BANDÔ MITSUGORÔ VII (坂東三津五郎)
1882 - 11/04/1961

aka BANDÔ YASOSUKE II (坂東八十助)

                   

Print Date: 12/28/11, Appendix to Engei Gahô Vol. 6
Artist:  Torii Kiyotada (鳥居清忠)
Medium: Machine printed lithographic sugoroku
Personal Collection
 

 
  Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as ?
 
  Print Date: 12/28/11
  Artist:  Torii Kiyotada (鳥居清忠)
  Medium: Machine printed lithographic sugoroku
  Personal Collection
                      

            
            Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as ?
           
            Print Date: 12/28/11
            Artist:  Torii Kiyotada (鳥居清忠)
            Medium: Machine printed lithographic sugoroku
            Personal Collection

Sugoroku of Portraits of Popular Characters (Atari yaku nigaoe sugoroku)

Print Date: 01/01/13
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Medium: Sugoroku Lithograph
Personal Collection

Note: Supplement to the magazine Engei Kurabu, Vol. 2, No. 1.
 
 
 

Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Takasago-jô Hyôe (高砂尉兵衛)
          
Play: Ninin Bakama (二人袴)
Performance Place: Ichimura-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 07/14/12
Print Date: 01/01/13
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Medium: Sugoroku Lithograph
Personal Collection

                 
Kataoka Gadô IV (片岡我童) as Mochizuki Saemon (望月左衛門)
 
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as Kozawa no Tomofusa (小沢友房)
 
Plays: Shikorobiki (錣引); Tôdai Yawa (東台夜話); Mochizuki (i望月); Ekirei (駅鈴);
Chikagoro Kawara no Tatehiki (近頃河原の達引)
Performance Place: Ichimura-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 09/20/12
Print Date: 09/20/12
Artist: ?
Medium: Woodblock printed sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum

Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Minamoto Yoshitsune (源義経)

Play: Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜)
Performance Place: Ichimura-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 09/06/15
Print Date: 10/01/15
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Publication: Yakusha-e (Shin Nigao)
(新似顔), Vol. 4
Personal Collection
 
 
 
 

Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Minamoto Yoshitsune (源義経)
 
Play: Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜)
Performance Place: Ichimura-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 09/06/15
Print Date: 09/1915
Artist: Yoshida Eishô (吉田永昇)
Personal Collection

                 
Morita Kan'ya XIII (守田勘弥; 守田勘彌) as Yoshitsune (義経)
 
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as Tôyata (藤弥太)
 
Plays: Nihon Furisode Hajime (日本振袖始); Seken (世間); Gosho Zakura Horikawa no Youchi 
(御所櫻堀川夜討); Otagaisama (お互様); Tsuri On'na (釣女)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 11/01/15
Print Date: 11/1915?
Artist: Torii Kiyotada (鳥居清忠)
Medium: Woodblock printed ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
Note: The cover also depicts Nakamura Tôzô V (中村東蔵) as Susanô no Mikoto (素盞嗚尊) in Nihon
Furisode Hajime (日本振袖始).
 

                 
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
the Mute Jirosuke (唖次郎助)

Play: Kokkei Sannin Katawa (滑稽三人片輪)
Performance Place: Ichimura-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 01/02/17
Print Date: 1922
Artist: Yamamura Kôka (山村耕花)
*Image courtesy of the National Museum of Asian Art

Note: Although a bromide exists from the Ichimura-za production which
labels Mitsugorô VII as the mute, in reality he played a character
pretending to be a blind man who, when drunk, pretends to be the mute.
Mitsugorô VII also was in a March 1920 production of Sannin
Katawa (三人片輪) at the Teikoku Gekijô, but appears to have played
the character pretending to be a cripple who, when drunk, pretends to be
the blind man.
 
 

                 
Onoe Kikugorô VI (尾上菊五郎) as Tomozô (伴蔵)
 
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as Hagiwara Shinzaburo (萩原新三郎)
 
Plays: Nachi no Taki Chikai no Mongaku (那智瀧祈誓文覚); Tachi Nusubito (太刀盗人);
Kaîdan Botan Dôrô (怪異談牡丹燈籠); Yoshiwara Suzume (吉原雀)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 08/01/19
Print Date: 08/1919?
Artist: Torii Kiyotada (鳥居清忠)
Medium: Woodblock printed ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
Note: The cover also depicts Nakamura Kichiemon I (中村吉右衛門) as Endô Moritô (遠藤盛遠) and
Onoe Matsusuke IV (尾上松助) as Kinugawa (衣川) in Nachi no Taki Chikai no Mongaku (那智瀧祈誓文覚). 
 

                 
Nakamura Kichiemon I (中村吉右衛門) as Katô Kiyomasa (加藤清正)
 
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as Katagiri Katsumoto (片桐且元)
 
Plays: Kiyomasa Seichûroku (清正誠忠録); Sannin Katawa (三人片輪); Shiobara Tasuke (鹽原多助)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date:  03/01/20
Print Date: 03/1920?
Artist: Torii Kiyotada (鳥居清忠)
Medium: Woodblock printed ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
Note: The cover also depicts Onoe Matsusuke IV (尾上松助) as Akidarugai Kyûhachi (明樽買久八)
and Onoe Kikugorô VI (尾上菊五郎) as Tasuke (多助) in Shiobara Tasuke (鹽原多助).
 
