The was a

special police Special police usually describes a police, police force or unit within a police force whose duties and responsibilities are significantly different from other forces in the same country or from other police in the same force, although there is no ...

force organized by the (military government) during

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Bakumatsu period was the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate ended. Between 1853 and 1867, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a feudal Tokugawa shogunate to the modern empire of the Meiji govern ...

(late

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

at a time when a controversial imperial edict to exclude foreign trade from Japan had been made and the Chōshū clan had been forced from the imperial court. They gained considerable fame in the

Ikedaya incident The , also known as the Ikedaya affair or Ikedaya riot, was an armed encounter between the ''shishi'' which included masterless samurai (''rōnin'') formally employed by the Chōshū, Tosa and Higo clans ( han), and the Shinsengumi, the Ba ...

and the August 18 coup events etc. The men were drawn from the sword schools of Edo.

History

's forced opening to the west in 1854, which required it to open its shores for trade or face military conflict, exacerbated internal political instability. One long-standing line of political opinion was (meaning, "revere the emperor, expel the barbarians"). Loyalists (particularly in Chōshū Domain) in

began to rebel. In response, the

formed the on October 19, 1862. The was a squad of 234 (

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

without masters) drawn from the sword schools of Edo. The squad's nominal commander was the

hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as ''gokenin.'' However ...

Matsudaira Katamori Matsudaira Katamori after the Meiji restoration was a samurai who lived in Bakumatsu period and the early to mid Meiji period Japan. He was the 9th ''daimyō'' of the Aizu Domain and the Kyoto Shugoshoku (Military Commissioner of Kyoto). He i ...

, and their leader was

Kiyokawa Hachirō Kiyokawa may refer to: Places *Kiyokawa, Kanagawa, a village in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan *Kiyokawa, Ōita, a former village in Ōno District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan *Kiyokawa Station, a railway station in Shōnai, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan Ot ...

, a from

Shōnai Domain was a feudal domain in Edo period Japan, located in Dewa Province (modern-day Yamagata Prefecture), Japan. It was centered on Tsuruoka Castle in what is now the city of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture, and was thus also known as the . It was ...

. The 's mission was to protect

Tokugawa Iemochi (July 17, 1846 – August 29, 1866) was the 14th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office from 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of the "re-opening" of Japan to western nations. ...

, the 14th , during an important trip to

to meet with the

Emperor Kōmei was the 121st Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')孝明天皇 (121)/ref> Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867, corresponding to the final years of the ...

.Oishi M. ''Shinsengumi: Saigo no Bushi no Jitsuzō''. Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, Tokyo, 2004. There had not been such a meeting since the third of the Tokugawa ,

Tokugawa Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...

, had visited Kyoto in the 17th century.

, the head of the military government, the , had been invited to discuss how Japan should enact the recent imperial edict calling for the expulsion of foreigners.Turnbull S
"The Samurai swordsman – master of war."
Tuttle Publishing, 2013 , 9781462908349. Although the was funded by the Tokugawa , the leader Kiyokawa Hachirō and others had strong loyalties to the emperor and planned to gather other in Kyoto to police the city from

insurgent An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric warfare, asymmetric na ...

s. On March 26 (

lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases (synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, the Gre ...

February 8), 1863, Kiyokawa led the out of Edo as the vanguard of Iemochi's procession to Kyoto, which they arrived on April 10 (lunar calendar February 23), 1863.

When Kiyokawa's scheme was revealed in Kyoto, he immediately commanded the to return to Edo. The members were disbanded and then returned to Edo where they would later form the under the patronage of

. However, nineteen members, mainly from the Mito clan, remained and formed the .

Founding members

Serizawa's faction: *

Serizawa Kamo Serizawa Kamo (芹沢鴨; September 2, 1826 – October 30, 1863) was a samurai known for being the original lead commander of the Shinsengumi. He trained in and received a licence in the Shindō Munen-ryū. "Kamo" means goose or duck in Japane ...

Niimi Nishiki was born in Mito-han (now Ibaraki Prefecture). He was a master of the ''Shintomunen-ryu'' swordsmanship style. He was one of the original thirteen members of the Shinsengumi, together with Serizawa Kamo and Kondō Isami. He was originally one of ...

