Stage names:
| Bandô Mitsugorô IX |  |
| Bandô Minosuke VII | |
| Bandô Yasosuke IV | |
| Bandô Mitsunobu | |
Real name: Morita Mitsunobu
Guild: Yamatoya
Line number: KUDAIME (IX)
Existence: 14 May 1929 ~ 1 April 1999
Connection:
Grand-father: Bandô Shûchô II
Father: Bandô Shûchô III
Adopted Father and father-in-law: Bandô Mitsugorô VIII
Masters: Onoe Kikugorô VI, Onoe Shôroku II
Brothers: Bandô Matatarô VII, Ichikawa Komazô X
Son: Bandô Mitsugorô X
Grandson: Bandô Minosuke II
Career:
November 1933: he makes his first appearance on stage, in Tôkyô at the Shinjuku Daiichi Gekijô, receiving the name of Bandô Mitsunobu and playing the role of Kantarô in the drama "Shigure no Kotatsu".
September 1935: his father Bandô Shûchô III dies.
1935: after the death of his father, Mitsunobu becomes heyago of the star Onoe Kikugorô VI.
July 1949: his master Onoe Kikugorô VI dies; Mitsunobu becomes disciple of Onoe Shôroku II.
January 1952: premiere at the Shimbashi Embujô of Hagiwara Yukio's Kiyomoto-based dôjôjimono "Yuki no Dôjôji"; Mitsunobu plays the role of a Dôjôji bonze [casting].
March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Mitsunobu plays the role of Tokumatsu [casting].
January 1954: revival at the Shimbashi Embujô of the Nagauta-based dance "Taimen Hana no Harukoma", which is entitled "Ataru Toshi Iwau Harukoma"; Mitsunobu plays the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune [casting].
1955: Mitsunobu is adopted by his father-in-law Bandô Mitsugorô VIII.
May 1955: Bandô Mitsunobu takes the name of Bandô Yasosuke IV at the Kabukiza, playing the role of Hayami Tôta in the dance "Yoshinoyama". The roles of Shizuka Gozen and Tadanobu are played by Ichikawa Sadanji III and Onoe Shôroku II.
September 1962: great shûmei at the Kabukiza for 3 generations of actors belonging to the Yamatoya guild (Yamatoya Sandai Shûmei); Bandô Minosuke VI and Bandô Yasosuke IV respectively take the names of Bandô Mitsugorô VIII and Bandô Minosuke VII; this is also the hatsubutai of Bandô Yasosuke V; the new Minosuke plays the roles of Masakiyo and Konnômaru in "Ehon Taikôki" and "Reimei Kuramayama".
June 1963: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Ôeyama Shuten Dôji"; Minosuke plays the role of Usui Sadamitsu [casting]. Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa" is produced for the first time at the Kabukiza; Minosuke plays the role of Arashi Sangorô [casting].
November 1966: opening ceremony of the National Theatre in Tôkyô with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in which Minosuke plays the role of Umeômaru [casting].
December 1966: second month of the opening ceremony of the National Theater with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in which Minosuke plays the roles of Terukuni and Yodarekuri Yotarô [casting].
January 1967: revival at the National Theatre of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura"; Minosuke plays the roles of Ono no Harukaze and Hakuunbô (the Buddhist monk white cloud) [casting].
February 1967: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Dattan"; Minosuke plays the role of a rengyôshû [casting].
March 1967: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Namboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which is supervised by Gunji Masakatsu; Minosuke plays the role of Iruma Akugorô [casting].
August 1967: tour in Canada; Minosuke plays the roles of one of Yoshitsune's guardmans, a priest and Utanosuke in "Kanjinchô", "Musume Dôjôji" and "Keisei Hangonkô", which are staged at Théàtre Maisonneuve in Montréal.
September ~ October 1969: tour in the USA; Minosuke plays the roles of Ôboshi Rikiya and the Mountain God in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura" and the dance-drama "Momijigari", which are staged in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
January 1975: his adoptive father Bandô Mitsugorô VIII dies of paralysis and convulsions after eating fugu liver in a Kyôto restaurant.
March 1975: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari"; Minosuke plays the role of Bandô Yamatonosuke [casting].
January 1979: tour in the Popular Republic of China; Minosuke plays the role of Ashikaga Tadayoshi in the opening act of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which is staged in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai.