 
 

                 
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as Yatou Emonshichi (矢頭右衛門七)
 
Sawamura Sôjûrô VII (沢村宗十郎; 澤村宗十郎) as Kayano Sanpei (茅野三平)
 
Plays: Youchi Soga Kariba no Akebono (夜討曾我狩場曙); Kayano Sanpei (茅野三平);
Hototogisu Mizuni Hibikune (時鳥水響音); Aki no Kusa Chûya no Sakiwake (秋色草晝夜咲分)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date:  08/01/20
Print Date: 08/1920?
Artist: Torii Kiyotada (鳥居清忠)
Medium: Woodblock printed ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
Note: The cover also depicts Onoe Matsusuke IV (尾上松助) as Kyûta (久太) and Onoe Kikugorô VI
(尾上菊五郎) as Jirôko (次郎古) in Hototogisu Mizuni Hibikune (時鳥水響音).
 
 

                   
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Hyakushô Manbê (百姓万兵衛)

Play:  Tachi Nusubito (太刀盗人)
Performance Place:  Shinbashi Enbujô, Tokyo
Performance Date:  12/01/27
Print Date: 1927
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Series: Sôsaku Hanga: Shunsen Nigao-e Shû
(創作版画 春仙似顔集) (#24)
*Personal Collection

Note: Mitsugorô VII first played the role of Manbê at the
Ichimura-za in July 1917.  He reprised the role at the
Teikoku Gekijô in August 1919 and at the Ichimura-za in
May 1922.  Depending on the precise publication date of
this print, it is possible that Shunsen modeled this print
after one of Mitsugorô VII 's prior performances.

                   
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Sagisaka Bannai (鷺坂伴内)

Play:  Kanadehon Chûshingura
(假名手本忠臣蔵; 仮名手本忠臣蔵)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 03/01/40
Print Date: 12/1955
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Medium: Hand-colored keyblock print (版画源画)
Personal Collection

Note: Mitsugorô VII also performed the role in Tokyo
at the Kabuki-za in November 1930, July 1933, April
1935, January 1938, and October 1938.  It is possible
that Shunsen based this print on one of those prior
performances.  A similar but more detailed version
of this design is shown in the 2002 and 1991
Shunsen catalogs bearing a March 1957 date (and
appears to be a painting, not hanga-genga).
 

                   
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Yakko (槍奴)

Play: [Oharame] Kuniiri Yakko ([大原女] 國入奴)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 04/1951
Print Date: 03/1952
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Series: Shinpan Butai no Sugata-e
[New Version of Figures on the Stage]
(新版舞台之姿絵)
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 

                   
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Sambasô (三番叟)

Play:  Mata Kuru Haru Suzuna no Tanemaki (再春菘種蒔)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 01/1956
Print Date: 01/1957
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Medium: Hand-colored keyblock print (版画源画)
Personal Collection
 
Note: January 1956 is the last recorded performance in Tokyo by
Mitsugorô VII in this role.   it is possible that it depicts an earlier
performance in Tokyo, or a later performance on tour.

                 
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Umeômaru (梅王丸)

Play: Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami
( 菅原伝授手習鑑)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: ?
Artist: Miyake Hanayama (三宅花山)
Medium: Lithograph
Personal Collection

Note: In the 1920s when Miyake Hanayama was actively
designing prints, Mitsugorô VII performed this role in Tokyo
at the Shintomi-za in June 1922 and at the Asakusa Shochiku-za
in October 1924.  However, it is possible that this pint reflects
a regional performance.
 
 
 
 
 .

               
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Umeômaru (梅王丸)

Play: Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (菅原伝授手習鑑)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: ?
Artist: Tanaka Shikô (田中紫光)
Medium: Lithograph?
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum

Note: In the 1920s when Tanaka Shikô was actively
designing prints, Mitsugorô VII performed this role in Tokyo at
the Shintomi-za in June 1922 and at the Asakusa Shochiku-za
in October 1924.  However, it is possible that this pint reflects a
regional performance.
 
 
 
 

Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Soga Gorô Tokimune (曾我五郎時致)?
 
Play: ?
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 1914-1915?
Artist: Yoshida Eishô (吉田永昇)
Personal Collection

            
            Bandô Mitsugorô VII
            (坂東三津五郎) as
            Kisen (喜撰)

            Dance: Rokkasen Sugata no Irodori
            (六歌仙容彩)
            Artist: ?
            Medium: Woodblock printed
            matchbook cover
 
            Note: Mitsugorô VII first performed
            this role in Tokyo at the Ichimura-
            za in July 1907.  His final
            appearance in Tokyo in this role
            was at the Kabuki-za in February
            1957.

                 
Bandô Mitsugorô VII, VIII, or IX (坂東三津五郎) as
Shitadashi Sanbaso (舌出三番叟)
           
Play: Shitadashi Sanbasô (舌出三番叟)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Toyko
Performance Date: 01/1992
Print Date: ?
Artist: Yamamoto Hisashi (山本ひさし)
Medium: Woodblock printed senshafuda
Personal Collection
 
Note: Bandô Mitsugorô IX also performed this role at the Misono-za,
Nagoya, in October 1989 and at the Asakusa Kôkaidô in January 1998. 
I can not rule of the possibility that this print reflects one of those other
performances.   If this print depicts Bandô Mitsugorô VIII, he performed
this role at the Kabuki-za, Tokyo, in October 1962.  If this print depicts
Bandô Mitsugorô VII, he performed this role five times between 1947
and 1956.