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{{short description|19th century Japanese special police force}}
{{Page numbers needed|date=September 2010}}
{{About||the 1969 jidaigeki film|Shinsengumi (1969 film)|the Taiga drama|Shinsengumi!}}
{{Lead too short|date=September 2009}}
{{Italic title}}
:''For the NHK television series, see ].''
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}
| native_name = 新選組
| image = Flag of Shinsengumi.svg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Flag of {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}
| dates = {{start_date|August 18, 1863}}
| disbanded = {{end_date|June 23, 1869}}
| country = ], ]
| countries =
| allegiance = ]
| branch = {{ubl|] {{small|(disbanded in 1863)}}|]}}
| type = Military unit
| role = To protect the ] representatives and Kyoto
| size = 302
| command_structure =
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| colors = light blue, white<!-- or | colours = -->
| colors_label = <!-- or | colours_label = -->
| march =
| mascot =
| anniversaries =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles = {{ubl|]|]|]|]|]|]|]}}
{{tree list}}
* ]
**]
**]
**]
**]
**]
**]
**]
**]
**]{{surrendered}}{{tree list/end}}
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| flying_hours =
| website =
<!-- Commanders -->
| current_commander =
| commander1 =
| commander1_label =
| commander2 =
| commander2_label =
| commander3 =
| commander3_label =
| commander4 =
| commander4_label =
| commander5 =
| commander5_label =
| commander6 =
| commander6_label =
| commander7 =
| commander7_label =
| commander8 =
| commander8_label =
| commander9 =
| commander9_label =
| notable_commanders = {{ubl|] (1863)|] (1863–1868)|] (1863)|] (1868–1869)|] (1868)|] (1869)}}
<!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol =
| identification_symbol_label =
| identification_symbol_2 =
| identification_symbol_2_label =
| identification_symbol_3 =
| identification_symbol_3_label =
| identification_symbol_4 =
| identification_symbol_4_label =
| identification_symbol_5 =
| identification_symbol_5_label =
}}


The {{Nihongo3|"Newly Selected Corps"|新選組|'''Shinsengumi'''}} was a small, elite group of swordsmen that was organized by ]s and low rank ], commissioned by the {{transliteration|ja|]}} (military government) during ]'s ] (late ]) in 1863. It was active until 1869.<ref>] "Glossary of the Restoration." ] Volume 3. ] p190.</ref><ref name="Stephane Lun 2021">] "A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management." Retrieved from amazon.com</ref> It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in ] at a time when a controversial imperial edict to exclude foreign trade from Japan had been made and the ] clan had been forced from the imperial court. They gained considerable fame in the ] and the August 18 coup events, among others.<ref name="Stephane Lun 2021"/> The men were drawn from the sword schools of ].
The {{Nihongo|'''Shinsengumi'''|新選組 or 新撰組||"newly selected corps"<ref>]. "Glossary of the Restoration." ''] Volume 3''. ]. 190.</ref>}} were a ] force of the ].


== History ==
]
==={{transliteration|ja|Rōshigumi}}===
{{main|Rōshigumi}}
Japan's forced ], 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 {{transliteration|ja|]}} (meaning, "revere the emperor, expel the barbarians").<ref>Wakabayashi B. T. ''Anti-foreignism and Western learning in early-modern Japan: the new theses of 1825''. Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1986.</ref> Loyalists (particularly in ]) in ] began to rebel. In response, the ] formed the {{nihongo3|"the {{transliteration|ja|]}} squad"|浪士組|]}} on October 19, 1862. The {{transliteration|ja|Rōshigumi}} was a squad of 234 {{transliteration|ja|]}} (] without masters) drawn from the sword schools of ].<ref name="Dougill (2006)"/>{{rp|page=168}}


The squad's nominal commander was the ] ], and their leader was ], a {{transliteration|ja|rōnin}} from ]. The {{transliteration|ja|Rōshigumi}}'s mission was to protect ], the 14th {{transliteration|ja|]}}, during an important trip to ] to meet with the ].<ref name="Oishi (2004)">Oishi M. ''Shinsengumi: Saigo no Bushi no Jitsuzō''. Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, Tokyo, 2004.</ref>{{rp|page=65}} There had not been such a meeting since the third {{transliteration|ja|shōgun}} of the Tokugawa {{transliteration|ja|bakufu}}, ], had visited Kyoto in the 17th century. ], the head of the military government, the {{transliteration|ja|bakufu}}, had been invited to discuss how Japan should enact the recent imperial edict calling for the expulsion of foreigners.<ref name="Turnbull (2013)">Turnbull S. Tuttle Publishing, 2013. {{ISBN|978-1462908349}}.</ref>{{rp|page=186}}
==Historical background==
After Japan opened up to the West following ]'s visits in 1853, its political situation gradually became more and more chaotic. The country was divided along various lines of political opinion; one of these schools of thought (which had existed prior to Perry's arrival) was '']'': "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians."<ref>For more on pre-Perry sonnō jōi theory, see: Bob Tadashi Wakabayashi, ''Anti-foreignism and Western learning in early-modern Japan : The new theses of 1825''. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986)</ref> Loyalists to the ] began to commit acts of murder and violence in ], the imperial capital. In 1863, hoping to respond to this trend, the Tokugawa Shogunate formed the ] (浪士組), a group of 234 masterless samurai (]), under the nominal command of the ] ] and the actual leadership of ] (a dynamic ronin from ]<ref>Ōishi Manabu, ''Shinsengumi: Saigo no Bushi no Jitsuzō''. (Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, 2004), p. 65</ref>). The group's formal mission was to act as the protectors of ], the 14th ], who was preparing to embark on a trip to ].<ref>Ōishi, p. 65</ref>


