Led by Mitsukichi Ando (b 1868) 6-7 members including his children.
1888 Mitsukichi’s son Mato born in Japan
1889 Mitsukichi’s daughter Olosy Florence born in Japan
1891 Ando Mitsheki Japanese juggler – Philadelphia
1892 Ando juggler and Oume, a handsome young Japanese girl – New York
1893 October Ando and Arnue, Japan’s greatest lady magician and male juggler. San Francisco
1894 January – Ando and Omne, juggling marvels, San Francisco. Ando a juggler and equilibrist. And a Japanese female magician who is ambidextrous.
1894 Ando Genjiro passport for USA, aged 28 and 7 months (b 1866).
1895 Mitsukichi’s son Metsie born in Tokyo
1895 passports issued for America for Ando Mitsukichi aged 41 and 4 months (1853/4 does not match 1868 birth for Ando Mitsukichi in UK) and wife Natsu aged 28 and 2 months
1895 December – Ando and Matsumoto Japanese oddities – Boston, USA
1895 December – Ando and Omne and Little All Right, Los Angeles
1896 January – Ando-Gengiro Jugglers acrobats France
1896 October – Ando and Omne and Little Allright, Sausalito. The troupe of juggling Japs.
1897 January – Ando, Amme and Little Allright at Hammerstein’s Olympia, New York
1897 July M et Mme Ando-Genjiro jongleurs japonais
1897 July-September – Ando Gingero, Japanese juggler, in Spain with Kotaki
1897 November – Ando-Gengiro in Algeria
1898 January – Ando Gengiro and Ko-Ta-Ki France
1898 April – Ando Gengiro clown japonais – Paris
1898 December – Mitsukichi Ando (42 so 1856 birth date), Tame Ando (23), Seno Shika (24), Eto Shika (19), Nauker Ando (11), Frank Kamikichi (25) arrive in Liverpool from America
1898 December – Birmingham, The Ando Royal Japanese Troupe in a wonderful juggling performance
1899 October – Leeds – Little Allright and M. Ando. Ando Mitsukichi with Sentaro and Seto Shikazo and Shikazo’s wife Tama aged 24 according to Kurata.
1899 November – Ando’s Royal Imperial Japanese Troupe – swinging bamboos, pyramid contortion, ladder, juggling, posturing, top spinning. Matsu Moto just arrived from Japan in his marvellous and daring slide for life. Leeds. 10 months’ engagement ends Dec 23rd
1899 December – Shika, formerly of Ando’s troupe, tries to commit suicide in Leeds after quarrelling and parting with his wife Tama. Tama was the daughter of Osaka acrobat Okuda Benjiro
1900 February – Batty’s circus, Stockton on Tees, The Ando Yedo Japanese troupe
1900 March – The Ando Troupe – Little Allright, Matsumoto, Moto, Ochhano at the Scottish zoo.
1900 September – 1900 September – Performance by the ANDO YEDDO, Imperial Troupe of Real Japs. The best Troupe now before the Public. ANDO, Madame ANDO, MOTOKICHI. O’HANA KAME KICHI, SNAKICHI. and LITTLE ALRIGHT. Gorgeous Japanese Customs. Tynemouth Palace by the Sea
1900 November – Ando troupe, six in number, just returned from Germany. Little Allright the great hand balancer, Arayama/Arayma great wire walker/barrel kicker, F. Kamekichi and Moto, double ladder balancing on foot, Ando and Ohana and Moto, double bamboo balancing on shoulder, Arayma and Ohana posturing act, Ando and Little Allright breakaway ladder, Little Allright slide for life.
1901 April census – in Leeds, Mitsukichi Ando aged 38, Otama, wife, 25, Mato son aged 13, Otisy daughter aged 12, Ohana daughter aged 9, Metsie son aged 6, Rodayshi Richi visitor aged 46, Frank Kamitaro 27, Jins Sadakichi 19.