* Hirayama Gorō * Hirama Jūsuke * Noguchi Kenji * Araya Shingorō * Saeki Matasaburō Kondō's faction: *

Kondō Isami was a Japanese swordsman and official of the late Edo period. He was the fourth generation master of Tennen Rishin-ryū and was famed for his role as commander of the Shinsengumi. Background He was born Miyagawa Katsugorō to a farmer Miyaga ...

* Hijikata Toshizō *

Inoue Genzaburō was born in Hino, Tokyo. He was the captain of the sixth unit of the Shinsengumi which were a special police force for the Tokugawa regime. Inoue is the oldest unit captain of Shinsengumi. Like his older brother, Inoue Matsugoro, Inoue Genzabu ...

Okita Sōji was the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto during the late shogunate period. He was one of the best swordsmen of the Shinsengumi. Background He was born in 1842 or 1844 from a samurai family in the ...

Nagakura Shinpachi was the former captain of the 2nd troop of the Shinsengumi, He was later known as during the Meiji era. History Early life Nagakura Shinpachi Noriyuki, known as Eikichi or Eiji during his childhood, was born in the Matsumae clan's "kami-yash ...

Saitō Hajime (born ; February 18, 1844 – September 28, 1915) was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, who most famously served as the captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi. He was one of the few core members who survived the numerous wars o ...

Harada Sanosuke was a Japanese warrior (''samurai'') who lived in the late Edo period. He was the 10th unit captain of the Shinsengumi, and died during the Boshin War. Background Harada was born to a family of ''chūgen'', or low-ranking quasi-samurai, who ser ...

Tōdō Heisuke was a samurai of Japan's late Edo period who served as the eighth unit captain of the Shinsengumi. His full name was ''Tōdō Heisuke Fujiwara no Yoshitora''. Background Tōdō was from Edo, Musashi Province (now Tokyo). Very little is known abo ...

Yamanami Keisuke was a Japanese samurai. He was the General Secretary (Vice Commander) of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto during the late Edo period. Background Though the details of his origin are unclear, he was thought to be the son of a k ...

Tonouchi's faction: * Tonouchi Yoshio * Iesato Tsuguo * Abiru Eisaburō * Negishi Yūzan Initially, the were called , meaning " of

Mibu 270px, Mibu Toy Museum is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 39,158 in 16,149 households, and a population density of 640 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Mibu is l ...

". At the time, Mibu was a village south west of Kyoto, and was the place where they were stationed. was initially formed in three factions under Serizawa (the group), Kondō (the group) and Tonouchi. Abiru Eisaburō later died of illness, a month after arriving in Kyoto. Internal strife soon developed within the group, Tonouchi was assassinated by Kondō on Yojō bridge, Serizawa had ordered a member, Iesato Tsuguo, to commit for deserting, Negishi Yūzan also deserted and returned to Edo, where he joined the .

, after the careful evaluation of the political scene in Kyoto, felt it was needed to change the scope of the 's mission from protecting the shogunate to patrolling the streets of Kyoto and restoring order in the name of the Tokugawa . On August 18, 1863, the was renamed the . The new name may have been coined by Matsudaira Katamori (the of the Aizu clan) around this time. The opposition forces included the Mori clan of the Chōshū and the

Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in cont ...

Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a sou ...

. The were led by

( 1830, Mino Province),

, and

( 1834, Musashi Province – he came from a small dojo in Edo called ). The submitted a letter to the Aizu clan, another powerful group who supported the Tokugawa regime, requesting permission to police Kyoto. The request was granted. Saeki Matasaburō, having killed Araya Shingorō, was believed to be killed by a Chōshū samurai

Kusaka Genzui , (born Kusaka Hidezaburō; May 1840 – 20 August 1864) was a samurai of the Japanese domain of Chōshū who was active during the Bakumatsu period and a key proponent of the ''sonnō jōi'' movement. Early life He was born Kusaka Hide ...

