BANDÔ IWAGORÔ

Stage names:

Bandô Iwagorô
Bandô Tôgorô
Bandô Kunisaburô

Guilds: Awaya, Kamiya, Kameya, Daikokuya

Poetry name: Ganshi

Existence: 1732 ~ 17th day of the 8th lunar month of 1795^[1]

Connection:

Master: Bandô Matakurô II

Brother: Bandô Kunigorô I

Adopted son: Bandô Jutarô I

Disciple: Bandô Kunigorô II (?)

Career:

1732: born in Ôsaka. He was considered as a disciple of Bandô Matakurô II but he was effectively trained by his elder brother Bandô Kunigorô I.

19th day of the 6th lunar month of 1734^[2]: his master Bandô Matakurô II died.

1740s ~ 1750s: he took the name of Bandô Tôgorô at an unknown date and performed in hama shibai or in travelling troupes (tabi shibai).

11th lunar month of 1756: he makes his debut in ôshibai, took the name of Bandô Iwagorô and performed as a katakiyaku, playing the role of Nikuminosuke [picture] at the Ônishi no Shibai in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Daimatsu Kyokusuke Tanzen Roppô", which was produced by Daimatsu Kyokusuke.

1st lunar month of 1757: premiere at the Ônishi no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Tenjiku Tokubê Kikigaki Ôrai"; Iwagorô played the roles of Matsunaga Wadanosuke, Shirokurô's mother Okuma and the yakko Natsusuke [casting].

1st lunar month of 1758: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5-act maruhonmono drama "Hime Komatsu Ne-no-Hi no Asobi" in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Iwagorô played the roles of Miyamatsu Kizô and Osada no Shôji [casting].

5th lunar month of 1762: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Koi Hakke Hashira Goyomi", which was a revision of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Daikyôji Mukashi Goyomi"; Iwagorô played the role of the bantô Sukeemon [more details].

9th lunar month of 1764: première in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of "Hare Kosode Tsuzure no Nishiki", based on the puppet drama "Katakiuchi Tsuzure no Nishiki", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I. A similar play was staged one day before under a different title, "Oriawase Tsuzure no Nishiki", at the Kado no Shibai. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters. The performance at the Kado no Shibai was more successful than the one at the Naka no Shibai; Iwagorô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Togiyaru Gonpachi and Kamura Utaemon [casting].

11th lunar month of 1767: Iwagorô performed at the Naka no Shibai in Tenmaya Kyûshichi's kaomise drama "Shitennô Maizuru Ôgi"; his stage partners were Nakamura Tomijûrô I, Mimasu Daigorô I, Nakamura Kichiemon I, Fujikawa Hachizô I, Arashi Kichisaburô I, Fujimatsu Sanjûrô, Nakamura Noshio I, Somegawa Konobê I, Anegawa Daikichi I and Nakamura Senzô.

1st lunar month of 1771: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Kuwanaya Tokuzô Irifune Monogatari"; Iwagorô played the role of Yamana Tomoenojô [casting].

4th lunar month of 1775: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari"; Iwagorô played the role of the imperial prince Koretaka [more details].

4th lunar month of 1777: premiere of Namiki Gohachi's drama "Tenmangû Natane no Gokû", co-written with Nakamura Akei and Tatsuoka Mansaku, which was staged at the Kado no Shibai; Iwagorô played the role of Taira no Mareyo [casting].

11th lunar month of 1777: Iwagorô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Sachûben Mareyo in the kaomise drama "Daijizai Kaminari no Kodakara", which was produced by Ichiyama Tajirô, celebrated the shûmei of Yamashita Kamenojô IV and welcomed back in Ôsaka Arashi Sangorô II after 3 and 7 seasons spent in Kyôto and Edo.

12th lunar month of 1777: Iwagorô played in the same theater the role of Mikenjaku Monpei [picture] in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Suô no Dairi".

9th lunar month of 1778: Iwagorô played at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Shihei and Shundô Genba in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", which was produced by the zamoto Ichiyama Tajirô; his stage partners were Nakamura Utaemon I (Matsuômaru), Arashi Kichisaburô I (Shiratayû, Genzô, Terukuni), Yamashita Kamenojô IV (Tatsuta, Haru), Sawamura Kunitarô I (Tonami, Kakuju, Yae), Arashi Shichisaburô II (Umeômaru), Nakamura Jiroza II (Hyôei, Mareyo), Mimasu Tokujirô I (Kan Shôjô, Chiyo) and Arashi Sangorô II (Sakuramaru).

12th lunar month of 1781: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Tengajaya-mura" [casting]. A similar play was staged a few days later under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai", at the Naka no Shibai. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters; Iwagorô played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Satô Motoemon [casting].

1st lunar month of 1782: Iwagorô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

9th lunar month of 1783: the play "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Iwagorô played the roles of the yakko Sukehei and Sakurada Rinzaemon [casting].

1st lunar month of 1784: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi"; Iwagorô played the roles of Kikyôya Saibê and Hayashi Kenmotsu [casting].

5th lunar month of 1784: the play "Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami", which was originally written in the 10th lunar month of 1776 by Suga Sensuke for the puppet theater, was adapted for Kabuki for the first time by Namiki Gohê, and staged in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Iwagorô played the roles of Sôbê and Hansai [casting].

11th lunar month of 1786: Iwagorô became zamoto and produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Neko Shakkyô Fûki no Hanabusa".

3rd lunar month of 1787: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohê's drama "Taikô Shinkenki", a play similar to "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" which was produced by Iwagorô; Iwagorô played the role of Onoemon [casting].

11th lunar month of 1791: he was supposed to perform at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise program but he fell ill and had to retire.

1792: he settled near the Honkakuji Temple in the district of Nakaderamachi (Ôsaka).

17th day of the 8th lunar month of 1795^[1]: Iwagorô died in Ôsaka^[3].

Comments:

Bandô Iwagorô was an Ôsaka actor, who made most of his career during the second half of the 18th century in his native city. He was specialized in katakiyaku or jitsuaku roles and was equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas. He was tall and became the tôdori of the Kado no Shibai a few years before his death.

[1] The 17th day of the 8th lunar month of the 7th year of the Kansei era was the 29th of September 1795 in the western calendar.

[2] The 19th day of the 6th lunar month of the 19th year of the Kyôhô era was the 19th of July 1734 in the western calendar.

[3] His tombstone was located in the cemetery of the Honkakuji Temple.

Prints & Illustrations