachi I in the role of Tsurigane Yazaemon in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)