(born ; February 18, 1844 – September 28, 1915) was a Japanese

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 ...

of the late

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...

, who most famously served as the captain of the third unit of the

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 w ...

. He was one of the few core members who survived the numerous wars of the

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 governm ...

. He was later known as and worked as a

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

during the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

where he was worked mostly undercover for them.

Early years

He was born in

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

Musashi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama. Musashi bordered on Kai, Kōzuke, Sagami, ...

(now

).Itō, "Takada kinshin kara Tonami zaijūroku," p. 145 Very little is known about his early life. He was born to , an ''

ashigaru were infantry employed by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The first known reference to ''ashigaru'' was in the 14th century, but it was during the Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi period) that the use of ''ashigaru'' became prevalent by various ...

'' of the Akashi Domain, who had bought the rank of ''

gokenin A was initially a vassal of the shogunate of the Kamakura and the Muromachi periods.Iwanami Kōjien, "Gokenin" In exchange for protection and the right to become '' jitō'' (manor's lord), a ''gokenin'' had in times of peace the duty to protect ...

'' (a low-ranking retainer directly serving the Tokugawa shōgun), and his wife . He had an older brother named Hiroaki and an older sister named Katsu. According to the published records of his family, Saitō left

in 1862, after accidentally killing 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.'' Howev ...

''.Itō, "Shinsengumi kessei made," p. 40. He went to

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 c ...

and taught in the

dōjō A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

of a man named Yoshida, who had relied on Saitō's father Yūsuke in the past. His style of swordsmanship is not clear. According to a tradition of his descendants, his style comes from Ittō-ryū (One sword style). Saito Hajime's swordsmanship style is considered to be Mugai Ryū that originates from Yamaguchi Ittō-ryū. He is also considered to have learned Tsuda Ichi-den-ryū and Sekiguchi-ryū.

Shinsengumi Period

The same age as Okita Sōji and another member named

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 ...

, the three shared the distinction of being the youngest in Kondō Isami's group and being among its most gifted swordsmen. As a member of the

, Saitō was said to be an introvert and a mysterious person; a common description of his personality says he "was not a man predisposed to small talk". Saitō was an unusually tall man at . He was also noted to be very dignified, especially in his later years. He always made sure that his obi was tied properly and when he walked he was careful not to drag his feet. At rest he always sat in the formal position, called seiza, and he would remain very alert so that he could react instantly to any situations that might occur. He was, however, known to be very intimidating when he wanted to be. Along with his duties as Captain of the Third Squad in the Shinsengumi, he was also responsible for weeding out any potential spies within the Shinsengumi ranks. Members had to constantly be mindful of what they said around him. His original position within the Shinsengumi was . His duties included being a

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 ...

instructor. During the Ikedaya incident on July 8, 1864, Saitō was with

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), Ja ...

's group that arrived later at the Ikedaya Inn. On August 20, 1864, Saitō and the rest of the Shinsengumi took part in the

Kinmon incident The , also known as the , was a rebellion against the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan that took place on August 20 unar calendar: 19th day, 7th month 1864, near the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. History Starting with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1 ...

against the Chōshū rebels. In the reorganization of the ranks in November 1864, he was first assigned as the fourth unit's captain and would later receive an award from the shogunate for his part in the Kinmon incident. At the Shinsengumi new headquarters at

Nishi Hongan-ji is a Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist temple in the Shimogyō ward of Kyoto, Japan. It serves as the head temple of the sub-sect Honganji-ha. It is one of two Jōdo Shinshū temple complexes in Kyoto, the other being Higashi Hongan-ji, which is th ...

in April 1865, he was assigned as the third unit's captain. Saitō was considered to be on the same level of swordsmanship as the first troop captain Okita Sōji and the second troop captain

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-yashik ...

