Stage names:

Bandô Mitsugorô IX
Bandô Minosuke VII
Bandô Yasosuke IV
Bandô Mitsunobu

Real name: Morita Mitsunobu

Guild: Yamatoya

Line number: KUDAIME (IX)

Existence: 14 May 1929 ~ 1 April 1999

Connection:

Grand-father: Bandô Shûchô II

Father: Bandô Shûchô III

Adopted Father and father-in-law: Bandô Mitsugorô VIII

Masters: Onoe Kikugorô VI, Onoe Shôroku II

Brothers: Bandô Matatarô VII, Ichikawa Komazô X

Son: Bandô Mitsugorô X

Grandson: Bandô Minosuke II

Career:

November 1933: he made his first appearance on stage, in Tôkyô at the Shinjuku Daiichi Gekijô, receiving the name of Bandô Mitsunobu and playing the role of Kantarô in the drama "Shigure no Kotatsu".

22 September 1935: his father Bandô Shûchô III died.

1935: following the death of his father, Mitsunobu became heyago of the star Onoe Kikugorô VI.

May 1938: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Mayama Seika's drama "Katsu Awa no Chichi"; Mitsunobu played the role of a young dancing girl [more details].

10 July 1949: his master Onoe Kikugorô VI died; Mitsunobu became disciple of Onoe Shôroku II.

December 1949: Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Ikutama Shinjû" was revived at the Mitsukoshi Gekijô, using a new script written by Uno Nobuo; Mitsunobu played the role of Ikumatsu [more details].

July 1951: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Mitsunobu played the role of the bonze Unnen [casting].

January 1952: premiere at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Hagiwara Yukio's Kiyomoto-based dôjôjimono "Yuki no Dôjôji"; Mitsunobu played the role of a Dôjôji bonze [casting].

March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Mitsunobu played the role of Tokumatsu [casting].

January 1954: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of the Nagauta-based dance "Taimen Hana no Harukoma", which was entitled "Ataru Toshi Iwau Harukoma"; Mitsunobu played the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune [casting].

March 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 1st part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Mitsunobu played the role of a kôken [more details].

October 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 2nd part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Mitsunobu played the role of Seishichi, a young employee at the Yamamuraza [more details].

1955: Mitsunobu was adopted by his father-in-law Bandô Mitsugorô VIII.

March 1955: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 3rd (and last) part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Mitsunobu played the role of Matsudaira Izu-no-Kami [more details].

May 1955: Bandô Mitsunobu took the name of Bandô Yasosuke IV at the Kabukiza, playing the role of Hayami no Tôta in the dance-drama "Yoshinoyama"; the roles of Shizuka Gozen and Tadanobu were played by Ichikawa Sadanji III and Onoe Shôroku II.

September 1962: great shûmei at the Kabukiza for 3 generations of actors belonging to the Yamatoya guild (Yamatoya Sandai Shûmei); Bandô Minosuke VI and Bandô Yasosuke IV respectively took the names of Bandô Mitsugorô VIII and Bandô Minosuke VII; this was also the hatsubutai of Bandô Yasosuke V; the new Minosuke played the roles of Masakiyo and Konnômaru in "Ehon Taikôki" and "Reimei Kuramayama".

November 1962: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Fudô", belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Minosuke played the role of the yakko Kiyohei, in reality the onmyôji Abe no Kiyotsura [more details].

June 1963: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Ôeyama Shuten Dôji"; Minosuke played the role of Usui Sadamitsu [casting]. Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa" was produced for the first time at the Kabukiza; Minosuke played the role of Arashi Sangorô [casting].

May 1965: shûmei at the Kabukiza for 3 young actors of the Otowaya guild; Onoe Ushinosuke V, Onoe Sakon I and Bandô Kamesaburô IV respectively took the names of Onoe Kikunosuke IV, Onoe Tatsunosuke I, and Bandô Shinsui VIII. The program also commemorated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of Onoe Kikugorô VI. Revival in the same theater of the danmari "Otowa-ga-Dake Danmari"; Minosuke played the role of Mitsumine Nuinosuke [more details].

November 1966: opening ceremony of the National Theatre in Tôkyô with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in which Minosuke played the role of Umeômaru [casting].

December 1966: second month of the opening ceremony of the National Theater with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" in which Minosuke played the roles of Terukuni and Yodarekuri Yotarô [casting].

January 1967: revival at the National Theatre of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura"; Minosuke played the roles of Ono no Harukaze and Hakuunbô (the Buddhist monk white cloud) [casting].

February 1967: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's dance-drama "Dattan"; Minosuke played the role of a rengyôshû [casting].

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

August 1967: tour in Canada; Minosuke played the roles of one of Yoshitsune's guardmans, a priest and Utanosuke in "Kanjinchô", "Musume Dôjôji" and "Keisei Hangonkô", which were staged at Théàtre Maisonneuve in Montréal.

September ~ October 1969: tour in the USA; Minosuke played the roles of Ôboshi Rikiya and the Mountain God in the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura" and the dance-drama "Momijigari", which were staged in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

16 January 1975: his adoptive father Bandô Mitsugorô VIII died of paralysis and convulsions after eating fugu liver in a Kyôto restaurant.