1901 May
JAPANESE AT THE POLICE COURT. A GIRL WHO DIDN’T LIKE MANCHESTER. A bright little Japanese girl, named Olosy Florence Ando, ten years old, was charged before the City Stipendiary this morning with the theft of a purse and about £3 in money from her aunt. The girl was stated to be a pupil of the Ando troupe of Japanese acrobats, &c, now performing the Tivoli Theatre, Manchester. Her mother is in London, and she has toured the country with the troupe, the members of which are relations of the girl. Up to a fortnight ago they had been performing Chesterfield, and their arrival in Manchester they took apartments Grosvenor street, C.-on-M. The little girl was missed on Monday, and as the purse was missed the same time the police were informed. It was found that she had travelled to Chesterfield, where she had settled down in their old apartments. She still had £2. 7s. 4d. of the money in her possession, and when taken charge of the police she remarked ” Oh, yes, I took the money. I was coming back to-morrow. I thought I would have an outing. I like Chesterfield better than Manchester.” As the prosecutrix did not understand English the case was stated by another Jap, who manages the troupe, and the little girl having promised not to offend again was returned to her relatives.[1]
[1] Manchester Evening News 8 May 1901
1901 September – Ohana and Minekicki Ando in their Japanese perch performance – Ando Imperial Japanese. Scottish Zoo – Little Allright.
1901 October – Circus of Varieties, Greenock – Imperial Japanese Troupe, Sadakichi, Monkichi, Ando, Tama
1901 November – Sadakichi in his breathless slide for life, Ando Japanese juggler and top spinner, Minkichi in his perch performance – Greenock.
1902 M. Ando juggler
1902 March – Mr & Mrs Ando, Moto, Mitsu, Ohana and Otosy depart Liverpool for New York, with Sadakichi aged 45 and O Sadakichi 18 – men described as farmers.
1902 December – Moto, Mitsu and Sadakichis return to England
1903 February – Andos family amusing Japanese acrobats, jugglers, wire walkers, rope climbers and sliders Leicester
1904 June – December Ando Troupe of 7 native jugglers and acrobats
1905 March-August in Britain
1905 March – The Andos, Japanese band of most capable acrobats, jugglers etc., who were received with loud cries of “Go the Japs.” gave magnificent display, and received the enthusiastic applause of all present – Belfast Telegraph 21 March 1905 p 3
1905 Ando Genjiro real Jap Juggler in Paris (Music Hall and Theatre Review)
1905 July – Mitsukichi marries Margaret McKay
1906 March – Andos, who figure conspicuously In this week’s programme at this popular place of entertainment, are described as “happy little Japs from the land of the chrysanthemum and the Rising Sun.” The troupe consists of three male performers, and two young girls, who take only a minor part in the act. One of the men ascends ladder, which is constructed that one of the poles and the rungs can be easily removed. On the single pole which is left standing, the performer accomplishes a remarkable bending feat, which elicits much applause. The same artist also performs somewhat similar feat with one of the girls linked like human sash round his body. Then preparations are made for the sensational achievement with which the uorn concludes. A stout rope stretches from the stage to the gallery, and up this incline strong, active member of the troupe slowly makes his way. He grips the rope with his toes, and carries only a Japanese parasol. Nor is there any net placed underneath the ropewalker. His arrival safe and sound in the gallery is greeted with loud burst of applause. After short pause, he makes rapid descent to the stage, where the force of the impact broken by his companions and one of the attendants.
1906 July – Mitsukichi, son of Margaret and Mitsukichi is born in Chorlton, Lancashire and dies shortly after.
1906 August La trio Ando-Genjiro trio jongleurs japonais
1906 Young lady doing slide for life has accident, saved by a knotted rope
1907 February – in France
1907 May – 6 Real Japanese. October – 15 year old daughter of Mr Ando fell from a bicycle on a pole while performing in Cardiff.