. In fact, it is rumoured that Okita feared his sword skill. Despite prior connections to Aizu, his descendants dispute that he served as a spy. His controversial reputation comes from accounts that he executed several corrupt members of the Shinsengumi; however, rumors vary as to his role in the deaths of Tani Sanjūrō in 1866 and Takeda Kanryūsai in 1867. His role as an internal spy for the Shinsengumi is also questionable; one common example being that he is said to have been instructed to join Itō Kashitarō's splinter group Goryō Eji Kōdai-ji faction, to spy on them, which eventually led to the Aburanokōji incident on December 13, 1867. However, this is disputed by Abe Jūrō, who did not believe he was a spy. It is probable that he also monitored other intelligence and enemy activity. Together with the rest of the Shinsengumi, he became a ''

'' in 1867. Later in late December 1867, Saitō and a group of six Shinsengumi members were assigned to protect Miura Kyūtarō, who was one of the major suspects of the assassination of Sakamoto Ryōma. On January 1, 1868, they fought against sixteen assassins who were trying to kill Miura in revenge at the Tenmaya Inn on what was known as the Tenmaya incident. After the outbreak of 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 ...

from January 27, 1868 onwards, Saitō, under the name , took part in Shinsengumi's fight 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 s ...

and the Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma, before withdrawing with the surviving members to Edo and later to the

Aizu is the westernmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, the other two regions being Nakadōri in the central area of the prefecture and Hamadōri in the east. As of October 1, 2010, it had a population of 291,838. The princi ...

domain. 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 ...

, Saitō became the commander of the

Shinsengumi around May 26, 1868 and continued on into the

Battle of Shirakawa 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 ...

. After the

Battle of Bonari Pass The Battle of Bonari Pass (Japanese: ) was part of the Boshin War, and occurred on the 6 October 1868 (Gregorian Calendar), or the 21st day of the Eighth Month, Keiō-4 year (Japanese calendar). The Bonari pass was a strategic access at the limit ...

, when Hijikata decided to retreat from Aizu, Saitō and a small group of 20 members parted with Hijikata and rest of the surviving Shinsengumi and continued to fight alongside the Aizu army against the imperial army until the very end of the

Battle of Aizu The Battle of Aizu (Japanese: 会津戦争, "War of Aizu") was fought in northern Japan from October to November in autumn 1868, and was part of the Boshin War. History Aizu was known for its martial skill, and maintained at any given time a st ...

. This parting account was recorded in

Kuwana is a city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 141,045 in 60,301 households and a population density of 1000 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kuwana is located in northern Mie P ...

retainer Taniguchi Shirōbei's diary, where it was recorded as an occurrence also involving

Ōtori Keisuke was a Japanese military leader and diplomat.Perez, Louis G. (2013)"Ōtori Keisuke"in ''Japan at War: An Encyclopedia,'' p. 304. Biography Early life and education Ōtori Keisuke was born in Akamatsu Village, in the Akō domain of Harima Prov ...

, whom Hijikata requested to take command of the Shinsengumi; thus the said confrontation was not with Hijikata. However, questions regarding this parting remain, especially considering the conflicting dates. Saitō, along with the few remaining men of the Shinsengumi who went with him, fought against the imperial army at Nyorai-dō (a small temple near

Aizuwakamatsu Castle , also known as Tsuruga Castle (鶴ヶ城 ''Tsuru-ga-jō'') is a concrete replica of a traditional Japanese castle in northern Japan, at the center of the city of Aizuwakamatsu, in Fukushima Prefecture. Background Aizu Wakamatsu Castle is locate ...

), where they were severely outnumbered. It was at the Battle of Nyorai-dō that Saitō was thought to have been killed in action; however, he managed to get back to Aizu lines and joined the Aizu domain's military as a member of the ''Suzakutai''. After

fell, Saitō and the five surviving members joined a group of former Aizu retainers who traveled southwest to the

Takada Domain , was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in Echigo Province, in the Hokuriku region of Honshū. The domain was centered at Takada Castle, located in what is now part of the city of Jōetsu i ...

Echigo Province was an old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It bordered on Uzen, Iwashiro, Kōzuke, Shinano, and Etchū Provinces. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Echigo''" in . It corresponds today to Niig ...

, where they were held as

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 w ...

. In the records listing the Aizu men detained in Takada, Saitō is on record as Ichinose Denpachi.