Although the {{transliteration|ja|Rōshigumi}} was funded by the Tokugawa {{transliteration|ja|bakufu}}, the leader Kiyokawa Hachirō and others had strong loyalties to the emperor and planned to gather other {{transliteration|ja|rōnin}} in Kyoto to police the city from ]s. On March 26 (] February 8), 1863, Kiyokawa led the {{transliteration|ja|Rōshigumi}} out of ] as the vanguard of {{transliteration|ja|shōgun}} Iemochi's procession to Kyoto, which they arrived on April 10 (lunar calendar February 23), 1863.
==Historical facts==
] at Mibu Temple]]


==={{transliteration|ja|Mibu Rōshigumi}}===
The Rōshigumi was funded by the Tokugawa regime. However, Kiyokawa Hachirō's goal, which he revealed following the group's arrival in Kyoto, was to gather rōnin to work with the supporters of the emperor. In response, thirteen members of the Rōshigumi became the thirteen founding members of the ''Shinsengumi''. Other members loyal to the Tokugawa government returned to Edo and formed the ''Shinchōgumi'' 新徴組, which came under the patronage of the ].<ref></ref>
When Kiyokawa's scheme was revealed in Kyoto, he immediately commanded the {{transliteration|ja|Rōshigumi}} to return to Edo. The members were disbanded and then returned to Edo where they would later form the {{nihongo||新徴組|]}} under the patronage of ]. However, nineteen {{transliteration|ja|Rōshigumi}} members, mainly from the Mito clan, remained and formed the {{nihongo||壬生浪士組|Mibu Rōshigumi}}.<ref>] "A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management"</ref>


====Founding members====
The Shinsengumi members were originally also known as the ''Miburō'' (壬生浪), meaning "] of Mibu", Mibu being the suburb of central Kyoto where they were stationed. However, the reputation of the Shinsengumi became tarnished quite early on, and their nickname soon changed to "Wolves of Mibu" (壬生狼, pronounced the same). ''Shinsengumi'' could be translated to "Newly Selected Corps" (''Shinsen'' means "new chosen (ones)", while "gumi" translates to "group", "team", or "squad".)
Serizawa's faction:
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* ]
* ]
* Hirayama Gorō
* Hirama Jūsuke
* Noguchi Kenji
* Araya Shingorō
* Saeki Matasaburō
{{div col end}}


Kondō's faction:
The original Commanders of the Shinsengumi were ], ], and ]. At first, the group was composed of three major factions: Serizawa's group, Kondō's group, and Tonouchi's group (members below). However, Tonouchi and Iesato were assassinated shortly after its foundation.
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}


Tonouchi's faction:
{| style="width:100%;"
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
|-
* ]
|valign="top"|'''Serizawa's faction:'''
* Iesato Tsuguo<ref name="Oishi (2004)"/>{{rp|page=76}}
* Abiru Eisaburō
* Negishi Yūzan
{{div col end}}


Initially, the {{transliteration|ja|Mibu Rōshigumi}} were called {{nihongo||壬生浪|Miburō}}, meaning "{{transliteration|ja|]}} of ]". At the time, Mibu was a village south west of Kyoto, and was the place where they were stationed. {{transliteration|ja|Mibu Rōshigumi}} was initially formed in three factions under Serizawa (the {{transliteration|ja|Mito}} group), Kondō (the {{transliteration|ja|Shieikan}} group) and Tonouchi. Abiru Eisaburō later died of illness, a month after arriving in Kyoto.
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]
|valign="top"|'''Kondō's faction:'''


Internal strife soon developed within the group, Tonouchi was assassinated by Kondō on Yojō bridge, Serizawa had ordered a member, Iesato Tsuguo, to commit {{transliteration|ja|]}} for deserting, Negishi Yūzan also deserted and returned to Edo, where he joined the {{transliteration|ja|Shinchōgumi}}.
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]<br>
]
|valign="top"|'''Tonouchi faction:'''


==={{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}===
]<br>
] character ] (]), meaning 'sincerity' or 'fidelity', and a serrated border at the lower edge to match the distinctive 'white mountain stripes' of their ].]]
]<ref>Name reading as per Ōishi, p. 76.</ref><br>
]<br>
]
|}


], after the careful evaluation of the political scene in Kyoto, felt it was needed to change the scope of the {{transliteration|ja|Mibu Rōshigumi}}'s mission from protecting the shogunate to patrolling the streets of Kyoto and restoring order in the name of the Tokugawa {{transliteration|ja|bakufu}}. On August 18, 1863, the {{transliteration|ja|Mibu Rōshigumi}} was renamed the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}.<ref name="ReferenceA">] "A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management."</ref>
After the elimination of Tonouchi Yoshio and his third faction, the group was composed of just two factions: Serizawa's Mito group and Kondō Isami's Shieikan members, both based in the Mibu neighborhood of Kyoto. The group submitted a letter to the ] clan requesting permission to police Kyoto, and to counteract revolutionaries who supported the emperor against the Tokugawa shogunate. Their request was granted.