1907 July – Ando 要次郎 and 23 others depart Japan for North America and Europe
1908 January – August in Britain
1908 April – Andos in Berlin
1909 June – a rather thrilling aerial of feats by the Andos, troupe of daring Japanese equilibrists. Amongst the most sensational of theme feats is the balancing of a rod upon the shoulder of one of the elder performers whilst on the top one of the girls drives the pedals of a bicycle turned upside down. Another particularly daring feat is performed by one of the girls, who is brought on the stage concealed in a large artificial bouquet of flowers, and balances herself on a number of boxes and bricks.
1909 January – September in Britain, then St Petersburg
1910 March – Dublin, October Swansea
1911 July – Andos Japs at Croydon Hippodrome
1911 October – Manchester Royal Ando Troupe of Japanese
1911 October – Rosa Cecilia, daughter of Margaret and Mitsukichi is born
1912 February – Gateshead
1912 – December Omasa Suwa claimed in Manchester court that Mitsukichi Ando was unlawfully detaining her 14 year old son Sentaro Akimoto – whose father had died in 1910.
1913 2 ladies in the Andos, one of whom is chiefly ornamental, neither look Japanese.
1914 Derby – youngest member of the troupe is a mere child. Slide for life. Juggling.
1914 April – Ando et Gengiro, France from the Empire of
London, acrobats jugglers, Japanese tightrope walkers.
1915 Ando’s Merry Japs, Ando’s Happy Little Japs
1916 SPECIAL STARRING ENGAGEMENT, AT GREAT COST, OF THE ROYAL ANDOS TROUPE OF MERRY JAPS, Presenting their Artistic and Wonderful Japanese Specialities amid Beautiful and Expensive Japanese Scenery – Fleetwood
1921 Elizabeth McKay, mother of Margaret McKay, Mitsukichi’s wife, is living with her son Oscar McKay and his wife, Yuki nee Nomura, and Torakichi Kondo, described as “uncle” to Oscar and Yuki, in Chorlton upon Medlock.
1921, 1922, 1927, 1929 in Germany, with the Kobes
1923, 1924, 1925 in France “Ando Gengino jongleur Japonais” Cinema St Marcel
1923 Algeria – Ando Gengiro jongleur Japonais
1930 April – The Ando Family – five in number, Rotherham
The renowned Ando Family of six Japanese entertainers In their own magnificent oriental setting, depicting the slide for life, foot equilibristics, balancing ladder, risley and juggling. This troupe are acknowledged to be the world’s greatest Japanese performers travellling.
1931 October – Rosa Cecilia Ando aged 20 marries 43 year old Kazo/Kazuo Takino/Takeno in London
1932 February – Matsu, daughter of Rosa and Kazo born in London
1932 September – The Andos Family “acrobatics and jugglery.” Dundee
1934 January – Take Victoria, daughter of Rosa and Kazo born in London
1935 August – The Andos Family of Japanese entertainers crown their skilful juggling acts with a series of breath-taking feats. A girl climbs on a perilous structure of stools poised on the heels of a man lying on his back. She walks up a tight rope stretched to the roof of the theatre and then slides down to the stage in one swoop. (Croydon)
1937 The Andos Family of Japanese acrobats – Bournemouth
1938 August – Doncaster Grand – last mention of Ando Family in Britain
1939 Mitsu, Margaret, Kazo, Rosa and Matsu all living together in Hendon (85 North End Road)
1953 Mitsu Ando and Margaret, Matsu and Kazo Takino living together in Hendon.
1954 Victoria Taki has a child, Michael
1961 Mitsu Ando dies
1962 Matsu Takino marries Ronald Jones in North Walsham
1966 Margaret Ando dies
1973 Kazo Takino/Ando dies aged 85 in London
1975 Matsu Jones nee Takino dies in Lincolnshire aged 43
1996 Victoria Take Ando dies aged aged 62
2000 Rosa Ando dies aged 88 – Kazo, Rosa, Victoria are all buried in same plot in Hendon cemetery
Ninjin 