on September 22, 1863. On September 30, 1863 (lunar calendar August 18), the Chōshū (anti-Tokugawa) clan were forced from the imperial court by the Tokugawa, Aizu and

clans. The were sent to aid the Aizu and guard the gates of the imperial court. The opposition forces included the Mori clan of the Chōshū and the

. Serizawa's erratic and disruptive behavior in Kyoto eventually led to Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu giving the an order to assassinate Serizawa and his group. On October 19, 1863, Niimi Nishiki, a member of the Serizawa faction was forced by Yamanami Keisuke and Hijikata Toshizō to commit seppuku for breaking regulations. On October 30 (or October 28), a few selected members led by Hijikata went into the Yagi Gennojō's house and assassinated Serizawa, his woman Oume, and Hirayama Goro, with Hirama Jūsuke being the only survivor who fled that night. All this infighting left Kondō as leader. Three months later, Noguchi Kenji was ordered to commit for an unknown reason. On July 8, 1864, in an incident at the Ikedaya Inn in Kyoto, thirty suppressed a cell of twenty Chōshū revolutionaries, possibly preventing the burning of Kyoto. The incident made the squad more famous and led to soldiers enlisting in the squad.

Squad hierarchy after Ikedaya

* :

, fourth master of the

Tennen Rishin-ryū is a Japanese martial art, commonly known as the style practiced by several core members of the Shinsengumi. Origins The Tennen Rishin ryu is a traditional swordsmanship school, codified during the Kansei Era (1789–1801) by Kondō Kuranosuke ...

* :

* : Hijikata Toshizō * : Itō Kashitarō * Spies:

Shimada Kai Shimada may refer to: * Shimada (surname), a Japanese surname * Shimada (city), Shizuoka, Japan **Shimada-juku was the twenty-third of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō highway, which connected Edo with Kyoto in premodern Japan. It is ...

and

Yamazaki Susumu was a Shinsengumi officer and spy, otherwise known as a . He was a ''rōnin'' (masterless samurai) from Osaka and an expert in ''Katori Ryu''. In 1863, he officially joined the Shinsengumi and in 1864, Yamazaki and Shimada Kai were assigned by ...

. : *

Nakazawa Koto Nakazawa Koto (中沢琴, 1839–October 12, 1927) was a Japanese Kenjutsu, swordswoman and Onna-musha of the Bakumatsu period. She joined the Rōshigumi and later Shinchogumi forces, and worked as a Tokugawa shogunate, pro-Tokugawa agent in t ...

(instructor in

Kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of ...

) *

(instructor in

). *

(instructor in

). *

(instructor in

). * Matsubara Chūji (instructor in

Jujutsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdu ...

). *

Takeda Kanryūsai Takeda Kanryūsai (武田観柳斎, 1830 or 1834 – died June 22, 1867) was the captain of the fifth unit of the Shinsengumi, a special police Special police usually describes a police force or unit within a police force whose duties and respo ...

(instructor in military strategies). *

* Tani Sanjūrō (instructor in spearing skills). *

Suzuki Mikisaburō is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal com ...

Members of the group

At its peak, the had about 300 members. They were the first samurai group of the Tokugawa era to allow those from non-samurai classes (farmers and merchants, for example) to join. Many joined the group out of a desire to become samurai and be involved in political affairs. However, it is a misconception that most of the members were from non-samurai classes. Out of 106 members (among a total of 302 members at the time), there were 87 samurai, eight farmers, three merchants, three medical doctors, three priests, and two craftsmen. Several of the leaders, such as Sannan, Okita, Saitō, Nagakura, and Harada, were born samurai.

regulations

The code of the , famously created by Hijikata Toshizō, included five articles, prohibiting deviation from the samurai code (), leaving the , raising money privately, taking part in others' litigation, and engaging in private fights. The penalty for breaking any rule was . In addition, if the leader of a unit was mortally wounded in a fight, all the members of the unit must fight and die on the spot and, even in a fight where the death toll was high, the unit was not allowed to retrieve the bodies of the dead, except the corpse of the leader of the unit.

Uniform

The members of the were highly visible in battle due to their distinctive uniforms. Following the orders of the commander

, the standard uniform consisted of the and over a

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...