On September 30 (lunar calendar August 18), the Chōshū clan were forced out of the Imperial court by the Tokugawa regime, the Aizu clan and the ] clan. All members of the Mibu Rōshigumi were sent to aid Aizu and help keep Chōshū out of the imperial court by guarding its gates. This caused a power shift in the political arena in Kyoto, from the extreme anti-Tokugawa Chōshū forces to the pro-Tokugawa Aizu forces. The new name "Shinsengumi" was said to have been given to the group by either the ] or ] (the ] of the Aizu clan) for their job in guarding the gates.<ref>An argument for Matsudaira Katamori bestowing the name can be made by comparing the similarity of the name "Shinsengumi" to one of Aizu's later frontline combat units, the Bessengumi 別選組, the "Separately Selected Corps." For more on this unit, see http://jpco.sakura.ne.jp/shishitati1/kakuhan-page1/5/5-7.htm</ref> The new name {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} may have been coined by Matsudaira Katamori (the {{transliteration|ja|]}} of the Aizu clan) around this time.<ref></ref>{{efn|An argument for Matsudaira Katamori bestowing the name can be made by comparing the similarity of the name {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} to one of Aizu's later frontline combat units, the {{nihongo3|the "Separately Selected Corps"|別選組|Bessengumi}}.}} The opposition forces included the ] of the Chōshū and the ] of ].


The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} were led by ] ({{abbr|born|b.}} 1830, Mino Province), ], and ] ({{abbr|born|b.}} 1834, Musashi Province – he came from a small dojo in Edo called {{transliteration|ja|Shieikan}}). The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} submitted a letter to the Aizu clan, another powerful group who supported the Tokugawa regime, requesting permission to police Kyoto. The request was granted.
The Shinsengumi's greatest enemies were the ronin samurai of the ] of Chōshū (and later, former ally ] of ], who supported the emperor.)


Saeki Matasaburō, having killed Araya Shingorō, was believed to be killed by a Chōshū samurai ] on September 22, 1863.
Ironically, the reckless actions of Serizawa and Niimi, done in the name of the Shinsengumi, caused the group to be feared in Kyoto when their job was to keep the peace. On October 19, 1863, Niimi Nishiki, who was demoted to sub-commander due to a fight with wrestlers, was forced to commit ] by Hijikata and Yamanami. Less than two weeks later, Serizawa was assassinated by Kondō's faction under Matsudaira Katamori's order.


On September 30, 1863 (lunar calendar August 18), the ] (anti-Tokugawa) clan were forced from the imperial court by the Tokugawa, Aizu and ] clans. The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} were sent to aid the Aizu and guard the gates of the imperial court. The opposition forces included the ] of the Chōshū and the ] of ].
The ] of 1864, in which they prevented the burning of Kyoto, made the Shinsengumi famous overnight; they had a surge of recruits.


Serizawa's erratic and disruptive behavior in Kyoto eventually led to Matsudaira Katamori of ] giving the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} 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 {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} 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 {{transliteration|ja|seppuku}} for an unknown reason.
The Shinsengumi remained loyal to the ] ], and left Kyoto peacefully under the supervision of the ] ], shortly after the withdrawal of ].<ref>Ōishi, pp. 172–174; http://www.bakusin.com/nagai.html</ref> However, as they had been posted as security forces in ], they soon took part in the ].<ref>Ōishi, p. 177</ref> Later, while continuing the fight outside of Edo, Kondō Isami was captured and beheaded by the ] government. A group of Shinsengumi men under ] fought in defense of the ] domain, and many of the others went on northward under Hijikata, joining the forces of the ].<ref>Ōishi, pp. 217–230.</ref> During this interval, the Shinsengumi was able to recover some of its strength, bringing its numbers above 100. Generally, the death of Hijikata Toshizō on June 20 (] May 11), 1869 is seen as marking the end of the Shinsengumi, though another group of survivors, under Sōma Kazue, which had been under ]'s supervision at Benten-daiba, surrendered separately.<ref>Ōishi, p. 246.</ref>


On July 8, 1864, in an incident at the ] in Kyoto, thirty {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} 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.
A few core members, such as Nagakura Shinpachi, ], and ], survived the demise of the group. Some members, such as Takagi Teisaku, would even become prominent figures in society.<ref>http://www.city.kuwana.lg.jp/culture_sports_and_education_article_262.html Takagi became a professor of economics at ].</ref>


===Squad hierarchy after Ikedaya===
==Members of the group==
* {{nihongo|Commander|局長|Kyokuchō}}: ], fourth master of the ]
At its peak, the Shinsengumi had about 300 members. They were the first samurai group of the Tokugawa era to allow those from non-samurai classes like farmers and merchants to join. Previously, Japan had had a strict class hierarchy system. Many joined the group due to the desire to become samurai and be involved in political affairs. However, it is a misconception that most of the Shinsengumi members were from non-samurai classes. Out of 106 Shinsengumi 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. Quite a few leaders, such as Yamanami, Okita, Nagakura, and Harada, were born samurai.
* {{nihongo|General Commander|総長|Sōchō}}: ]
* {{nihongo|Vice Commander|副長|Fukuchō}}: ]
* {{nihongo|Military Advisor|参謀|Sanbō}}: ]
* Spies: ] and ].


{{nihongo|Troop Captains|組長|Kumichō}}:
===Post-Ikedaya Shinsengumi hierarchy===
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
Commander (局長 ''Kyokuchô''):
* ] (instructor in ]).
], fourth master of the ]<br>
* ] (instructor in ]).
General Commander (総長 ''Sôchô''): ]<br>
* ] (instructor in ]).
Vice Commander (副長 ''Fukuchô''): ]
* ] (instructor in ]).
* ] (instructor in military strategies).
* ]
* ] (instructor in spearing skills).
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}


===Members of the group===
Military Advisor (参謀 ''Sanbô''): ]
]'s quarters at ], ], ]. One of the former {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} headquarters]]


At its peak, the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} 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 {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} members were from non-samurai classes. Out of 106 {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} 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.
Troop Captains (組長 ''Kumichô''):
# ] (instructor in ])
# ] (instructor in ])
# ] (instructor in ])
# ] (instructor in ])
# ] (instructor in Military Strategies)
# ]
# ] (instructor in Spearing Skills)
# ]
# ]
# ]


