BANDÔ MATATARÔ
   
SEVEN GENERATIONS
Bandô Matatarô I
 

The founder of the line Bandô Matatarô I held this name from the beginning of the Jôkyô era to the 2nd lunar month of 1704.

Bandô Matatarô I in an ilustration from the book "Hana no Edo Kabuki Nendaiki"

Bandô Matatarô II
Bandô Matatarô II  In Japanese | Bandô Matajirô III  In Japanese | Bandô Ushinosuke [1]  In Japanese
 

Dates of birth and death unknown. He was the son of Bandô Matatarô I and received at birth the name of Bandô Ushinosuke [1]. He took the name of Bandô Matajirô III when he started to do his training with his father. His father died the 28th of the 2nd lunar month of 1704 and he took the name of Bandô Matatarô II the same year. He kept on acting a few years, appearing on stage for the last time in the 1st lunar month of 1710 at the Moritaza, where he performed as a wakashugata. No record afterwards.

The name of Bandô Matatarô II in the 1710 Edo hyôbanki (the zone within the red box)

Bandô Matatarô III
 

The actor Ôtani Hiroji II held the name of Bandô Matatarô III from the 11th lunar month of 1736 to the 10th lunar month of 1743.

Bandô Matatarô III (left) and Ichimura Manzô (right) playing the roles of Ômori Hikoshichi and Kusunoki Masatsura in the kaomise drama "Tokiwagi Taiheiki", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1739 at the Ichimuraza

Bandô Matatarô IV
 

The actor Bandô Matatarô IV held this name from the 11th lunar month of 1753 to the 9th lunar month of 1801.

Bandô Matatarô IV playing the role of Bandô Tarô in the drama "Gohiiki Kanjinchô", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1773 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Katsukawa Shunshô)

Bandô Matatarô V
Bandô Matatarô V  In Japanese | Bandô Kumajûrô II  In Japanese | Sakata Kumaemon  In Japanese
 

Dates of birth and death unknown. He started his career as a disciple of Sakata Hangorô IV, who gave him the name of Sakata Kumaemon. He became disciple of Ichimura Uzaemon XII and took in the 11th lunar month of 1832 the name of Bandô Kumajûrô II at the Ichimuraza, playing in the drama "Bandô Musha Tsunagate Hajime". He took the name of Bandô Matatarô V in the 11th lunar month of 1838 at the Ichimuraza, playing the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki in the drama "Gin Sekai Ikigoto no Kaomise". He held this name for less than a year, appearing on stage for the last time in the 6th lunar month of 1839, at the Ichimuraza, playing the roles of Yamana Jirôzaemon, Ôwashi Bungo and Sagisaka Bannai in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". He most likely died in 1840. This tall actor was appreciated as supporting katakiyaku in jidaimono dramas.

Haimyô Yagô
Tôzan Tôgokuya

The actors Bandô Matatarô V (left) and Ichimura Uzaemon XII (right) playing the roles of Sone Jidayû and Shikamata Monnosuke in a print made by Utagawa Kunisada I

Bandô Matatarô VI
Bandô Matatarô VI  In Japanese | Nakamura Tsurujûrô  In Japanese | Fujikawa Tomogorô [2]  In Japanese
 

Dates of birth and death unknown. He started his career as a disciple of Fujikawa Tomokichi II at the end of the 1810s, who gave him the name of Fujikawa Tomogorô [2]. He joined the star Nakamura Utaemon III at the beginning of the Tenpô era and received the name of Nakamura Tsurujûrô. He was a supporting tachiyaku actor and later on became also katakiyaku. He joined a travelling troupe and was back in Edo in 1855, becoming a disciple of Ichimura Uzaemon XIII. He took the name of Bandô Matatarô VI in the 3rd lunar month of 1855, performing at the Ichimuraza in the drama "Kagamiyama Gonichi no Ishibumi". He acted for 10 years in Edo theaters and appeared for the last time on stage in the 1st lunar month of 1865, at the Ichimuraza, performing in the new year drama "Tsuru no Chitose Soga no Kadomatsu". He most likely died in 1866. He was a good supporting katakiyaku and fukeyaku actor.

Haimyô Yagô
Tôzan Tôgokuya

Bandô Matatarô VI playing the role of Rai Kuniyuki in the drama "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari" in a print made by Utagawa Toyokuni III (1862~1863)

Bandô Matatarô VII
Bandô Matatarô VII  In Japanese
 

Born the 18th July 1922. He was the eldest son of the actor Bandô Shûchô III. He made his first stage appearance as a koyaku in 1928 and later on took the name of Bandô Matatarô VII. He gave up acting in 1948 and worked as a policeman for a short period of time. He became dance master in 1949.

Honmyô Yagô
Kaneko Katsu Tôgokuya

Bandô Matatarô VII (top/left) and Ichikawa Miyosuke (bottom/right) playing the roles of Chûbê and Umegawa (tômi) in the drama "Ninokuchi-mura", which was staged in January 1934 at the Tôkyô Gekijô

 

Notes

[1] This name was recorded in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran" and in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten"; it was not recorded in the Ritsumeikan Univ. Actors Database.

[2] This name was recorded only in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran"; it was not recorded in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" or in the Ritsumeikan Univ. Actors Database. He was a disciple of both Fujikawa Tomokichi II and Fujikawa Tomokichi III.

 
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