Stage names:

Ichikawa Sumizô V
Ichikawa Sumizô
Okuda Tomisaburô
Bandô Kanesaburô	|

Real name: Ôta Kanesaburô

Guilds: Naritaya, Masudaya

Line number: GODAIME (V)

Poetry name: Toshô

Existence: 1845 ~ 7 May 1906

Connections:

Master: Ichikawa Danjûrô IX

Son: Ichikawa Dankurô II

Grandson: Ichikawa Sumizô VII

Adopted son: Ichikawa Jukai III

Disciples: Ichikawa Yonezaemon, Ichikawa Hakotora II

Career:

1845: born in Edo in the district of Ushigome. His father was a firefighter named Chôzô. He started at an early age to learn traditional dance with the Buyô master Bandô Kayû, who gave him the name of Bandô Kanesaburô.

1855: Kanesaburô became Kabuki actor at the age of 10 when he joined the troupe led by Ichikawa Omezô III and Arashi Kichisaburô III, touring in the city of Shizuoka. He made his debut on stage in Shizuoka at the Tamagawaza ^[1], where he played the roles of Ishidômaru and Tarokichi in "Karukaya Dôshin Tsukushi no Iezuto" and "Sanemori Monogatari".

1856~1870: Kanesaburô became zagashira of a troupe of young actors performing in the district of Higashi-Ryôgoku Koriba. He was nicknamed Koriba no Gonnosuke (Koriba's Gonnosuke) because of his resemblance with the young star Kawarasaki Gonnosuke VII.

July 1873: he joined the zamoto Okuda Toichirô, who had built his own theater, the Okudaza, in the district of Haruki-chô in Hongô. He performed under the name of Okuda Tomisaburô.

April 1878: he became disciple of Ichikawa Danjûrô IX, who gave him the name of Ichikawa Sumizô.

September 1878: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Takeshiba Kinsaku I's drama "Tsûzoku Saiyûki"; Sumizô played the role of Sa Gojô [casting].

November 1878: Ichikawa Sumizô took the name of Ichikawa Sumizô V at the Ichimuraza, performing in the drama "Kibun Taishaku Kuruwa no Irifune". This was in fact a minor ideogram change, which allowed him to join the Ichikawa Sumizô line of actors:

You need a Japanese Language Kit installed within your system in order to be able to read the characters

November 1884: tour in Kôfu.

September 1889: première at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's Tokiwazu-based dance-drama "Kumo no Ito Oyozume Banashi"; Sumizô played the role of Watanabe Tsuna [more details].

July 1890: premiere at the Shintomiza of "Kiyomasa Seichûroku", a revised version of Kawatake Shinshichi III's 1875 drama "Minori no Aki Seishô Denki". It was part of a special 2-day gala program starring Ichikawa Danjûrô IX; Sumizô played the role of Asano Yoshinaga [more details].

November 1890: tour in Sendai.

March 1891: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ôchi's drama "Buyû no Homare Shusse Kagekiyo", a revised revival of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's jidaimono "Shusse Kagekiyo"; Sumizô played the roles of the daigûji of the Atsuta Shrine, Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki and a carpenter (in reality Satomi Yoshinari) [casting].

July 1893: tour in Kôfu.

September 1893: Sumizô played at the Kabukiza 5 roles in the drama "Ôkubo Hikozaemon".

March 1897: opening of the Tôkyôza in Tôkyô in the district of Misaki-chô in Kanda; Sumizô was its first zagashira.

April 1897: premiere at the Kabukiza of Fukuchi Ochi's drama "Otokodate Harusame Gasa"; Sumizô played the role of Matsubaya Yohê [more details].

October 1898: premiere at the Meijiza of Takeshiba Kisui's dance-drama "Sannin Katawa"; Sumizô played the role of the daimyô [casting].

March 1899: premiere at the Meijiza of the drama "Kurotegumi Kuruwa no Tatehiki", which gathers the main scenes from the sukerokumono part of Kawatake Shinshichi II's 1858 drama "Edo Zakura Kiyomizu Seigen"; Sumizô played the role of the shirozake Shinbê [casting].

13 September 1903: his master Ichikawa Danjûrô IX died.

February/March 1904: successful premiere at the Tôkyôza of Tsubouchi Shôyô's drama "Kiri Hitoha"; Sumizô played the role of Ôno Dôken [more details].

May 1905: Sumizô played at the Miyatoza the role of Matsunaga Daizen in the drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki"; the roles of Princess Yuki and Konoshita Tôkichi were played by Sawamura Sônosuke I and Ichikawa Kigan IV.

February 1906: Sumizô appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Miyatoza. He suddenly fell ill and stopped acting.

7 May 1906: Sumizô died ^[2].

Comments:

Ichikawa Sumizô V was a talented supporting tachiyaku actor, performing in both koshibai and ôshibai, specialized in jitsugotoshi and wagotoshi roles. He took part in the katsureki experience led by his master Ichikawa Danjûrô IX. He became katakiyaku and oyajigata in his latter years.

[1] We don't know precisely in which month he made his debut on stage.

[2] His tombstone was located in the precincts of the Honjôji Temple in the district of Zôshigaya.

Ichikawa Sumizô V playing the role of Akama Genzaemon in the drama "Yowa Nasaki Ukina no Yokogushi" (print made by Toyohara Kunichika 1885)

Prints & Illustrations

The Ichikawa Sumizô line of actors