==={{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} regulations===
Spies: ], ]
The code of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}, famously created by Hijikata Toshizō, included five articles, prohibiting deviation from the samurai code ({{transliteration|ja|]}}), leaving the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}, raising money privately, taking part in others' litigation, and engaging in private fights. The penalty for breaking any rule was {{transliteration|ja|]}}. 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===
==Shinsengumi regulations==
]
], ]]]
]]]
The members of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} were highly visible in battle due to their distinctive uniforms. Following the orders of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} commander ], the standard uniform consisted of the {{transliteration|ja|]}} and {{transliteration|ja|]}} over a ], with a white cord called a {{transliteration|ja|tasuki}} crossed over the chest and tied in the back. The function of the {{transliteration|ja|tasuki}} was to prevent the sleeves of the kimono from interfering with movement of the arms. The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} wore a light ] suit beneath their robes and a light ] made of iron.


The uniform was best defined by the {{transliteration|ja|haori}}, which was colored {{nihongo3|light blue|浅葱色|]}}. In the old days of Japan, during the ritual, the samurai committing {{transliteration|ja|seppuku}} would wear an {{transliteration|ja|asagi-iro kamishimo}}. Thus the colour, in the samurai's eyes, characterized an honourable death.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The {{transliteration|ja|haori}} sleeves were trimmed with "white mountain stripes", resulting in a very distinctive uniform.<ref name="Zwier (2013)">Zwier L. and Cunnungham M. Twenty-First Century Books, revised edition, 2013 p. 63 {{ISBN|978-1467703772}}.</ref>
The code included five articles, prohibiting the following:
# Deviating from the samurai code (])
# Leaving the Shinsengumi
# Raising money privately
# Taking part in others' litigation
# Engaging in private fights


==Boshin War==
The penalty for breaking any rule was ]. In addition, the Shinsengumi had these regulations:
In 1867, when ] withdrew from Kyoto, the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} left peacefully under the supervision of the {{transliteration|ja|]}}, ].<ref name="Oishi (2004)"/>{{rp|page=172–174}} ] had been named the head of a new government (meaning the end to centuries of military rule by the {{transliteration|ja|shōgun}}). This marked the beginning of the ].<ref name="Dougill (2006)"/>
# If the leader of a unit is mortally wounded in a fight, all the members of the unit must fight and die on the spot.
# Even in a fight where the death toll is high, it is not allowed to retrieve the bodies of the dead, except the corpse of the leader of the unit.


Following their departure from Kyoto, the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} were one of the shogunate forces fought in the ] against the ] consisting of allied forces of ], ] and ] in January 1868 where Kondō would suffer a gunshot wound at Fushimi during the battle.
===Uniform===
The members of the Shinsengumi were highly visible in battle due to their distinctive uniforms. Following the orders of Shinsengumi commander ], the standard uniform consisted of the ] and ] over a ], with a white cord called a ''tasuki'' crossed over the chest and tied in the back. The function of the ''tasuki'' is to prevent the sleeves of the kimono from interfering with moving the arms. The uniqueness of the uniform was most evident in the haori, which was colored ''asagiiro'' (浅葱色, generally light blue, but can also be light yellow). The haori sleeves were trimmed with "white mountain stripes", resulting in a very flashy outfit, quite unlike the usual browns, blacks, and greys found in warrior clothing. In the midst of a fight, the uniforms of the Shinsengumi provided not only a means of easy identification, but also a highly visible threat towards the enemy.


==={{transliteration|ja|Kōyō Chinbutai}}===
==In popular culture==
The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} returned to Edo, where it was later reformed into a unit known as the {{nihongo3|"Pacification Corps"|甲陽鎮撫隊|Kōyō Chinbutai}} and departed from Edo for ] 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 ], they settled at a town of Katsunuma {{convert|5|mi}} east of Kōfu.
{{In popular culture|date=April 2010}}


On March 29, 1868, the {{transliteration|ja|Kōyō Chinbutai}} resisted an attack by the Imperial forces at the ] 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.
===Film===
In 2003, a Japanese ] drama, '']'',<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359692/</ref> depicts the end of Shinsengumi, focusing on various historical figures such as ].


Right after the Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma, ], ] and some of the members left the {{transliteration|ja|Kōyō Chinbutai}} after disagreements with long-time comrades Kondo and Hijikata and later formed a new unit {{transliteration|ja|]}} with a former Tokugawa retainer Haga Gidou as its commander.
The 1999 film '']'' (''Gohatto'') depicts the Shinsengumi a year after the Ikedaya Affair.


On April 11, 1868, the {{transliteration|ja|Kōyō Chinbutai}} 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 ] on April 25, 1868.
'']'' (1966) is about a fictionalized version of the samurai Tsukue Ryunosuke who at one point joins the Shinsengumi under Serizawa Kamo, and receives orders to kill Kondo.


However, on the same day, the Imperial forces' Staff Officer ] of ] received news that an armed unit had set up camp at Nagareyama and dispatched the forces there.
The film '']'', starring ], depicts the rise and fall of the Shinsengumi.


===Television=== ===Death of Kondō Isami===
During their training at Nagareyama on April 26, 1868, the {{transliteration|ja|Kōyō Chinbutai}} members were caught by surprise by the 200-strong Imperial forces, the Imperial forces' vice-chief of staff ] of ] ordered Kondō to go with them to their camp at Koshigaya. Kondō was later brought to ] on April 27 for questioning. Kondō was declared guilty of participation in the assassination of ] on April 30, 1868 and was beheaded three weeks later at the ] on May 17, 1868.<ref name="Dougill (2006)"/>
Shinsengumi has been adapted in TV drama again and again since "Shinsengumi Shimatsuki"(Shinsengumi and its birth to end) broadcast by TBS on 1961, which was viewed naiton-wide.
Another TV version, highly evaluated still, is "Shinsengumi Keppuroku(narrative of struggles)" broadcast by NTV on 1967.


