BANDÔ MITSUGORÔ X

Stage names:

Bandô Mitsugorô X
Bandô Yasosuke V

Real name: Morita Hisashi

Guild: Yamatoya

Line number: JÛDAIME (X)

Existence: 23 January 1956 ~ 21 February 2015

Connections:

Great-grandfather: Bandô Shûchô II

Grandfathers: Bandô Shûchô III, Bandô Mitsugorô VIII

Father: Bandô Mitsugorô IX

Son: Bandô Minosuke II

Career:

September 1962: he made his first appearance on stage, receiving the name of Bandô Yasosuke V during a special name-taking ceremony for 3 generations of actors belonging to the Yamatoya guild (Yamatoya Sandai Shûmei); Bandô Minosuke VI took the name of Bandô Mitsugorô VIII and Bandô Yasosuke IV became Bandô Minosuke VII.

16 January 1975: his grandfather Bandô Mitsugorô VIII died.

March 1977: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Shiranui Monogatari"; Yasosuke played the role of Aoyagi Harunosuke [more details].

January 1980: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's kaomise drama "Modoribashi Sena-ni Gohiiki" [more details]; Yasosuke played the role of Minamoto Yorinobu.

Summer 1985: tour in the USA; Yasosuke played the roles of Kamo no Saburô, the countryman, Akugorô and the medium Sakaki in "Shibaraku", "Tachi Nusubito", "Sakurahime Azuma Bunshô" and "Tsuchi-gumo", which were staged to celebrate the shûmei in the USA of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII [more details].

4 October 1985: release of Paul Schrader's movie "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters", in which Yasosuke played the role of the young bonze Mizoguchi.

April 1986: Kabuki tour in South America [more details].

April 1987: Yasosuke played the role of Umeômaru at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza in the "Kurumabiki" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

September 1987: Yasosuke played for the first time the prestigious role of Ranpei in the drama "Ranpei Monogurui", which was staged at the Kabukiza.

June 1989: the drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô" using Ônishi Nobuyuki's script was staged for the first time with a full Kabuki casting, at the Shinbashi Enbujô; Yasosuke played the role of Miyanobe Genjirô [casting].

15 September 1989: release in Japan of Teshigahara Hiroshi's movie "Rikyû", in which Yasosuke played the role of Mitsunari Ishida.

October 1989: tour in Europe.

June ~ July 1990: tour in South-East Asia.

August 1990: revival at the Kabukiza of the kaidanmono "Kaidan Chibusa no Enoki"; Yasosuke played the role of Matsui Saburô [casting]

March 1991: revival at the National Theatre of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sode Nikki Banshû Meguri"; Yasosuke played the roles of Momonoi Mutsujirô and Kakogawa Sanpei [more details].

January 1992: Yasosuke played the role of Kataoka Naojirô in the drama "Yuki no Yûbe Iriya no Azemichi", which was staged at the Asakusa Kôkaidô; his stage partner in the role of the courtesan Michitose was Nakamura Tokizô V.

August 1992: Yasosuke played at the Kabukiza the role of Tadanobu in the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

January 1993: Yasosuke played at the Asakusa Kôkaidô the great role of Musashibô Benkei in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô".

August 1993: Yasosuke played at the Kabukiza the role of Higuchi no Jirô Kanemitsu in the drama "Hirakana Seisuiki".

4 February 1995: release in Japan of Shinoda Masahiro's movie "Sharaku", in which Yasosuke played the role of Matsudaira Sadanobu.

June 1995: Yasosuke played the role of the wicked priest Kôchiyama in the drama "Kumo ni Magou Ueno no Hatsuhana", which was staged at the National Theatre.

August 1995: Yasosuke played for the first time the role of the warrior Kumagai Naozane in the scene "Kumagai Jin'ya" of the play "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki", which was staged at the Kabukiza.

August 1996: revival at the Kabukiza of Hôjô Hideji's drama "Korikori Banashi"; Yasosuke played the role of the priest Jûzen [more details].

March 1997: Yasosuke played at the National Theatre the role of the wicked hair-dresser Shinza in the play "Kamiyui Shinza".

November 1997: the Kabukiza celebrated the 36th anniversary (37th memorial service) and the 22nd anniversary (23rd memorial service) of the passing away of Bandô Mitsugorô VII and Bandô Mitsugorô VIII; Yasosuke played the roles of the dancing girl Hanako (in reality the kyôgenshi Sakon) and the fisherman in the dances "Yakko Dôjôji" and "Amiuchi".

August 1998: Yasosuke played at the Kabukiza the role of Nikki Danjô in the drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".

1 April 1999: his father Bandô Mitsugorô IX died.

April 1999: Yasosuke played the role of Seishin in the drama "Kosode Soga Azami no Ironui", commonly called "Izayoi Seishin", which was staged at the National Theatre; his stage partner in the role of the courtesan Izayoi was Nakamura Shibajaku VII.