, with a white cord called a crossed over the chest and tied in the back. The function of the was to prevent the sleeves of the kimono from interfering with movement of the arms. The wore a light

chainmail Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...

suit beneath their robes and a light

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

made of iron. The uniform was best defined by the , which was colored . In the old days of Japan, during the ritual, the samurai committing would wear an . Thus the colour, in the samurai's eyes, characterized an honourable death. The sleeves were trimmed with "white mountain stripes", resulting in a very distinctive uniform.Zwier L. and Cunnungham M
"The End of the Shoguns and the birth of modern Japan (Pivotal moments in history series)."
Twenty-First Century Books, revised edition, 2013 p63 , 9781467703772.

Boshin War

In 1867, when

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned of his position as shogun in late 1867, while aiming ...

withdrew from Kyoto, the left peacefully under the supervision of the ,

Nagai Naoyuki , also known as or , was a Japanese hatamoto under the Tokugawa of Bakumatsu period Japan. His great-great-grandchild was Yukio Mishima. Naoyuki's adopted son, Iwanojō Nagai, was the father of Natsu, who was Mishima's grandmother. Iwanojō's r ...

. The new emperor had been named the head of a new government (meaning the end centuries of military rule by the ). This marked the beginning of the Boshin civil war. Following their departure from Kyoto, the were one of the shogunate forces fought in the

Battle of Toba–Fushimi The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 (or fourth year of Keiō, first month, 3rd day, according to the lunar calendar), when the forces of the shog ...

against the

Imperial forces Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

consisting of allied forces of Chōshū,

and Tosa in January 1868 where Kondō would suffer a gunshot wound at Fushimi during the battle.

The returned to Edo, where it was later reformed into a unit known as the and departed from Edo for

Kōfu Castle was a Japanese castle located in the city of Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture, in the Chubu region of Japan. The site has been protected as a National Historic Site since 2019. The castle is also known as Maizuru Castle, and the present-day surroundi ...

on March 24 on orders to suppress uprisings there. However, upon receiving news on March 28 that the Kōfu Castle was taken by the Imperial forces led by

Itagaki Taisuke Count was a Japanese politician. He was a leader of the "Freedom and People's Rights Movement" and founded Japan's first political party, the Liberal Party. Biography Early life Itagaki Taisuke was born into a middle-ranking ''samurai'' ...

, they settled at a town of Katsunuma east of Kōfu. On March 29, 1868, the resisted an attack by the Imperial forces at the

Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma The was a battle between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle followed the Battle of Toba–Fushimi on 29 March 1868 (Gregorian calendar). Prelude After defeating the forces of the Tokugawa sho ...

for about two hours but lost, with eight dead and more than thirty wounded, while the Imperial forces had only one dead and twelve wounded. The surviving members were scattered and retreated to Edo. Right after the Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma,

and some of the members left the after disagreements with long-time comrades Kondo and Hijikata and later formed a new unit with a former Tokugawa retainer Haga Gidou as its commander. On April 11, 1868, the departed Edo again and set up a temporary headquarters at the Kaneko family estate, northeast of Edo. They would later move to a new headquarters in

Nagareyama Nagareyama City Hall is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 200,136 in 84,800 households and a population density of 5,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Nagareyama is ...

on April 25, 1868. However, on the same day, the Imperial forces' Staff Officer Kagawa Keizō of

Mito Domain was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Hitachi Province in modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture.Arima Tota Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of th ...

Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1602 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of Kagoshima, ...

ordered Kondō to go with them to their camp at Koshigaya. Kondō was later brought to

Itabashi is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. In English, it calls itself Itabashi City. Itabashi has sister-city relations with Burlington, Ontario, in Canada; Shijingshan District of Beijing in the People's Republic of China; and ...

on April 27 for questioning. Kondō was declared guilty of participation in the assassination of

Sakamoto Ryōma was a Japanese ''samurai'', a '' shishi'' and influential figure of the ''Bakumatsu'' and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo period. He was a low-ranking ''samurai'' from the Tosa Domain on Shikoku and became an active oppo ...

on April 30, 1868 and was beheaded three weeks later at the Itabashi execution grounds on May 17, 1868.