Meiji Restoration

Saitō, under the new name , traveled to Tonami, the new domain of the

Matsudaira clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan. It originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province (modern-day Aichi Prefecture). During the Sengoku period, the chieftain of the main line of t ...

. He took up residence with Kurasawa Heijiemon, the Aizu '' karō'' who was an old friend of his from Kyoto. Kurasawa was involved in the migration of Aizu samurai to Tonami and the building up of the settlements in Tonami (now

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the eas ...

), particularly in Gonohe village. In Tonami, Fujita met Shinoda Yaso, the daughter of an Aizu retainer. The two met through Kurasawa, who was then living with Ueda Shichirō, another Aizu retainer. Kurasawa sponsored Fujita and Yaso's marriage on August 25, 1871; the couple lived in Kurasawa's house. It was also around this time that Fujita may have become associated with the Police Bureau. Fujita and Yaso moved out of the Kurasawa house on February 10, 1873, and started living in the Ueda household. When on June 10, 1874, he left Tonami for

, Yaso moved in with Kurasawa and the Kurasawa family records last entry of her is in 1876. It is unknown what happened afterwards. It was around this time Fujita Gorō began to work as a

in the

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department The serves as the prefectural police department of Tokyo Metropolis. Founded in 1874, it is headed by a Superintendent-General, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission, and approved by the Prime Minister. The Tokyo Met ...

. In 1874, Fujita married Takagi Tokio. Tokio was the daughter of Takagi Kojūrō, a retainer of the Aizu domain. Her original name was Sada; she served for a time as

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

Matsudaira Teru Matsudaira Teru (松平照), or Teruhime (, "Princess Teru"), (February 2, 1833 − February 28, 1884) was an aristocrat in Japan during the late Edo and early Meiji periods. She participated in the siege of Aizuwakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga Castle ...

. The marriage is believed to have been sponsored by the former Aizu '' karō'' Yamakawa Hiroshi and Sagawa Kanbei as well as the former lord of Aizu Matsudaira Katamori. Fujita and Tokio had three children: Tsutomu (1876–1956); Tsuyoshi (1879–1946); and Tatsuo (1886–1945).Nagaya, p. 36. Tsutomu and his wife Nishino Midori had seven children; the Fujita family continues to the present day through Tarō and Naoko Fujita, the children of Tsutomu's second son Makoto. Fujita's third son Tatsuo was adopted by the Numazawa family, Tokio's maternal relatives (another family of Aizu '' karō'') whose family had nearly been wiped out in the

Fujita fought on the

Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji ...

's side during

Saigō Takamori was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Sats ...

Satsuma rebellion The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Its name comes from the Satsuma Domain, which had been influential in the Restoration and b ...

, as a member of the police forces sent to support the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emper ...

. During his lifetime, Fujita Gorō shared some of his Shinsengumi experiences with a select few, these included Aizu natives Yamakawa Kenjirō and Takamine Hideo, whose houses he frequented. He would drink ''

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and in ...

'' with Yamakawa and Takamine and tell stories of his past. However, he did not write anything about his activity in the Shinsengumi as

did. During his life in the Meiji period, Fujita was the only one who was authorized by the government to carry a

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge ...

despite the collapse of the Tokugawa rule. In 1875, Fujita assisted Nagakura Shinpachi (as Sugimura Yoshie) and Matsumoto Ryōjun in setting up a memorial monument known as ''Grave of Shinsengumi'' in honor of Kondō Isami,

, and other deceased Shinsengumi members at

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 ...

. Following his retirement from Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in 1890, Fujita worked as a guard for

Tokyo National Museum The or TNM is an art museum in Ueno Park in the Taitō ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the four museums operated by the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage ( :ja:国立文化財機構), is considered the oldest national museum in Japan, ...