===Battle of Aizu===
In 2004, Japanese television broadcaster ] made a year-long television drama series following the history of the Shinsengumi, called ('']''), which aired on Sunday evenings. Actors include ], ], ], and ] of the pop idol group ]. It was written by Japanese director and playwright, ]. Many other series and specials have featured the history and fiction surrounding this group. The Shinsengumi are also mentioned and referred to in several anime series such as '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']'', and ] as well as ] appear as a minor characters in the show "]".
Due to Hijikata being incapacitated as a result of the injuries sustained at the ] in May 1868, the {{transliteration|ja|Kōyō Chinbutai}} fought in defense of ] territory under ] in the ] in June 1868. After the ] in October 1868, when Hijikata decided to retreat from Aizu, Saitō and a small group of {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} parted with Hijikata and continued to fight alongside the Aizu Domain against the Imperial forces until the very end of the ], where he and a handful of surviving members were apprehended and became the ].


===Joining with the Republic of Ezo===
===Video games===
In December 1868, Hijikata and the rest of the surviving {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} joined the forces of the ] in the north.<ref name="Oishi (2004)"/>{{rp|page=217–230}}
The 2004 video game '']'' developed by ] and published by ] is based on the Shinsengumi.
Also, the game "Hakuouki ~Shinsengumi Kitan~", developed by Idea Factory, is a Japanese visual novel for women based on the Shinsengumi commanders and captains.


The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} numbers decreased to around one hundred in this period and they fought on despite the fall of Edo and clear defeat of Tokugawa.<ref name="Dougill (2006)"/> In the ] on 6 May 1869, Hijikata led a daring but doomed raid to steal the imperial warship {{transliteration|ja|]}}, in the early morning, from the {{transliteration|ja|]}} warship, a number of oppositionists, including ], managed to board the ship, but were soon mowed down by its ]. Many others including the captain of {{transliteration|ja|Kaiten}} were also killed by gunfire from the Imperial ships. The battle lasted only thirty minutes and the survivors and {{transliteration|ja|Kaiten}} retreated to Hakodate.
===Anime and manga===
The 1994 ] "]" by ] is a historical series in which one of the Shinsengumi members, Hajime Saito, appears in the 7th volume. Throughout the story, there are several references to the Shinsengumi.


On the fourth week of May 1869, Hijikata led 230 Republic of Ezo forces and the surviving {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} against the 600 strong Imperial forces during the ] 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.
The 2003 ] '']'' or ''Goodbye Shinsengumi'' by ] depicts the life of Hijikata Toushizou.


===End of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}===
The Manga ] presents a fictional tale of a girl joining in the Shinsengumi under disguise and falling in love with Okita Soji.
Hijikata was killed from a gunshot wound on June 20 (] May 11), 1869, during the ] in ]. Before his death, he wrote of his loyalty to the Tokugawa on the death poem sent by his page ] to the house of his brother-in-law:
{{poemquote|
Though my body may decay on the Island of Ezo,
My spirit guards my lords in the East.|
<ref>Clements J. Constable & Robinson, 2013 {{ISBN|9781472107725}}.</ref>}}


A remaining group of survivors, under the last commander ], who had been under ]'s supervision at ], surrendered three days later on June 23, (] May 14), 1869, marked the end of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}.<ref name="Oishi (2004)"/>{{rp|page=246}} The forces of the Republic of Ezo would later surrender on June 27, (] May 18), 1869, which marked the end of the Boshin War.
The manga ] 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 Shinsengumi.


A few core members, such as Nagakura Shinpachi, Saitō Hajime, and Shimada Kai survived the war. Some members, such as {{ill|Takagi Teisaku|ja|高木貞作}}, went on to become prominent figures.<ref> at ]". {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318143546/http://www.city.kuwana.lg.jp/culture_sports_and_education_article_262.html |date=2007-03-18 }} Kuwana city website.</ref>
The anime/manga series ] has a special police force called the Shinsengumi, in which some of the characters' names are loosely based on the real Shinsengumi.


==Monument==
In the 2003 ], '']'' (桜蘭高校ホスト部, Ōran Kōkō Hosuto Kurabu), by ] and the Anime of the same name, the main cast, for one of their cosplay events, dress up as members of the Shinsengumi. This took place in tankōbon 8 and anime episode 22 "Mori-senpai Has an Apprentice Candidate!".
In 1875, Nagakura Shinpachi, with the help of the physician ] and several surviving former {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} comrades including ] among others, erected the monument for Kondō Isami, Hijikata Toshizō, and the fallen comrades of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} at Jutoku-ji temple boundary known as Graves of {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} in ], Tokyo and held requiems for their past comrades' souls.