September 1987: Bandô Minosuke VII takes the name of Bandô Mitsugorô IX at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Matahei, Kisen and Tarôkaja in "Domo Mata", "Rokkasen" and "Tsuri Onna". His stage partners in the roles of Matahei's wife Otoku ("Domo Mata") and Okaji ("Rokkasen") are Onoe Baikô VII and Nakamura Utaemon VI.
October 1987: Mitsugorô celebrates his shûmei in Nagoya at the Misonoza by playing the roles of Yashaô, Tarôkaja and Arajishi Otokonosuke in "Shuzenji Monogatari", "Tsuri Onna" and "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".
December 1987: Mitsugorô celebrates his shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamiza by playing the roles of Kisen and Kôya Yogorô in "Rokkasen" and "Gosho Gorozô". the role of Okaji ("Rokkasen") is played by Nakamura Jakuemon.
April 1988: Mitsugorô celebrates his shûmei at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza by playing the roles of Matahei, Jirôkaja and Ôno Shûrinosuke Harunaga in "Domo Mata", "Bô Shibari" and "Hototogisu Kojô no Rakugetsu". The role of Matahei's wife Otoku ("Domo Mata") is played by Onoe Baikô VII.
December 1988: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the roles of Kinugawa Tanizô and Watanabe Gekizaemon in the classic "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".
January 1989: Mitsugorô plays at the Asakusa Kôkaidô the leading role of the dance "Echigo Jishi".
April 1989: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the 2 leading roles of the dance "Ôharame Kuniiri Yakko".
November 1989: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the role of Miki Jûzaemon in Tsuruya Namboku IV's drama "Reigen kameyama Hoko".
December 1989: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the aragoto role of Ôdate Samagorô in the drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage".
November 1990: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the role of Watônai's father Rôikkan in Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen". The role of Watônai is played by Ichikawa Danjûrô.
October 1991: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the roles of Kômori Yasu and Wada no Hyôe Hidemori in the dramas "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi" and "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata".
June 1992: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the role of Nippon Daemon in the "Hamamatsuya" and "Inasegawa" scenes of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Aoto Zôshi Hana no Nishikie".
September 1993: tour in the USA; Mitsugorô plays at the japan America Theatre (Los Angeles) the roles of Kakubei, Sambasô and a boatman in the dances "Echigo Jishi", "Shitadashi Sambasô" and "Shizuhata Obi".
October 1993: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the role of Watônai's father Rôikkan in Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen". The role of Watônai is played by Nakamura Tomijûrô.
December 1993: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the role of Dontsuku in the dance "Kagura Uta Kumoi no Kyokumari".
February 1994: Mitsugorô plays at the Kabukiza the leading role of the dance "Echigo Jishi".
April 1995: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the roles of Hanyûmura no Suke and the shôya Gombei in Tsuruya Namboku IV's drama "Kesakake Matsu Narita no Riken".
April 1997: Mitsugorô plays at the Misonoza (Nagoya) the leading role of the dance "Echigo Jishi".
November 1997: Mitsugorô plays at the Kabukiza the role of Iso no Tôyata in the "Tôyata Monogatari" scene of the classic "Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi", which is staged to commemorate the 36th anniversary (37th memorial service) and the 22nd anniversary (23rd memorial service) of the deaths of late Bandô Mitsugorô VII and Bandô Mitsugorô VIII; the roles of Yoshitsune and Shizuka Gozen are played by Ichimura Uzaemon XVII and Sawamura Sôjûrô IX.
December 1997: Mitsugorô plays at the National Theatre the role of Sakata Kintoki in the dance-drama "Kumo no Hyôshimai".
January 1999: Mitsugorô appears on stage for the last time, at the National Theatre, playing the role of Tajimaya Tazaemon in the drama "Irogoyomi Gen'yadana".
Comments:
Bandô Mitsugorô IX was a talented supporting tachiyaku and an outstanding dancer. He was the head of the Bandô school of dance.
Bandô Mitsugorô IX's best roles: Kakubei ("Echigo Jishi"), Kôya Yogorô ("Gosho Gorozô"), Takagi Kozaemon ("Kôchiyama") and Rokurôdayû ("Ishikiri Kajiwara").
Bandô Mitsugorô IX playing the role of Matahei in Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's drama "Keisei Hangonkô" (print made by Yamamoto Hisashi)
The Bandô Yasosuke line of actors
The Bandô Minosuke line of actors
The Bandô Mitsugorô line of actors