March 1975: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari"; Minosuke played the role of Bandô Yamatonosuke [casting].

February 1976: revival at the Kabukiza of a 5-act revised version of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Minosuke played the role of the okuishi Kôchikuin [casting].

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

February 1978: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Aibiki no Onna"; Minosuke played the role of the Tamanoo clerk Jisuke [more details].

January 1979: tour in the Popular Republic of China; Minosuke played the role of Ashikaga Tadayoshi in the opening act of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which was staged in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai.

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

March 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Minosuke played the role of Sasagawa Kôjûrô [casting].

September 1987: Bandô Minosuke VII took the name of Bandô Mitsugorô IX at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Matahei, Kisen and Tarôkaja in "Domo Mata", "Rokkasen" and "Tsuri Onna"; his stage partners in the roles of Matahei's wife Otoku ("Domo Mata") and Okaji ("Rokkasen") were Onoe Baikô VII and Nakamura Utaemon VI.

October 1987: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei in Nagoya at the Misonoza, playing the roles of Yashaô, Tarôkaja and Arajishi Otokonosuke in "Shuzenji Monogatari", "Tsuri Onna" and "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".

December 1987: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamiza, playing the roles of Kisen and Kôya Yogorô in "Rokkasen" and "Gosho Gorozô". the role of Okaji ("Rokkasen") was played by Nakamura Jakuemon IV.

April 1988: Mitsugorô celebrated his shûmei at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza, playing the roles of Matahei, Jirôkaja and Ôno Shûrinosuke Harunaga in "Domo Mata", "Bô Shibari" and "Hototogisu Kojô no Rakugetsu"; the role of Matahei's wife Otoku ("Domo Mata") was played by Onoe Baikô VII.

December 1988: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the roles of Kinugawa Tanizô and Watanabe Gekizaemon in the classic "Meiboku Sendai Hagi".

January 1989: Mitsugorô performed at the Asakusa Kôkaidô the leading role of the dance "Echigo Jishi".

April 1989: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the 2 leading roles of the dance "Ôharame Kuniiri Yakko".

November 1989: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Miki Jûzaemon in Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Reigen Kameyama Hoko".

December 1989: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the aragoto role of Ôdate Samagorô in the drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage".

November 1990: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Watônai's father Rôikkan in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen"; the role of Watônai was played by Ichikawa Danjûrô XII.

March 1991: revival at the National Theatre of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sode Nikki Banshû Meguri"; Mitsugorô played the role of Kondô Heijibê [more details].

October 1991: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the roles of Kômori Yasu and Wada no Hyôe Hidemori in the dramas "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi" and "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata".

June 1992: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Nippon Daemon in the "Hamamatsuya" and "Inasegawa" scenes of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Aoto Zôshi Hana no Nishikie".

September 1993: tour in the USA; Mitsugorô played at the japan America Theatre (Los Angeles) the roles of Kakubei, Sanbasô and a boatman in the dances "Echigo Jishi", "Shitadashi Sanbasô" and "Shizuhata Obi".

October 1993: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Watônai's father Rôikkan in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Kokusen'ya Gassen"; the role of Watônai was played by Nakamura Tomijûrô V.

December 1993: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Dontsuku in the dance "Kagura Uta Kumoi no Kyokumari".

February 1994: Mitsugorô played at the Kabukiza the leading role of the dance "Echigo Jishi".

April 1995: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the roles of Hanyûmura no Suke and the shôya Gonbê in Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Kesakake Matsu Narita no Riken".

April 1997: Mitsugorô played at the Misonoza (Nagoya) the leading role of the dance "Echigo Jishi".

November 1997: Mitsugorô played at the Kabukiza the role of Iso no Tôyata in the "Tôyata Monogatari" scene of the classic "Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi", which was staged to commemorate the 36th anniversary (37th memorial service) and the 22nd anniversary (23rd memorial service) of the deaths of late Bandô Mitsugorô VII and Bandô Mitsugorô VIII; the roles of Yoshitsune and Shizuka Gozen were played by Ichimura Uzaemon XVII and Sawamura Sôjûrô IX.

December 1997: Mitsugorô played at the National Theatre the role of Sakata Kintoki in the dance-drama "Kumo no Hyôshimai".

January 1999: Mitsugorô appeared on stage for the last time, at the National Theatre, playing the role of Tajimaya Tazaemon in the drama "Irogoyomi Gen'yadana".

1 April 1999: Mitsugorô died in Tôkyô.

Comments:

Bandô Mitsugorô IX was a talented supporting tachiyaku and an outstanding dancer. He was the head of the Bandô school of dance.

Bandô Mitsugorô IX's best roles: Kakubê ("Echigo Jishi"), Kôya Yogorô ("Gosho Gorozô"), Takagi Kozaemon ("Kôchiyama") and Rokurôdayû ("Ishikiri Kajiwara").

Bandô Mitsugorô IX playing the role of Matahei in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Keisei Hangonkô" (print made by Yamamoto Hisashi)

The Bandô Yasosuke line of actors

The Bandô Minosuke line of actors

The Bandô Mitsugorô line of actors