(1813-6 March 1855), also known as , was a Japanese
Kabuki actor, and the first in the lineage to hold each of the
stage-names Shūka and Tamasaburō.
Names
Like most Kabuki actors, and many artists of the time, Shūka had a number of other names. He first appeared on stage as Bandō Tamanosuke, took the name Bandō Tamasaburō early in his career, and then Shūka later on. He was posthumously given the name , and as a member of the Yamatoya guild throughout his life, would have been called by that name as well (see ''
yagō
, literally meaning "house name", is a term applied in traditional Japanese culture to names passed down within a guild, studio, or other circumstance other than blood relations. The term is synonymous with and . The term most often refers to the ...
'').
Lineage
As was the case with many Kabuki actors, Shūka was not biologically related to the Bandō family of actors, but rather was adopted into it. His biological father, Tachibanaya Jisuke, was an accounting manager of the
Ichimura-za theatre; he was adopted at a very young age by the actor
Bandō Mitsugorō III
was a Kabuki actor, one of the best ''tachiyaku'' (strong male role specialists) of the early 19th century. He is famous for a great many roles, and for his rivalry with the Kamigata (Kyoto-Osaka) actor Nakamura Utaemon III.
Names
Like most K ...
, who raised him as an actor. Shūka's son would be named
Bandō Mitsugorō VI, and his adopted son was known as
Bandō Minosuke IV Bandō may refer to: People
*Eiji Bandō, Japanese entertainer/sportsman
*Naoki Bandō, Japanese voice actor
*, Japanese long-distance runner
*Japanese surname, especially among Kabuki actors, such as:
**Bandō Kakitsu I (1847–1893), Japanese kabu ...
.
Life and career
Adopted at a young age by the actor Bandō Mitsugorō III, who gave him the name Tamanosuke, he made his first stage appearance in 1824, at the age of 11, taking the name Bandō Tamasaburō. Six years later, in 1830, after performing on tour in
Nagoya and the surrounding area of
Kamigata with
Bandō Hikosaburō IV, Tamasaburō and Hikosaburō settled in
Osaka and began performing regularly at the
Naka no Shibai (Central Theatre). Mitsugorō died the following year, however, and so Tamasaburō returned to Edo soon afterwards. In 1839, he took on his father's poetry name (''haimyō''), Bandō Shūka, in a ''
shūmei'' (naming ceremony) at the Ichimura-za.
Over the course of his career, Shūka performed in countless plays, and was a celebrated ''onnagata'' (actor specializing in female roles) alongside his ''tachiyaku'' (actor of male roles) partner,
Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII
was a Japanese kabuki actor of the prestigious Ichikawa Danjūrō line. He was a ''tachiyaku'' (male roles) actor in the ''aragoto'' style, like all members of the lineage, but particularly specialized in the roles of young lovers, for which he ...
. In 1853, he began performing at the
Kawarazaki-za. His final performance was as Kaoyo Gozen and Okaru in the famous ''
Kanadehon Chūshingura'', in November the following year. He was posthumously named Bandō Mitsugorō, after his adopted father; the same name was held by his own adopted son for most of his career. As a result, drama historians now consider Shūka and his adopted son to be the fifth and
sixth, respectively, to be known as Mitsugorō.
See also
*Actor lineages:
*
Bandō Tamasaburō
External links
Bandō Shūka I at Kabuki21.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bando, Shuka 1
Kabuki actors
1813 births
1855 deaths
19th-century Japanese male actors
People from Tokyo
Male actors from Tokyo