Battle of Aizu

Due to Hijikata being incapacitated as a result of the injuries sustained at the

Battle of Utsunomiya Castle The was a battle between pro-imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan in May 1868. It occurred as the troops of the Tokugawa shogunate were retreating north towards Nikkō and Aizu. Background In early spring 1868 ...

in May 1868, the fought in defense of Aizu territory under

in the Battle of Shirakawa in June 1868. After the Battle of Bonari Pass in October 1868, when Hijikata decided to retreat from Aizu, Saitō and a small group of parted with Hijikata and continued to fight alongside the Aizu Domain against the Imperial forces until the very end of the Battle of Aizu, where he and a handful of surviving members were apprehended and became the

prisoners-of-war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

Joining with the Republic of Ezo

In December 1868, Hijikata and the rest of the surviving joined the forces of the

Republic of Ezo The was a short-lived separatist state established in 1869 on the island of Ezo, now Hokkaido, by a part of the former military of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of the ''Bakumatsu'' period in Japan. It was the first government to attempt t ...

in the north. The numbers decreased to around one hundred in this period and they fought on despite the fall of Edo and clear defeat of Tokugawa. In the Battle of Miyako Bay on 6 May 1869, Hijikata led a daring but doomed raid to steal the imperial warship , in the early morning, from the warship, a number of oppositionists, including Nomura Risaburō, managed to board the ship, but were soon mowed down by its

Gatling gun The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon. The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyc ...

. Many others including the captain of were also killed by gunfire from the Imperial ships. The battle lasted only thirty minutes and the survivors and retreated to Hakodate. On the fourth week of May 1869, Hijikata led 230 Republic of Ezo forces and the surviving against the 600 strong Imperial forces during the

Battle of Futamata A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

for sixteen hours and were forced to retreat. The Imperial forces attacked again on the next day, only to retreat. On the following night, Hijikata led a successful raid on the Imperial forces' camp, forcing them to flee. Hijikata and his forces would later retreat to Hakodate on June 10.

End of the

Hijikata was killed from a gunshot wound on June 20 (

May 11), 1869, during the

Battle of Hakodate The was fought in Japan from December 4, 1868 to June 27, 1869, between the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate army, consolidated into the armed forces of the rebel Ezo Republic, and the armies of the newly formed Imperial government (composed ...

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

. Before his death, he wrote of his loyalty to the Tokugawa on the death poem sent by his page

Ichimura Tetsunosuke was a Japanese member of the Shinsengumi and Hijikata Toshizō's page. Although commonly believed to be a fictional character, Ichimura Tetsunosuke was a real member of the Shinsengumi. History Born in 1854, Tetsunosuke was the third son of Ich ...

to the house of his brother-in-law: A remaining group of survivors, under the last commander Sōma Kazue, who had been under

's supervision at

Benten Daiba was a key fortress of the Republic of Ezo in 1868–1869. It was located at the entrance of the bay of Hakodate, in the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan. Benten Daiba was built by the Japanese architect Takeda Ayasaburō on the site former ...

, surrendered three days later on June 23, (

May 14), 1869, marked the end of the . The forces of the Republic of Ezo would later surrender on June 27, (

May 18), 1869, which marked the end of the Boshin War. A few core members, such as Nagakura Shinpachi, Saitō Hajime, and Shimada Kai survived the war. Some members, such as , went on to become prominent figures.

Monument

In 1875, Nagakura Shinpachi, with the help of the physician Matsumoto Ryōjun and several surviving former comrades including

among others, erected the monument for Kondō Isami, Hijikata Toshizō, and the fallen comrades of the at Jutoku-ji temple boundary known as Graves of in

, Tokyo and held requiems for their past comrades' souls.