==In popular culture==
The anime/manga series '']'' follows a girl, looking for her lost father (a doctor who also worked with the Shinsengumi), joins the Shinsengumi. Although the show is fictional, adding supernatural elements and fictional enemies, it mixes these elements with real events. The characters within the Shinsengumi she associates with are fictionalized adaptations of actual members of the Shinsengumi and retain their real names throughout the show.
During the ] (1868–1912) and ] (1912–1926) periods, the Shinsengumi were generally unpopular. At that time, the Japanese considered the ] a great achievement and regarded the current system centered around Satsuma and Choshu as just. Therefore, the Shinsengumi were perceived as a foolish group resisting the Meiji Restoration. This prevailing notion began to change with ]'s novel "Shinsengumi Shimatsuki" (1928). Furthermore, after World War II, there was a reevaluation of history among the Japanese. ]'s novel "]" (1964) gained popularity, spreading empathy towards the way of life of the Shinsengumi. Today, the Shinsengumi is depicted and beloved by people through various media such as novels, movies, dramas, anime, and more.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yumenavi.info/vue/lecture.html?gnkcd=g004944|title=明治・大正期までは、維新を成し遂げた薩摩や長州は「正義」、かたや江戸幕府方の新選組は血塗られた殺りく集団で「悪役」とみなされていました。|publisher=Yumenavi|access-date=27 March 2024}}</ref><ref name="Zwier (2013)"/>


*The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} have often been adapted in television drama, for example {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi Shimatsuki}} (''{{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}, its birth to end'') (TBS, 1961); and {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi Keppuroku}} (NTV, 1967). In 2004, the Japanese television broadcaster ] made a year-long television drama series following the history of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}, called {{transliteration|ja|]}}, which aired on Sunday evenings.<ref> NHK website.</ref>
The digital comic "Okita and the Cat" deals with the anecdotal last days of ], with ] and ] also making prominent appearances. The comic, by Josh Hechinger and mpMann, was released for Apple mobile devices in August 2010 through Arrow Publications.
*An early film, ''The Legend of {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}'' (1963) was based on a 1928 novel of the same name.<ref name="Dougill (2006)">Dougill J. Oxford University Press, 2006 p. 171. {{ISBN|9780195301373}}.</ref>
* In 1969, a full-length film, '']'', starring ] was released.<ref> IMDB website.</ref> It depicted the rise and fall of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}.
* The main characters of {{Nihongo|'']''|宇宙戦艦ヤマト|Uchū Senkan Yamato|lead=yes}} were named after the Shinsengumi.
* The 1999 film '']'' ({{transliteration|ja|Gohatto}}) depicted the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} one year after the Ikedaya affair. The film shows the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}'s strict code and acceptance of homosexuality among the samurai members.<ref name="Dougill (2006)"/>
* In 2003, a Japanese ] drama, '']'', depicted the end of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}, focusing on various historical figures such as ].<ref> IMDB website</ref>
* Manga artist ] is a self-proclaimed fan of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} and many of his characters in {{transliteration|ja|]}} are based on its members, including ] (inspired by Harada Sanousuke); ] (modeled after Hijikata Toshizō); ] (based on Okita Souji); and ].{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
*The 2003 ], {{transliteration|ja|Getsu Mei Sei Ki}} or ''Goodbye {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}'' by Kenji Morita depicted the life of Hijikata Toshizō. The manga {{transliteration|ja|]}} presents a fictional tale of a girl joining the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} in disguise and falling in love with Okita Soji.
* The manga '']'' 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 {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}.
*The anime series '']'' features three 5th graders who are fictional descendants of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} and they fight against the evil organization, the Black Goblin.
*The game series/anime series/anime movie franchise {{transliteration|ja|]}} ({{transliteration|ja|Hakuōki Shinsengumi Kitan}}, {{lit|Demon of the Fleeting Blossom: The Mysterious Tale of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}}}) follows a girl, looking for her lost father (a doctor who worked with the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}). The premise mixes supernatural elements and fictional enemies and historical events. The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} characters are fictionalized adaptations of the real members and retain their real names throughout the show.<ref>Kapell M. and Elliot A. (ed.) A&C Black, 2013 p. 140 {{ISBN|9781623563875}}.</ref>
*{{transliteration|ja|]}} (2015) is a ] ] ] developed by ] and ]. It has spawned multiple different anime series, {{transliteration|ja|]}} (2016) and {{transliteration|ja|Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru}} (2018), both for a younger audience, as well as the more sophisticated {{transliteration|ja|]}} (2017). In the {{transliteration|ja|Touken Ranbu}} 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 {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} heroes like Okita Souji, Hijikata Toshizo, and Isami Kondo are featured. One of the most prominent characters in {{transliteration|ja|Touken Ranbu}} is Hijikata's long sword, which bore the name Izuminokami Kanesada.
*The 2004 video game {{transliteration|ja|Fu-un Shinsengumi}}, which was developed by ] and published by ], is based on the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/01/27/fu-un-shinsengumi-playtest|title = Fu-un Shinsengumi Playtest |access-date = August 15, 2019|website = ]|date=January 27, 2004|last= Gantayat|first= Anoop}}</ref>
*In March 2012, a stand-alone expansion for '']'' set during the Boshin War was released. '']'' features the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} as recruitable agents used for assassination and bribery, and as an elite combat unit capable of fighting both at range and in melee.
* '']'' is a video game and also an anime series about girl members of the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}.
* {{transliteration|ja|]}} ("Burn My Sword") is the name of a famous 1964 novel by ] about the ] (1868 to 1869 ]) from the point of view of Hijikata Toshizō. It is regarded by {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} fans as the 'bible' of {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} fiction and was the first literary work to focus on Hijikata; previously, {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} stories tended to focus on the commander Isami Kondo. Shiba also published short stories about the {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}}. His {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} fiction has not yet been translated into English; it is available in Japanese and Chinese.
* {{transliteration|ja|]}} Japanese television {{transliteration|ja|jidaigeki}} period drama was broadcast on ] in 1998.
*The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} appear in the mobile game '']'' 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. {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} 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 {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} feature heavily in the plot of the 2014 video game {{transliteration|ja|]}}. In this game, main protagonist ], a 19th-century ] of main series protagonist ], becomes the group's third unit captain under the alias of Saito Hajime.
*The {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} appears in the app {{transliteration|ja|"Bakumatu Hanafuda"}}. Players are confrontations to {{transliteration|ja|Shinsengumi}} members by ].
* In the manga '']'' 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.
* The manga and anime '']'' features its own alternate reality version of the Shinsengumi as regular characters, including members with surnames such as Kondo, Hijikata, and Okita.


