Stage names:
Bandô Shûchô II
Bandô Shûchô
Ichikawa Yonejûrô III
Ichikawa Yonemaru
Other name: Yoshimatsu
Real name: Mizuta Yoshijirô
Nickname: Sakasa Hyôtan ("the upside-down gourd")
Guild: Yamatoya
Line number: NIDAIME (II)
Existence: 1848 ~ 29 September 1901
Connection:
Masters: Morita Kan'ya XII, Ichikawa Kodanji IV
Adopted son and son-in-law: Bandô Shûchô III
Grandsons: Bandô Matatarô VII, Ichikawa Komazô X, Bandô Mitsugorô IX
Great-grandsons: Bandô Mitsugorô X, Bandô Shûchô V
Great-great-grandson: Bandô Minosuke II
Career:
1848: born in Nagoya. His father is a sumô wrestler.
1853: he becomes disciple of the actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV, who is on tour in Nagoya, and receives the name of Ichikawa Yonemaru, playing the role of Goroichi in the drama "Ishikawa Goemon".
1867: Yonemaru settles in Ôsaka and takes the name of Ichikawa Yonejûrô III at the Horie Ichigawa no Shibai.
March 1871: Yonejûrô settles in Tôkyô and plays at Nakamuraza in the drama "Zôhô Sembon Zakura".
1873: Yonejûrô becomes disciple of the zamoto Morita Kan'ya XII, who gives him the name of Bandô Shûchô.
1880: tour in Nagoya with the troupe led by Ichikawa Danjûrô IX; Shûchô plays at the Furusode-Chô Shibai.
January 1881: Shûchô achieves a great success at the Shintomiza (Tôkyô) by playing 9 roles in the 2 classic dramas "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura" and "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".
February 1884: Bandô Shûchô takes the name of Bandô Shûchô II at the Shintomiza.
February 1885: Shûchô takes part in the opening ceremony of the Chitoseza [info].
1887: tour in Nagoya.
May 1890: Bandô Shûchô II plays at the Shintomiza the roles of Oyoshi and Omine in the drama "Jitsuroku Chûshingura".
July 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô", adapted to Kabuki from a famous Rakugo story created by San'yûtei Enchô; Shûchô plays the roles of Okuni and Omine [casting].
November 1893: Shûchô plays at the Minamiza (Kyôto) the role of Masaoka in the drama "Jitsuroku Sendai Hagi".
March 1901: Shûchô achieves a great success in Ôsaka at the Kadoza by playing several roles in the dramas "Ura Omote Date Zome Kosode" and "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
April 1901: Shûchô appears on stage for the last time, at the Misonoza in his hometown (Nagoya), playing the roles of Sagami and Oyumi in the dramas "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki" and "Keisei Awa no Naruto".
Comments:
Bandô Shûchô II was not a good-looking actor and his diction was not great but he nevertheless succeeded in making a great career as an onnagata. He excelled in the roles of sewamono house wives. His stage partners were the best Meiji tachiyaku like Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, Onoe Kikugorô V or Ichikawa Sadanji I.
Bandô Shûchô II playing the role of Okuni in the drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô", staged in July 1892 at the Kabukiza (print made by Utagawa Kunisada III)
The Bandô Shûchô line of actors