Stage names:

Morita Kan'ya IV
Bandô Matajirô IV
Bandô Nabetarô

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Existence: ??? ~ 17th day of the 9th lunar month of 1743 ^[1]

Connections:

Great-grandfather: Bandô Matakurô I

Grandfathers: Bandô Matazaemon I, Fujikawa Buzaemon I

Father: Morita Kan'ya II

Brother: Fujikawa Heikurô

Brother-in-law: Bandô Kunigorô I

Adopted son: Morita Kan'ya V

Disciple: Bandô Matasaburô I (?)

Career:

10th day of the 4th lunar month of 1700 ^[6]: his great-grandfather Bandô Matakurô I died in Edo.

1st lunar month of 1706: he made his first stage appearance, in Edo at the Moritaza, where he received the name of Bandô Nabetarô and played the koyaku role of Senzaimaru in the new year drama "Terutehime Eitaigura".

11th lunar month of 1709: Bandô Nabetarô became wakashugata and took the name of Bandô Matajirô IV at the Moritaza, performing in the kaomise drama "Tametomo Furiwakegami" which welcomed in Edo the Ôsaka actors Hisamatsu Tasanta and Iwai Tamanoe.

Spring 1712: Morita Kan'ya III, Bandô Matajirô IV and Bandô Matakurô II respectively took the names of Bandô Matakurô III, Morita Kan'ya IV and Bandô Matazaemon II. The new Kan'ya became both a tachiyaku actor and the zamoto of the Moritaza. He played the role of Mongaku in the drama "Hama Yumi Soga" ^[7].

11th lunar month of 1715: Kan'ya produced at the Moritaza Mitsushima Shichirôzaemon's kaomise drama "Hayazaki Onna Shimabara".

7th day of the 1st lunar month of 1717 ^[5]: a fire broke out in the district of Owari-chô and destroyed the Moritaza.

11th lunar month of 1717: Kan'ya produced at the Moritaza the kaomise drama "Hônô Taiheiki", which starred Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Hayakawa Dengorô, Ôtani Hiroemon I, Ogawa Zengorô I, Asao Jûjirô I, Imamura Motojûrô, Ichikawa Monnosuke I and Fujioka Daikichi.

24th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1722 ^[4]: his uncle Bandô Matakurô III, who held the name of Morita Kan'ya III from 1699 to 1712, died.

11th lunar month of 1722: Kan'ya produced at the Moritaza the kaomise drama "Yoshitomo Fukujukai", in which he played the role of Minamoto no Yoshitomo.

1st lunar month of 1723: Kan'ya produced in his theater the new year sogamono drama "Suiryô Soga" in which he played the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari.

11th lunar month of 1723: Kan'ya produced in his theater the kaomise drama "Yorimasa Kaikeizan", in which he played the role of Minamoto no Yorimasa.

3rd day of the 3rd lunar month of 1729 ^[2]: his grandfather Fujikawa Buzaemon I died.

11th lunar month of 1731: Kan'ya produced at the Moritaza the kaomise drama "Honryô Sakae Hachinoki", in which he played the role of Sano Tsuneyo.

1st lunar month of 1734: the Moritaza went bankrupt. The hikae yagura system was authorized by the Shogunate. Kan'ya gave his right for Kabuki performances to Kawarasaki Gonnosuke III, zamoto of the Kawarasakiza.

19th day of the 6th lunar month of 1734 ^[3]: his father Bandô Matakurô II, who held the name of Morita Kan'ya II from 1679 to 1699, died.

17th day of the 9th lunar month of 1743 ^[1]: Kan'ya died in Edo.

Comments:

Morita Kan'ya IV was a talented and handsome tachiyaku actor, performing a broad range of roles and styles like nuregoto, wagoto or aragoto. He excelled as well as a dancer and a musician. He was also the zamoto of the Moritaza for 22 years. Crippled by the theater debt, he could not avoid to go bankrupt in 1734. He did not appear anymore on stage up to his death in 1743.

[1] The 17th day of the 9th lunar month of the 3rd year of the Kanpô era was the 2nd of November 1743 in the western calendar.

[2] The 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month of the 14th year of the Kyôhô era was the 31st of March 1729 in the western calendar.

[3] 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.

[4] The 24th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 7th year of the Kyôhô era was the 9th of April 1722 in the western calendar.

[5] The 7th day of the 1st lunar month of the 2nd year of the Kyôhô era was the 17th of February 1717 in the western calendar.

[6] The 10th day of the 4th lunar month of the 13th year of the Genroku era was the 28th of May 1700 in the western calendar.

[7] Literally 'The Evil-Banishing Bow and the Soga Brothers'.

Morita Kan'ya IV playing the role of Soga no Zenji in the new year drama "Nigiwai Suehiro Soga", which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1721 at the Moritaza

The Bandô Matajirô line of actors

The Morita Kan'ya line of actors and theater managers