, and later as a clerk and accountant for

Tokyo Women's Normal School is a women's university in the Ōtsuka neighborhood of Bunkyō-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Ochanomizu University is one of the top national universities in Japan. Ochanomizu is the name of a Tokyo neighborhood where the university was founded. His ...

from 1899, as well as for the Tokyo Higher Normal School, jobs he secured thanks to his friendship with Takamine Hideo.Tōdō, p. 198. Takamine also relied upon Fujita's skill as an appraiser of swords, and gave Fujita permission to freely enter his art warehouse.

Death

Fujita's heavy drinking was believed to have contributed to his death from a stomach ulcer. He died in 1915 at age 72, sitting in '' seiza'' in his living room. Upon his will, he was buried at Amidaji,

Aizuwakamatsu is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 118,159 in 50,365 households, and a population density of 310 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Aizuwakamatsu is located in the west ...

, Fukushima,

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 n ...

Saitō in fiction

He has featured in several anime and manga, and is also prominent in other media about the Shinsengumi. Saitō's appearance in Nobuhiro Watsuki's ''

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 wor ...

'' series is likely the best-known of his manga and anime incarnations. The series introduces Saitō as an anti-hero and eventual ally to the protagonist

Himura Kenshin , known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga '' Rurouni Kenshin'' created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kenshin's story is set in a fictional version of Japan during the Meiji p ...

, and depicts several of the known historical descriptions of him from real life, from his personality and role in the Shinsengumi to his being left-handed. As Watsuki is a self-proclaimed

fan, Saitō makes in-series call-backs to his time in the Shinsengumi by peddling Hijikata's ''ishida san'yaku'' powdered medicine as a cover, and states that his ''Gatotsu'' attack is a perfected version of Hijikata's ''Hiratsuki''. His famous 'swift death to evil' (aku soku zan) motto in the series was also the theme of an entry in the 2000

International Obfuscated C Code Contest The International Obfuscated C Code Contest (abbreviated IOCCC) is a computer programming contest for the most creatively obfuscated C code. Held annually, it is described as "celebrating 'ssyntactical opaqueness". The winning code for the 2 ...

, in which a series of programmed source code featuring his anime portrait in

ASCII Art ASCII art is a graphic design technique that uses computers for presentation and consists of pictures pieced together from the 95 printable (from a total of 128) characters defined by the ASCII Standard from 1963 and ASCII compliant char ...

wrote other programs that eventually formed a loop spelling out ''aku soku zan''. In the 2012 live-action film adaptation and its sequels Saitō is played by Yōsuke Eguchi. Keiichiro Washizuka of ''

The Last Blade ''The Last Blade'' is a fighting game developed and released by SNK for the Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo system in 1997. It was also ported to several home systems. A sequel, ''The Last Blade 2'', was released in 1998. The game takes place during t ...

'' games invokes Saitō Hajime's design in the '' Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal'' OVA while also sporting Kenshin's famous scar. He fights with a series of ‘sliding charge’ attacks that resemble the ''Gatotsu''. He is parodied in the anime '' Gintama'' as Saitō Shimaru, a

narcoleptic Narcolepsy is a long-term neurological disorder that involves a decreased ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles. Symptoms often include periods of excessive daytime sleepiness and brief involuntary sleep episodes. About 70% of those affect ...

with a fear of speaking. In the series, he holds the role of an internal investigator of the Shinsengumi, a post he was said to have held in real life, and is also regarded as its most deadly member by Okita Sougo, the ''Gintama'' proxy of Okita Sōji. Saitō is the third unit captain of the Shinsengumi 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 ...

''. Here he is perpetually sleepy with droopy eyes and a soft voice and the supernatural ability to see ghosts. And similar to his depiction in ''

'', he is shown with a fondness for

soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or hot in a noodle soup. The variety ''Nagano soba'' includes wheat flour. In Japan, soba noodles can be found ...

. He is portrayed as a quiet and serious spy in ''

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 as ...

''. He is also the protagonist of the manga ''Burai'', a fictional story about the Shinsengumi during the later part of the Tokugawa shogunate. Saitō is featured in the manga ''Getsumei Seiki'', in later episodes of the anime '' Shura no Toki: Age of Chaos'', and the video game series ''Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi'' and ''Code of the Samurai''. In the 2003 Japanese film ''

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 ...

