was a

Shinsengumi The was a special police force organized by the (military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in Kyoto at a time when ...

officer and

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

, otherwise known as a . He was a ''

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master's ...

'' (masterless samurai) from

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

and an expert in '' Katori Ryu''. In 1863, he officially joined the Shinsengumi and in 1864, Yamazaki and

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 ...

were assigned by

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 ...

to investigate the situation which led to the

Ikedaya Jiken The , also known as the Ikedaya affair or Ikedaya riot, was an armed encounter between the Shishi (organization), ''shishi'' which included masterless samurai (''rōnin'') formally employed by the Chōshū Domain, Chōshū, Tosa Domain, Tosa ...

on July 8. However, there is a theory that Yamazaki's participation in the Ikedaya Jiken is merely fiction by

Shimozawa Kan was a Japanese novelist and historical writer. He was born February 1, 1892, in Atsuta, Hokkaido, and died July 19, 1968. Sometimes his name is spelled ''Kan Shimosawa'' (in ''New Tale of Zatoichi'', ''Zatoichi the Fugitive''). His real name was U ...

and Shiba Ryōtarō. His occupation whilst 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 ...

was as a doctor, and the Shinsengumi had originally used his pharmacy as their base before moving on to its later headquarters at Nishihonganji (See

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 ...

). Yamazaki was said to be excellent in

literary Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

and military arts, having been taught by his uncle. His scholastic talent was necessary when discussing politics with a court noble. In 1865, he accompanied Kondō to

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

. It is believed that Yamazaki did not return to

with Kondō until the next year in order to further investigate Chōshū's status. Yamazaki studied medicine under Matsumoto Ryōjun. According to Matsumoto, Yamazaki was a gentle and taciturn man. In 1867, Yamazaki became a

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 ...

along with the rest of the Shinsengumi. During 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 ...

in 1868, Yamazaki was severely injured and died on February 6. The exact location of his death is debatable, though it is believed he had drowned whilst escaping. He had Kondo and

Hijikata Toshizō was a Japanese warrior. As of the ''Shinsengumi'', he resisted the Meiji Restoration and fought to his end. Background was born on May 31, 1835, in the Ishida village, Tama region of Musashi Province (present day Ishida, Hino, Tokyo), Jap ...

's full confidence and was one of the most faithful members of the Shinsengumi till the very end of his life.

In popular culture

Yamazaki is featured in ''

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 ...

'' (anime/manga),

Gintama is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to September 2018, later in ''Jump Giga'' from December 2 ...

(anime/manga), '' Soshite, Haru no Tsuki'', ''

Kaze Hikaru is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Taeko Watanabe. Set in the period, the story follows Tominaga Sei, a young girl who poses as a boy named Kamiya Seizaburō so she can join the Mibu-Roshi (Special Police; later known a ...

'' (manga), '' Getsumei Seiki'' (manga), ''

Shinsengumi! is a 2004 Taiga drama historical fiction television series produced by Japanese broadcaster NHK. It was a popular drama about the Shinsengumi, a Japanese special police force from the Bakumatsu period. Actors include Koji Yamamoto, Tatsuya Fuj ...

'' portrayed by Jun Hashimoto, ''

Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi 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 government. ...

'' (video game series), ''

Destined to love Destined may refer to: * Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of a ...

'' (

otome game An , is a story-based video game that is targeted towards women. Generally one of the goals, besides the main idea/goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female player/main character and one of the second-lead male characters. His ...

), and '' Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan'' (anime/

). He is also depicted in the 1999 film ''

Gohatto , also known as ''Taboo'', is a 1999 Japanese film directed by Nagisa Ōshima. It is about homosexuality in the Shinsengumi during the ''bakumatsu'' period, the end of the samurai era in the mid-19th century. Plot At the start of the movie, the y ...

''. Even though the real Yamazaki was not a

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

, his anime, manga, and TV depictions tend to be a well-trained ninja. This includes Han'nya (a character loosely based on Yamazaki) from the manga ''

Rurouni Kenshin is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji period in Japan (1878) and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work ...

''. Additionally, the character Yamazaki Sagaru in the manga ''

'' is roughly based on Yamazaki. Haruka Takagi, the teacher of Isami from 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 ...

'' is also loosely based on Yamazaki.

References

* '' Rekishi Dokuhon'', December 1997 issue "The Ten Captains of The Late Tokugawa Period's Strongest Shinsengumi" *''Shinsengumi Chronicle''. Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, 2003. *''Shinsengumi Encyclopedia''. Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, 1978. {{DEFAULTSORT:Yamazaki, Susumu 1868 deaths Japanese spies Shinsengumi Hatamoto Year of birth uncertain