He is famous for a great many roles, and for his rivalry with the Kamigata (Kyoto-Osaka) actor Nakamura Utaemon III.

Born in Edo in 1775, he made his stage debut at the age of three, at the Morita-za, under the name Bandō Mitahachi I.

As the 19th century began, Mitsugorō performed in a great number of plays and a myriad of roles, both male and female, at the Morita-za, Nakamura-za, and Ichimura-za theatres.

In May 1815, he performed at the Kawarazaki-za alongside Iwai Hanshirō V, Matsumoto Kōshirō V and Ichikawa Danjūrō VII, some of the most famous actors of the time.

He also spent time performing in Nagoya, and in Kyoto at the Kitagawa no Shibai, two cities where kabuki was far less prolific than in Edo and Osaka.

Both actors simultaneously played the popular and powerful role of the thief Ishikawa Goemon at different theaters.