BANDÔ TAKEJAKU
   
TWO GENERATIONS
Bandô Takejaku I
 

Unknown actor. Was he a disciple of Bandô Hikojûrô I?

Bandô Takejaku II
Bandô Takejaku II  In Japanese | Bandô Jûzaburô II  In Japanese | Bandô Ukaku  In Japanese | Seki Rikio  In Japanese
 

Born the 10th of March 1895 in Shizuoka Prefecture. He made his debut on stage in October 1900, in Kyôto at the Kyôgokuza, where he received the name of Seki Rikio and played a kamuro role in the drama "Ishii Tsuneemon". He became a disciple of Bandô Hikojûrô II in April 1911 and received the name of Bandô Ukaku. He took the name of Bandô Jûzaburô II in October 1919 at the Engiza. He officially became nadai and celebrated it in September 1921 at the Imperial Theater, where he took the name of Bandô Takejaku II. He appeared on stage for the last time in November 1969 at the Kabukiza, where he played the roles of Otsume and a daimyô in "Sono Kouta Yume mo Yoshiwara" and "Soga no Taimen" [1]. He suddenly died the 13th of November 1969. Before WW2, he was a mainstay in koshibai venues, like the Kotobukiza in Honjo. After WW2 and the destruction of all theaters, he founded in 1950 a troupe with Bandô Tsuruzô IV, Ichikawa Monzaburô III, Matsumoto Komanosuke, Ichikawa Fukunosuke III, Kataoka Uemon II or Sawamura Komondo IV [2]. This troupe was the Katabamiza. They regularly performed at the Sumida Gekijô, a small theater located at the 6th floor the Matsuya Department Store in Asakusa, or on the 7th floor of the Ôji Department Store. After the closure of the Sumida Gekijô and the end of the Katabamiza in August 1969, along with Ichikawa Monzaburô III, he spent the last year of his career in ôshibai. Bandô Takejaku II, who was able to perform a wide range of roles as an onnagata or a tachiyaku, was the last koshibai zagashira. He was recorded as playing the difficult roles of Sodehagi and Sadatô in the drama "Sodehagi Saimon" in July 1953, March 1960 and December 1962.

Yagô Honmyô
Otowaya Suzuki Keitarô

Bandô Takejaku II playing the role of Okaji in the drama "Natsu Sugata Onna Danshichi", which was staged in July 1961 at the Mitsukoshi Gekijô

 

Notes

[1] These dramas were staged to celebrate the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô X.

[2] Others Katabamiza actors were Ichikawa Joen, Ichikawa Tsurunosuke, Onoe Asanosuke, Sawamura Jûjirô, Sawamura Kisaburô, Ichikawa Momonosuke and Sawamura Kameoto.

 
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