is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki

Kabuki

is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...

 actors of the Bandō family. Of the five who have held this name, most were adopted into the lineage. Many members of the Bandō family were also adopted or blood members of the Morita family, who established and ran the Morita-za

Morita-za

The Morita-za , also known later as the Shintomi-za , was one of the major Kabuki theaters in Edo during the Edo period and into the beginning of the 20th century...

 theatre in Edo

Edo

, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...

.

Tamasaburō, like other actors' names, is bestowed (or given up) at grand naming ceremonies called shūmei

Shumei

Shūmei are grand naming ceremonies held in Kabuki theatre. Most often, a number of actors will participate in a single ceremony, taking on new stage-names....

in which a number of actors formally change their names. The name Tamasaburō is generally taken early in an actor's career; another name is taken afterwards.

Lineage

• Bandō Tamasaburō I
  Bando Shuka I
  , 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:...
  
   (November 1824 - October 1839) Adopted son of Bandō Mitsugorō III
  Bando Mitsugoro III
  was a Kabuki actor, one of the best tachiyaku of the early 19th century. He is famous for a great many roles, and for his rivalry with the Kamigata actor Nakamuta Utaemon III.-Names:...
  
  . Took the name Tamasaburō upon his first stage appearance.
• Bandō Tamasaburō II (November 1844 - January 1869) - Adopted son of Tamasaburō I.
• Bandō Tamasaburō III (March 1889 - 1904) - daughter of Morita Kan'ya XII
  Morita Kanya XII
  was the leading Japanese theatre manager of the first half of the Meiji period, between 1868 and 1912. He built the first modern theater, the Shintomi-za , which incorporated Western features such as gaslights and chairs. The theater opened in June 1878, and was located at a foreign settlement in...
  
  . Joined an all-female kabuki troupe, which ultimately failed; she then moved to New York City
  New York City
  New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
  
  .
• Bandō Tamasaburō IV
  Morita Kanya XIV
  ' was a Japanese kabuki actor. He was a tachiyaku actor , specializing in playing the roles of young, handsome lovers in the wagoto style, a type of role known as nimaime...
  
   (July 1914 - December 1925) - grandson of Morita Kan'ya XII
  Morita Kanya XII
  was the leading Japanese theatre manager of the first half of the Meiji period, between 1868 and 1912. He built the first modern theater, the Shintomi-za , which incorporated Western features such as gaslights and chairs. The theater opened in June 1878, and was located at a foreign settlement in...
  
   and adopted son of Kan'ya XIII.
• Bandō Tamasaburō V
  Bando Tamasaburo V
  is a Kabuki actor, and the most popular and celebrated onnagata currently on stage. He has also acted in a handful of films....
  
   (June 1964 - present) - adopted son of Tamasaburō IV; currently the most popular onnagata in Kabuki.