==References and further reading== == See also ==
<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->
* ''Shinsengumi: The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps'', by Romulus Hillsborough (2005) ISBN 0804836272
* ]
* ''Samurai Sketches: From the Bloody Final Years of the Shogun'', by Romulus Hillsborough (2001) ISBN 0966740181
* ]
* Kikuchi Akira 菊地明 and Aikawa Tsukasa 相川司. ''Shinsengumi Jitsuroku'' 新選組実錄. Tokyo: Chikuma-shobō 筑摩書房, 1996.
* ]
* Ōishi Manabu 大石学. ''Shinsengumi: Saigo no Bushi no Jitsuzō'' 新選組： 「最後の武士」の実像. Tokyo: ] 中央公論新社, 2004.
* ]
* Sasaki Suguru 佐々木克. ''Boshin sensō: Haisha no Meiji ishin'' 戊辰戦争 : 敗者の明治維新. Tokyo: ] 中央公論社, 1977.
* ]


== Further reading ==
==Notes==
* Stephane Lun 倫世豪. ''A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management''. 2021 Kindle Paperwhite version. Amazon.com
{{Reflist}}
* ], ''Moeyo Ken'' 燃えよ剣''(Burn My Sword).'' 1972 {{ISBN|410115208X}}
* ], ''Shinsengumi Keppu Roku 新選組血風錄'' (''Shinsengumi: Chronicles of Blood and Tempest).'' 2004 {{ISBN|4041290074}}
* Hillsborough R. ''Shinsengumi: the Shogun's last samurai corps''. 2005 {{ISBN|0-8048-3627-2}}.
* Hillsborough R. ''Samurai sketches: from the bloody final years of the shogun''. 2001 {{ISBN|0-9667401-8-1}}
* Kikuchi A. 菊地明 and Aikawa T. 相川司. ''Shinsengumi Jitsuroku'' 新選組実錄". Chikuma-shobō 筑摩書房, Tokyo, 1996.
* Ōishi M. 大石学. ''Shinsengumi: Saigo no Bushi no Jitsuzō'' 新選組：最後の武士」の実像. ] 中央公論新社, Tokyo, 2004.
* Sasaki S. 佐々木克. ''Boshin sensō: Haisha no Meiji ishin'' 戊辰戦争 : 敗者の明治維新. ] 中央公論社, Tokyo, 1977.


==External links== == Notes ==
{{notelist}}
* Website created to address the needs of those who are interested in the history, related film/TV/anime, fanfiction, fanart and various incarnations of the Shinsengumi.

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Shinsengumi}}
* 新選組 Shinsengumi Website
* A site dedicated to Saitou Hajime and the Shinsengumi in various fictional and historical incarnations. * A site dedicated to Saitou Hajime and the Shinsengumi in various fictional and historical incarnations.
* *
{{Japanese (samurai) weapons, armour and equipment}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 08:15, 27 October 2024

19th century Japanese special police force For the 1969 jidaigeki film, see Shinsengumi (1969 film). For the Taiga drama, see Shinsengumi!

Shinsengumi
新選組
Flag of Shinsengumi
ActiveAugust 18, 1863 (August 18, 1863)
DisbandedJune 23, 1869 (June 23, 1869)
CountryKyoto, Japan
AllegianceTokugawa bakufu
Branch
TypeMilitary unit
RoleTo protect the Tokugawa bakufu representatives and Kyoto
Size302
Colorslight blue, white
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Military unit

The Shinsengumi (新選組, "Newly Selected Corps") was a small, elite group of swordsmen that was organized by commoners and low rank samurai, commissioned by the bakufu (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 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 and the August 18 coup events, among others. The men were drawn from the sword schools of Edo.

History

Rōshigumi

Main article: Rōshigumi

Japan'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 sonnō jōi (meaning, "revere the emperor, expel the barbarians"). Loyalists (particularly in Chōshū Domain) in Kyoto began to rebel. In response, the Tokugawa shogunate formed the Rōshigumi (浪士組, "the rōnin squad") on October 19, 1862. The Rōshigumi was a squad of 234 rōnin (samurai without masters) drawn from the sword schools of Edo.

The squad's nominal commander was the hatamoto Matsudaira Katamori, and their leader was Kiyokawa Hachirō, a rōnin from Shōnai Domain. The Rōshigumi's mission was to protect Tokugawa Iemochi, the 14th shōgun, during an important trip to Kyoto to meet with the Emperor Kōmei. There had not been such a meeting since the third shōgun of the Tokugawa bakufu, Tokugawa Iemitsu, had visited Kyoto in the 17th century. Tokugawa Iemochi, the head of the military government, the bakufu, had been invited to discuss how Japan should enact the recent imperial edict calling for the expulsion of foreigners.

Although the Rōshigumi was funded by the Tokugawa bakufu, the leader Kiyokawa Hachirō and others had strong loyalties to the emperor and planned to gather other rōnin in Kyoto to police the city from insurgents. On March 26 (lunar calendar February 8), 1863, Kiyokawa led the Rōshigumi out of Edo as the vanguard of shōgun Iemochi's procession to Kyoto, which they arrived on April 10 (lunar calendar February 23), 1863.

Mibu Rōshigumi

When Kiyokawa's scheme was revealed in Kyoto, he immediately commanded the Rōshigumi to return to Edo. The members were disbanded and then returned to Edo where they would later form the Shinchōgumi (新徴組) under the patronage of Shōnai Domain. However, nineteen Rōshigumi members, mainly from the Mito clan, remained and formed the Mibu Rōshigumi (壬生浪士組).

