Stage names:

Bandô Daikichi I
Iwai Daikichi

Nicknames: Bandai, Bandai

Guild: Ômiya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry name: Daiki

Existence: 1767 ~ 15th day of the 4th lunar month of 1843 ^[1]

Connection:

Masters: Bandô Mitsugorô IV, Bandô Mitsugorô III, Iwai Hanshirô IV ^[2]

Career:

1767: born in Edo.

11th lunar month of 1774: first record; he performed under the name of Iwai Daikichi at the Moritaza as a koyaku in the kaomise drama "Ichi no Tomi Tsuki no Kaomise", which welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Nakamura Shingorô II.

11th lunar month of 1791: he became a disciple of Morita Kanjirô II and received the name of Bandô Daikichi I at the Ichimuraza, where he performed in the kaomise drama "Kin no Menuki Genke no Kakutsuba" which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô and Ichikawa Danjûrô VI.

11th lunar month of 1792: Daikichi became handôgataki and performed at the Kawarasakiza in the kaomise drama "Ôfuna Moriebi no Kaomise".

28th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1800 ^[4]: his first master Iwai Hanshirô IV died.

11th lunar month of 1809: Daikichi performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Ôshû Dachiyuki no Kurogoma".

11th lunar month of 1816: Daikichi performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Fuwa Nagoya Yuki no Dategasa".

11th lunar month of 1818: Daikichi performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Ise Heiji Hiiki no Kaomise".

11th lunar month of 1822: Daikichi performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Gohiiki Azuma Hyakkan", which celebrated the shûmei of Mimasu Gennosuke I and Sakata Hangorô IV, and welcomed in Edo the Kamigata actor Nakamura Sankô I.

11th lunar month of 1824: Daikichi performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Yamatogana Heike Monogatari".

11th lunar month of 1825: Daikichi performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Azuma Dairi Kabuki no Shôgatsu".

11th lunar month of 1826: Daikichi performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Ise Heiji Shô no Kaomise".

3rd day of the 1st lunar month of 1827 ^[5]: a fire broke out from the third floor of the Ichimuraza and destroyed the Ichimuraza, the Nakamuraza and 2 puppet theaters.

11th lunar month of 1827: Daikichi played at the Ichimuraza the role of Takashima Kurôji in the kaomise drama "Kawaranu Hana Genji no Kaomise".

11th lunar month of 1828: Daikichi performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Mitsugi no Yuki Genji Hiiki"; his yearly salary was 36 ryô.

11th lunar month of 1830: Daikichi performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Genpei Kabuki Nendaiki".

23rd day of the 12th lunar month of 1830 ^[6]: a fire broke out in the district of Nihonbashi Kodenma-chô and destroyed the Ichimuraza.

27th day of the 12th lunar month of 1831 ^[3]: his second master Bandô Mitsugorô III died.

11th lunar month of 1833: Daikichi performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Shitennô Kabuki no Yorizome", which celebrated the reopening of this theater.

11th lunar month of 1834: Daikichi performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Hana to Mitsu Yuki no Shiraishi".

11th lunar month of 1839: Daikichi performed at the Ichimuraza in the drama "Taiheiki Irifune Shinozuka", which celebrated the shûmei of Bandô Shûka I.

1st lunar month of 1842: Daikichi's rank in the Edo hyôbanki (handôgataki section), was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

15th day of the 4th lunar month of 1843 ^[1]: Daikichi died in Edo.

Comments:

Bandô Daikichi I was said to be one of the finest handôgataki in Edo Kabuki history and was nicknamed Bandai (Ban from Bandô and Dai from Daikichi).

[1] The 15th day of the 4th lunar month of the 14th year of the Tenpô era was the 14th of May 1843 in the western calendar.

[2] Not recorded in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran" or in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten". Iwai Hanshirô IV performed at the Moritaza as a koyaku in the kaomise drama "Ichi no Tomi Tsuki no Kaomise", when the young Iwai Daikichi made his hatsubutai.

[3] The 27th day of the 12th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Tenpô era was the 29th of January 1832 in the western calendar.

[4] The 28th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 12th year of the Kansei era was the 21st of April 1800 in the western calendar.

[5] The 3rd day of the 1st lunar month of the 10th year of the Bunsei era was the 29th of January 1827 in the western calendar.

[6] The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the 1st year of the Tenpô era was the 5th of February 1831 in the western calendar.

Bandô Mitsugorô III (left) and Bandô Daikichi I (right) playing the roles of Mita no Gen and Okane in the kaomise drama "Shitennô Yagura no Ishizue", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1810 at the Ichimuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I)

The Bandô Daikichi line of actors