May 1999: Yasosuke played at the Kabukiza the role of Matsuômaru in the drama "Kurumabiki".

April 2000: Yasosuke played the role of Sukeroku in the drama "Kurotegumi Sukeroku", which was staged at the Misonoza (Nagoya).

January 2001: Bandô Yasosuke V took the name of Bandô Mitsugorô X at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Kisen ("Rokkasen"), the dumpling-maker ("Dango Uri"), Soga Gorô ("Kotobuki Soga no Taimen") and Yogorô ("Gosho no Gorozô") [more details].

February 2001: Mitsugorô celebrated his second month of shûmei at the Kabukiza by playing the roles of Sakon ("Yakko Dôjôji"), Tatsugorô ("Megumi no Kenka") and Kakubei ("Echigo Jishi").

April 2001: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza by playing the role of Matsuômaru in the "Terakoya" scene of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" and all the main roles of the series of dances gathered under the title "Rokkasen Sugata no Irodori" (Sôjô Henjô, Ariwara no Narihira, Bun'ya, Kisen and Ôtomo no Kuronushi).

August 2001: Mitsugorô played for the first time the role of Yoemon in the dance "Iro Moyô Chotto Karimame", which was staged at the Kabukiza. His stage partner in the role of Kasane was Nakamura Fukusuke IX.

October 2001: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei at the Misonoza in Nagoya by playing the roles of Kumagai Naozane and Tadanobu in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki" ("Kumagai Jin'ya") and the dance "Yoshinoyama".

December 2001: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei at the Minamiza in Kyôto by playing the roles of Ôtomo no Kuronushi and Sukeroku in the 2 great dramas "Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To" and "Sukeroku Sakura no Futae Obi".

February 2002: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei in Fukuoka at the Hakataza, playing the roles of Tatsugorô and Tadanobu in the drama "Megumi no Kenka" and the dance "Yoshinoyama".

July 2002: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei on tour in the eastern provinces by playing the roles of Kisen and Tadanobu in the dance "Rokkasen Sugata no Irodori" and the michiyuki "Yoshinoyama".

September 2002: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei on tour in the western provinces by playing the roles of Kisen and Tadanobu in the dance "Rokkasen Sugata no Irodori" and the michiyuki "Yoshinoyama".

July 2003: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei on tour in the Central Provinces, playing the role of the painter Matahei in the drama "Domo Mata".

8 November 2003: release of Morita Yoshimitsu's movie "Like Asura", in which Mitsugorô played the role of Masukawa Sadaharu.

20 October 2006: release in Japan of Yamada Yôji's movie "Love and Honor", in which Mitsugorô played the role of Shimada Tôya.

26 January 2008: release in Japan of Yamada Yôji's movie "Kabei: Our Mother", in which Mitsugorô played the role of Nogami Shigeru.

January 2009: revival at the National Theatre of "Zôhiki", a bombastic play in the aragoto style belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Mitsugorô played the role of the villain Ôtomo no Kachimaro [casting].

23 December 2011: release in Japan of Narushima Izuru's movie "Isoroku", in which Mitsugorô played the role of Hori Teikichi.

March 2012: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Okabe Rokuyata in a tôshi kyôgen production of "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki", which included the rare revivals of both "Horikawa Gosho" and "Nagashi no Eda"; his main stage partner in the roles of Satsuma-no-Kami Tadanori and Kumagai Jirô Naozane was Ichikawa Danjûrô.

August 2013: Mitsugorô played at the Kabukiza the roles of Gonroku, Kamiyui Shinza and Jirôkaja in "Nozaki-mura", "Kamiyui Shinza" and "Bô Shibari". Mitsugorô, who has been diagnosed with a pancreas tumor, stop acting; he did not perform in September 2013 at the Shinbashi Enbujô. He was replaced by Nakamura Hashinosuke to perform the role of Lord Tsunatoyo in "Ohama Goten", by Ichikawa Sadanji for the role of Ishizaka Kinai in "Shiranui Kengyô" and by Nakamura Kanjaku for the role of Akuta in "Uma Nusubito".

April 2014: Mitsugorô was back on stage, playing at the Kabukiza the role of the sarumawashi Judayû in the dance-drama "Utsubo Zaru".

August 2014: Mitsugorô appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Kashiwaya Kinbê and the tobigashira Tsurukichi in the drama "Tanuki" and the dance "Kioi Jishi".

21 February 2015: losing his battle against a pancreatic cancer, Mitsugorô passed away at the age of 59.

Comments:

Bandô Mitsugorô X was one of the best tachiyaku actors of the Heisei era and an amazing dancer. He was highly praised for his precise acting.

Official website: http://www.kabuki.ne.jp/mitsugoro/

The Bandô Yasosuke line of actors

The Bandô Mitsugorô line of actors