In popular culture

The have become a staple of Japanese popular culture in general, and of period dramas () in particular. *The have often been adapted in television drama, for example ('', its birth to end'') (TBS, 1961); and (NTV, 1967). In 2004, the Japanese television broadcaster

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

made a year-long television drama series following the history of the , called , which aired on Sunday evenings. *An early film, ''The Legend of '' (1963) was based on a 1928 novel of the same name.Dougill J
"Kyoto: a cultural history".
Oxford University Press, 2006 p171. , 9780195301373. * In 1969, a full-length film, '' : Assassins of Honour'', starring

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and '' ...

was released. It depicted the rise and fall of the . * The 1999 film ''

Taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

'' () depicted the one year after the Ikedaya affair. The film shows the 's strict code and acceptance of homosexuality among the samurai members. * In 2003, a Japanese

drama, ''

When the Last Sword Is Drawn is a 2002 historical drama film directed by Yōjirō Takita loosely based on real historical events. ''When the Last Sword Is Drawn'' won the Best Film award at the 2004 Japanese Academy Awards, as well as the prizes for Best Actor (Kiichi Nakai) ...

'', depicted the end of the , focusing on various historical figures such as

. * Manga artist

Nobuhiro Watsuki , better known by his pen name , is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his samurai-themed series '' Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story'' (1994–1999), which has over 70 million copies in circulation and a sequel he is cur ...

is a self-proclaimed fan of the and many of his characters in are based on its members, including

Sagara Sanosuke is a Character (arts), fictional character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga and anime series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. In the English anime adaptations he is known as Sanosuke Sagara and nicknamed Sano. Watsuki, being a fan of the Shinsengu ...

(inspired by Harada Sanousuke);

Shinomori Aoshi , known in Western order as Aoshi Shinomori in the English version of the anime, is a fictional character in the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is the genius young of the Oniwabanshū for Edo Castle. After the ...

(modeled after Hijikata Toshizō);

Seta Sōjirō , addressed as Sojiro Seta in the English anime, is a fictional character from the ''Rurouni Kenshin'' manga series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is Shishio Makoto's right-hand man. Sōjirō has been favorably popular with the ''Rurouni Kenshi ...

(based on Okita Souji); and

. *The 2003

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

, or ''Goodbye '' by Kenji Morita depicted the life of Hijikata Toshizō. The manga presents a fictional tale of a girl joining the in disguise and falling in love with Okita Soji. * The manga ''

Peacemaker Kurogane is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated created by Nanae Chrono. It is unrelated to the ''Peace Maker'' manga by Ryōji Minagawa. The story begins in 19th century Japan before the Meiji Restoration, a chain of events that led to e ...

'' by Nanae Chrono is a historical fiction taking place during the end of the Tokugawa period, following a young boy.

, who tries to join the . *In

Hideaki Sorachi is the pen name of a Japanese manga artist, most well-known for his manga ''Gin Tama,'' which began serialization in 2003 and ended in 2019. He has also written numerous one-shots, including ''Dandelion'', of which he has won the Tenkaichi Hono ...

's action-comedy manga , the are popular characters. Their depiction however, being freely adapted for comedy purposes, was sometimes criticised for lacking historical precision. *The anime series ''

Soar High! Isami is an anime series made by Group TAC and directed by Gisaburō Sugii. The anime is based on '' The Hakkenden'' but is set in the future. The anime was broadcast on NHK between April 8, 1995 and March 30, 1996. It was licensed by Hirameki Int ...

'' features three 5th graders who are fictional descendants of the and they fight against the evil organization, the Black Goblin. *The game series/anime series/anime movie franchise (, ) follows a girl, looking for her lost father (a doctor who worked with the ). The premise mixes supernatural elements and fictional enemies and historical events. The characters are fictionalized adaptations of the real members and retain their real names throughout the show. * (2015) is a

free-to-play Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...

collectible card A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other ...

browser video game developed by

Nitroplus Nitroplus Co., Ltd., currently styled as NITRO PLUS, formerly stylized as nitro+, and formerly known as "OKStyle", is a Japanese visual novel video game developer that has developed a number of visual novels, including eroge. They also have been ...

and

DMM Games is a Japan-based electronic commerce and Internet company with a diversified group of businesses that includes online shopping, eikaiwa, and video on demand service. The company manages DMM.com, an online entertainment site that allows users to ...

