t BANDÔ SHÛCHÔ II
BANDÔ SHÛCHÔ II

Stage names:

Bandô Shûchô II In Japanese
Bandô Shûchô In Japanese
Ichikawa Yonejûrô III In Japanese
Ichikawa Yonemaru In Japanese

Other name: Yoshimatsu

Real name: Mizuta Yoshijirô

Nickname: Sakasa Hyôtan [1]

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 was a sumô wrestler.

1853: he became disciple of the actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV, who was on tour in Nagoya. He received the name of Ichikawa Yonemaru, playing the role of Goroichi in the drama "Ishikawa Goemon".

8th day of the 5th lunar month of 1866 [2]: his master Ichikawa Kodanji IV died.

1867: Yonemaru settled in Ôsaka and took the name of Ichikawa Yonejûrô III at the Kita-Horie Ichi-no-Gawa Shibai.

3rd lunar month of 1871: Yonejûrô settled in Tôkyô and performed at Nakamuraza in the drama "Zôhô Senbon Zakura".

1873: Yonejûrô became disciple of the zamoto Morita Kan'ya XII, who gave him the name of Bandô Shûchô.

January 1875: premiere at the Moritaza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Ôgi Byôshi Ôoka Seidan" (commonly called "Ten'ichibô"); Shûchô played the role of Oshimo [casting].

June 1876: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Hototogisu Date no Kikigaki"; Shûchô played the roles of Goheiji's musume Otsuru, the tsubone Kuretake and Yamana's okugata Sakasai [casting].

1880: tour in Nagoya with the troupe led by Ichikawa Danjûrô IX; Shûchô performed at the Furusode-chô Shibai.

January 1881: Shûchô achieved a great success at the Shintomiza (Tôkyô) by playing 9 roles in the 2 classic dramas "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

November 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's zangirimono drama "Shima Chidori Tsuki no Shiranami"; Shûchô played the role of Shimazô's sister Ohama [casting].

February 1884: Bandô Shûchô took the name of Bandô Shûchô II at the Shintomiza.

February 1885: Shûchô took part in the opening ceremony of the Chitoseza [more details]. Premiere at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Suitengû Megumi no Fukagawa"; Shûchô played the role of Ogiwara's wife Omura [casting].

1887: tour in Nagoya.

May 1890: Shûchô played at the Shintomiza the roles of Oyoshi and Omine in the drama "Jitsuroku Chûshingura".

March 1891: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ôchi's drama "Buyû no Homare Shusse Kagekiyo", a revised revival of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's jidaimono "Shusse Kagekiyo"; Shûchô played the role of Akoya [casting].

January 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Shiobara Tasuke Ichidaiki"; Shûchô played the roles of Kakuemon's wife Osei and the goke Okame [casting].

July 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô", adapted for Kabuki from a famous Rakugo story created by San'yûtei Enchô; Shûchô played the roles of Okuni and Omine [casting].

November 1893: Shûchô played at the Minamiza (Kyôto) the role of Masaoka in the drama "Jitsuroku Sendai Hagi".

21 August 1897: his second master Morita Kan'ya XII died.

May 1898: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Edo Sodachi Omatsuri Sashichi"; Shûchô played the role of Kan'emon's nyôbô Otatsu [casting].

March 1901: Shûchô achieved 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 appeared 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 "Dondoro".

29 September 1901: Shûchô died.

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.

[1] Literally "the upside-down gourd".

[2] The 8th day of the 5th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Keiô era was the 20th of June 1866 in the western calendar.

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 Ichikawa Yonejûrô line of actors

The Bandô Shûchô line of actors

 
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