Stage names:

Bandô Kôtarô
Sawamura Kentarô

Real name: Honma Kentarô

Guild: Yamatoya

Existence: 4 May 1911 ~ 28 November 1981

Connection:

Grandfather: Morita Kan'ya XII

Father: Morita Kan'ya XIII

Masters: Bandô Mitsugorô VII, Sawamura Sôjûrô VII

Sons: Bandô Kichiya II, Bandô Yajûrô

Grandson: Bandô Shingo

Great-grandson: Bandô Kokichi ^[1]

Career:

4 May 1911: born in Tôkyô in the district of Kanda.

1922: disciple of Sawamura Sôjûrô VII, he received the name of Sawamura Kentarô and made his debut on stage at the Imperial Theater.

1924: he became disciple of Bandô Mitsugorô VII and received the name of Bandô Kôtarô.

1931: he became a movie actor, working exclusively for Shôchiku Company (Shôchiku Shimo-Kamo Studio).

February 1932: release of Inoue Kintarô's movie "Yonaoshi Daimyôjin", the first movie.

16 June 1932: his father Morita Kan'ya XIII died.

1948: he joined the Daiei Company.

2 March 1949: his first master Sawamura Sôjûrô VII died.

1955: he joined the Nikkatsu Company.

1958: he joined the Shintôhô Company.

1960: he joined the the Tôei Company.

4 November 1961: his second master Bandô Mitsugorô VII died.

August 1962: release of Nakagawa Nobuo's movie "Maboroshi Tengu", the last movie starring Kôtarô.

September 1962: Kôtarô was back full time in the Kabuki world, in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, where he played the roles of Hayashi Kyûjirô, the shoke Jûzenbô and a tengu (in reality Kamata Saburô Masachika) in "Yoshinobu Inochigoi", "Kisen" and "Reimei no Kuramayama", which were staged to celebrate the shûmei of Bandô Mitsugorô VIII and Bandô Minosuke VII and the hatsubutai of Bandô Yasosuke V.

March 1967: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which was supervised by Gunji Masakatsu; Kôtarô played the role of the yakko Gunsuke [casting].

February 1975: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Debauchi Otama"; Kôtarô played the role of the oshô Kôen [more details].

February 1979: revision by Uno Nobuo at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Sakurada Jisuke III's drama "Sanzesô Nishiki Bunshô"; Kôtarô plays the role of Fukushimaya Seibê [casting].

September 1981: Kôtarô appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, where he played the role of the shoke Tôsenbô in the dance-drama "Meoto Dôjôji" ^[2].

28 November 1981: Kôtarô died in Tôkyô.

Comments:

Bandô Kôtarô was both a movie and a Kabuki actor. He was active for almost 60 years, almost exclusively in the movie world from 1931 to 1962. He was a valuable supporting fukeyaku Kabuki actor in his latter years.

[1] Bandô Kokichi, grandson of Bandô Kichiya II, was active from 2006 to 2011. No record afterwards.

[2] The two leading roles of this dance, the shirabyôshi Hanako and the shirabyôshi Sakurako (in reality the kyôgenshi Sakon), were played by Nakamura Shikan VII and Nakamura Tomijûrô V.

Bandô Kôtarô playing the role of Shirasuga Rokurô in the drama "Jusshukô", which was staged in August 1934 at the Tôkyô Gekijô

The list of Bandô Kôtarô's movies (in Japanese)