Fluctuated between 3 to 9 performers. Perche, ladder, feet equilibrists, wire walking – including children.
Chokichi/Shokichi Mizuno b 1856
Sei Ohama b 1856
Takichi Kikuchi b 1864
Chokichi Ohama b 1879
Nobe/Nobukichi Mizuno b 1887
Chokichi Ohama/Mizuno b 1893
Shiro Watahiki b 1897
Ichitaro Nishizawa b 1898
Kimbei Shimanuki b 1901
1894 January – Mizuno Chokichi and 15 others leave Japan for America
1897 Boston USA – Mizuno Japanese troupe.
1899 in California. Mizuno perche/ladder act with Tora. O. Kura umbrella juggler, high wire, bicycle riding. Little Allright. Madame Mizuno does magic tricks.
1901 – Lafayette – 7 almond eyed oriental Japanese
1902 Chokichi Ohama (b 1879) arrives in Britain on his own from New York, aged 23
1903 – Mrs Sei Ohama (aged 47) and Chokichi Ohama jnr (aged 10) arrive in Vancouver to join her husband Shokichi/Chokichi in Fairbury, Nebraska, at the Campbell Brothers Circus based there.
1906 in Kansas – 5 members: posturing, contortion, magic, shoulder balancing, breakaway ladders, slack wire balancing, barrel rolling and kicking, foot balancing
1907 February – Mizuno Chokichi and 13 others depart Japan for North America and Europe
1907 Chokichi Mizuno (b 1856) arrived in Vancouver en route for Fairbury, Nebraska, with Takichi Kikuchi, Shiro Watahiki, Junkichi Ide, Ichitaro Nishizawa
1908 Mizuno troupe in Missouri. 5 members.
1909 Nobe Mizuno sues RC Anderson, medicine man, for failure to pay for entertainment services.
1912 – Nobe Mizuno (33), Mrs Nobe Mizuno (Anna, 24) and their baby George, Coe Mizuno (24), children Ennie, Edie, Echi, Shiro, Myrtle, Alpha and Inez Mizuno leave Hawaii for Japan.
1913 April – Chokichi Ohama (b 1879) arrives from Yokohama on Hitachi Maru – Mrs Toku Ohama, Shiro Watahiki, J. Nakashima, Ichitaro Nishizawa, Junkichi Ide, and 4 children under 12: S Kobayashi, K Kyose, T Kayama, Kimbei Shimanuki
1913 August – Nobukichi Mizuno summonsed to Swindon Borough Police Court for causing Kimbei Shimanuki to perform for profit without a licence, aged 11. A child who is over 11 may appear without a licence before 9pm.
1913 September – 9 acrobats in Japanese costume – “the national effect is sustained in all accessories. The little Japs are extremely clever and amusing in their quaint way. while their elders perform astonishing tricks with astounding dexterity.” Leamington Spa
1913 November – Nobukichi Mizuno leaves Britain for New York
1914-5 Mizuno Troupe of Japanese Entertainers
1916-1917 Mizuno Troupe seven in number
1918 The Mizuno Troupe – Japanese with Western ideas.
1919-1922 A few appearances in Britain
1922 March – October The Royal Mizuno (Family) Troupe of Japanese Acrobats/Wonders – refined and highly finished Artistes. The favourite entertainers of the late Emperor of Japan. Burnley
Appearances in Britain through to 1929, particularly 1925 and 1927, often with Broncho Bill’s Circus.
1930 Carl Mizuno, married man with 3 children, Japanese acrobat of Hulme, Manchester, had an affiliation order (claim for child support) against him by a chorus girl Ida van Dix. Resulted in an order against him for 10s 6d until the child was 14.
1931 Mizuno Trio
1932 Mizuno Trio, Siamese acrobats. Ladder balancing act.
1932 July Mizuno Four – Finsbury Park.
1938 December – Chokichi Mizuno “A Japanese juggler” of Hulme, Manchester fined for speeding.
1939 September – Toku Mizuno (47), Kojiro Mizuno, Ryunosuke Iizuka and 1 or 2 others (Hanako?) are living at 88 Dorset Street, Manchester. Chokichi Mizuno and Masakazu Mizuno are in a boarding house in Darlington.
1939 Kimbei Shimanuki is in Lancaster county mental hospital, occupation given as photographer, single. He had tried to commit harakiri in 1930 and had been admitted to the hospital in 1933. “He was dull and depressed and persecuted by imaginary and had delusions of a religious nature”. In 1937 he inflicted three deep scratches on his forehead. He was put on suicide watch in 1941 took his own life in 1946. (Lancaster Guardian, 29 November 1946)
1940 November – Family travelled to Japan via California on the Fusimi Maru – Chokichi (46) English nationality born in Tokyo, his wife Toku (48) – English nationality born in Tokyo, son Masakazu (26) born in Sweden and daughter Hanako (17) born in Manchester.
Ninjin 