'', Saitō is played by Kōichi Satō. At first, Sato portrays Saitō as a cold, dark, uncaring captain of the Shinsengumi. However, Saitō changes as a man through his interactions with Kanichiro Yoshimura (played by

Kiichi Nakai is a Japanese actor. His name was given by Yasujirō Ozu. His father, Keiji Sada, also a movie actor, died when Nakai was only two years old. Nakai started his acting career while he was still in university and was awarded the Rookie of the ...

) during the last years of the Shinsengumi. Saitō Hajime is also shown in the '' Hakuōki Shinsengumi Kitan'' otome

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

games, as well as its film, anime, and manga adaptations. Here, like his historical inspiration, he is very reserved and analytical, using a left-handed sword technique and later joining Itō's splinter group at the order of Hijikata. He appears in several

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 ...

productions. In the 2004 NHK Taiga drama ''

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 Fu ...

'' Saitō is played by Joe Odagiri. In the 2013 Taiga drama ''

Yae no Sakura is a 2013 Japanese historical drama television series and the 52nd NHK taiga drama. Written by Mutsumi Yamamoto, the drama focuses on Niijima Yae, who is portrayed by Haruka Ayase. Yae is a strong believer in women's rights and the story follow ...

'', he is played by Kenji Furuya of

Dragon Ash is a Japanese rap rock group founded in 1996 by Kenji "KJ" Furuya and Sakurai Makoto. They were one of the first groups to popularize hip hop in Japan. Dragon Ash is a member of Mob Squad, which is an affiliation with the bands Source and End ...

, and

Shugo Oshinari is a Japanese actor. Career Oshinari co-starred in Shunji Iwai's ''All About Lily Chou-Chou'' with Hayato Ichihara. He also appeared in films such as Kenta Fukasaku's '' Battle Royale II: Requiem'' and Takahisa Zeze's ''Heaven's Story''. Filmo ...

portrays him in one episode of the NHK historical documentary series ''Rekishi Hiwa Historia''. Saitō also appears in '' Yakuza Ishin'', where he is portrayed as a false identity of the game's version of Sakamoto Ryōma. Saitō also appears in the mobile game '' Fate/Grand Order'' as a limited 4-Star Saber-class Servant which debuted during the GUDAGUDA Yamatai-koku 2020 event.

Notes

References

* Kikuchi Akira (2003). "Saitō Hajime no Aizu-sensō," pp. 110–135 in ''Shinsengumi Saitō Hajime no Subete''. (Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha). * Itō Tetsuya (2003). "Saitō Hajime nenfu," p. 223-243 in ''Shinsengumi Saitō Hajime no Subete''. (Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha). * Itō Tetsuya (2003). "Takada kinshin kara Tonami zaijūroku," pp. 136–149 in ''Shinsengumi Saitō Hajime no Subete''. (Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha). * Nagaya Yoshie (2003). "Saitō Hajime no shūhen (shutsuji to sono kakeizu)," pp. 27–37 in ''Shinsengumi Saitō Hajime no Subete''. (Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha). * ''Shinsengumi Encyclopedia''. Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, 1978. * Tōdō Toshihisa (2003). "Saitō Hajime kanren jinbutsu jiten," pp. 193–206 in ''Shinsengumi Saitō Hajime no Subete''. (Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha). * Yamamura Tatsuya (1998). ''Shinsengumi Kenkyaku-Den''. Tokyo: PHP Interface.
幕臣取り立て
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External links

Hajime no Kizu
A site dedicated to Saitō Hajime and the Shinsengumi in various fictional and historical incarnations.
wiki.samurai-archives
Website that catalogs information on the Shinsengumi and its historical activities and members.
Shinsengumi HQ
Timeline of events pertaining to the Shinsengumi from historical research, from before 1860 until after Meiji. {{DEFAULTSORT:Saito, Hajime 1844 births 1915 deaths Japanese police officers Japanese swordfighters Meiji Restoration People from Tokyo People of the Boshin War People of the Satsuma Rebellion Samurai Shinsengumi