. It has spawned multiple different anime series, (2016) and (2018), both for a younger audience, as well as the more sophisticated (2017). In the universe, the legendary swords, spears, and guns of famous warriors from Japan's feudal past are granted human form and come to life in a swashbuckling historical adventure. The swords of heroes like Okita Souji, Hijikata Toshizo, and Isami Kondo are featured. One of the most prominent characters in is Hijikata's long sword, which bore the name Izuminokami Kanesada. *The 2004 video game , which was developed by

Genki Genki may refer to: *Genki (company), a Japanese video game company *Genki (era), a Japanese era name *Genki (given name) Genki (written: 元気, 元喜, 元基, 元規, 源気 or 源基) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with th ...

and published by

Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...

, is based on the . In March 2012, the stand-alone expansion for ''Total War Shogun 2, Fall of the Samurai'' features the as recruitable agents used for assassination and bribery, and as an elite combat unit capable of fighting both at range and in melee. * ''

Moeyo Ken is a novel by Japanese author Ryōtarō Shiba. It dramatizes the life of Hijikata Toshizō, a member of the Shinsengumi, active in Japan during the ''bakumatsu'' (the end of the Tokugawa shogunate). The novel was initially serialized from 1962 ...

'' is a video game and also an anime series about girl members of the . * ("Burn My Sword") is the name of a famous 1964 novel by

Ryōtarō Shiba , also known as , was a Japanese author. He is best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the r ...

about the

Boshin War The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperi ...

(1868 to 1869 CE) from the point of view of Hijikata Toshizō. It is regarded by fans as the 'bible' of fiction and was the first literary work to focus on Hijikata; previously, stories tended to focus on the commander Isami Kondo. Shiba also published short stories about the . His fiction has not yet been translated into English; it is available in Japanese and Chinese. * Japanese television period drama was broadcast on

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...

in 1998. *The appear in the mobile game ''

Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon's ''Fate/stay night'' franchise, and ...

'' as one of two teams players can side with during the GUDAGUDA 2: Meiji Restoration event. Members of this team include Servant versions of Okita Souji and Hijikata Toshizo, which are both limited Servants. is also the name of Toshizo's Noble Phantasm, which gets much stronger as his HP gets lower. Furthermore, in GUDAGUDA 5: Yamanataikoku, servant versions of 3 other members, Saitou Hajime, Keisuke Yamanami and Serizawa Kamo, are introduced, with Saitou Hajime and Keisuke Yamanami being currently playable. * The feature heavily in the plot of the 2014 video game . In this game, main protagonist

Sakamoto Ryoma Sakamoto (written: ) is the 40th most common Japanese surname. A less common variant is . Notable people with the surname include: *Chika Sakamoto (born 1959), voice actor and singer *Fuyumi Sakamoto (born 1967), enka singer *, Japanese professio ...

, a 19th-century

doppelgänger A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...

of main series protagonist

Kazuma Kiryu is a fictional character and the protagonist of Sega's action-adventure beat'em'up Japanese role-playing game series ''Yakuza''. He is popularly known as due to the tattoo of a dragon on his back and him originally being a fearsome member of the ...

, becomes the group's third unit captain under the alias of Saito Hajime. *The appears in the app . Players are confrontations to members by Koi Koi. * In the manga

Golden Kamuy is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Satoru Noda (artist), Satoru Noda. It was serialized in Shueisha's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Weekly Young Jump'' from August 2014 to April 2022, with its chapters collected in thirt ...

and its anime adaptation, Hijikata appears as the leader of one of the contending groups trying to locate a cache of gold on Hokkaido soon after the Russo-Japanese War. He would have been in his seventies at the time the story takes place.

Notes

References

External links

SHINSENGUMI
新選組 Shinsengumi Website
Hajimenokizu
A site dedicated to Saitou Hajime and the Shinsengumi in various fictional and historical incarnations.
Samurai archives – Shinsengumi
{{Authority control Boshin War Japanese warriors Meiji Restoration Defunct law enforcement agencies of Japan 1863 establishments in Japan Japanese words and phrases

History

Founding members

Squad hierarchy after Ikedaya

Members of the group

regulations

Uniform

Boshin War

Battle of Aizu

Joining with the Republic of Ezo

End of the

Monument

In popular culture

See also

Further reading

Notes

References

External links