Founding members

Serizawa's faction:

Kondō's faction:

Tonouchi's faction:

Initially, the Mibu Rōshigumi were called Miburō (壬生浪), meaning "rōnin of Mibu". At the time, Mibu was a village south west of Kyoto, and was the place where they were stationed. Mibu Rōshigumi was initially formed in three factions under Serizawa (the Mito group), Kondō (the Shieikan 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 seppuku for deserting, Negishi Yūzan also deserted and returned to Edo, where he joined the Shinchōgumi.

Shinsengumi

Flag of the Shinsengumi, with the kanji character 誠 (makoto), meaning 'sincerity' or 'fidelity', and a serrated border at the lower edge to match the distinctive 'white mountain stripes' of their outfits.

Matsudaira Katamori, after the careful evaluation of the political scene in Kyoto, felt it was needed to change the scope of the Mibu Rōshigumi's mission from protecting the shogunate to patrolling the streets of Kyoto and restoring order in the name of the Tokugawa bakufu. On August 18, 1863, the Mibu Rōshigumi was renamed the Shinsengumi.

The new name Shinsengumi may have been coined by Matsudaira Katamori (the daimyō of the Aizu clan) around this time. The opposition forces included the Mori clan of the Chōshū and the Shimazu clan of Satsuma.

The Shinsengumi were led by Serizawa Kamo (born 1830, Mino Province), Niimi Nishiki, and Kondō Isami (born 1834, Musashi Province – he came from a small dojo in Edo called Shieikan). The Shinsengumi 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 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 Satsuma clans. The Shinsengumi 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 Shimazu clan of Satsuma.

Serizawa's erratic and disruptive behavior in Kyoto eventually led to Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu giving the Shinsengumi 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 Shinsengumi 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 seppuku for an unknown reason.

On July 8, 1864, in an incident at the Ikedaya Inn in Kyoto, thirty Shinsengumi 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

Troop Captains (組長, Kumichō):

Members of the group

Ancient Kondō Isami's quarters at Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. One of the former Shinsengumi headquarters

At its peak, the Shinsengumi 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 Shinsengumi members were from non-samurai classes. Out of 106 Shinsengumi 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.

Shinsengumi regulations

The code of the Shinsengumi, famously created by Hijikata Toshizō, included five articles, prohibiting deviation from the samurai code (bushido), leaving the Shinsengumi, raising money privately, taking part in others' litigation, and engaging in private fights. The penalty for breaking any rule was seppuku. 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

Mannequins dressed in Shinsengumi uniform
Coat of mail and helmet of Kondō Isami

The members of the Shinsengumi were highly visible in battle due to their distinctive uniforms. Following the orders of the Shinsengumi commander Serizawa Kamo, the standard uniform consisted of the haori and hakama over a kimono, with a white cord called a tasuki crossed over the chest and tied in the back. The function of the tasuki was to prevent the sleeves of the kimono from interfering with movement of the arms. The Shinsengumi wore a light chainmail suit beneath their robes and a light helmet made of iron.

The uniform was best defined by the haori, which was colored asagi-iro (浅葱色, light blue). In the old days of Japan, during the ritual, the samurai committing seppuku would wear an asagi-iro kamishimo. Thus the colour, in the samurai's eyes, characterized an honourable death. The haori sleeves were trimmed with "white mountain stripes", resulting in a very distinctive uniform.

Boshin War

In 1867, when Tokugawa Yoshinobu withdrew from Kyoto, the Shinsengumi left peacefully under the supervision of the wakadoshiyori, Nagai Naoyuki. The new emperor had been named the head of a new government (meaning the end to centuries of military rule by the shōgun). This marked the beginning of the Boshin civil war.

Following their departure from Kyoto, the Shinsengumi were one of the shogunate forces fought in the Battle of Toba–Fushimi against the Imperial forces consisting of allied forces of Chōshū, Satsuma and Tosa in January 1868 where Kondō would suffer a gunshot wound at Fushimi during the battle.

Kōyō Chinbutai

The Shinsengumi returned to Edo, where it was later reformed into a unit known as the Kōyō Chinbutai (甲陽鎮撫隊, "Pacification Corps") and departed from Edo for Kōfu Castle 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, they settled at a town of Katsunuma 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Kōfu.

On March 29, 1868, the Kōyō Chinbutai resisted an attack by the Imperial forces at the Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma 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, Nagakura Shinpachi, Harada Sanosuke and some of the members left the Kōyō Chinbutai after disagreements with long-time comrades Kondo and Hijikata and later formed a new unit Seiheitai with a former Tokugawa retainer Haga Gidou as its commander.

On April 11, 1868, the Kōyō Chinbutai 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 on April 25, 1868.

However, on the same day, the Imperial forces' Staff Officer Kagawa Keizō of Mito Domain received news that an armed unit had set up camp at Nagareyama and dispatched the forces there.

Death of Kondō Isami

During their training at Nagareyama on April 26, 1868, the Kōyō Chinbutai members were caught by surprise by the 200-strong Imperial forces, the Imperial forces' vice-chief of staff Arima Tota of Satsuma Domain ordered Kondō to go with them to their camp at Koshigaya. Kondō was later brought to Itabashi on April 27 for questioning. Kondō was declared guilty of participation in the assassination of Sakamoto Ryōma 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 in May 1868, the Kōyō Chinbutai fought in defense of Aizu territory under Saitō Hajime 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 Shinsengumi 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.

Joining with the Republic of Ezo

In December 1868, Hijikata and the rest of the surviving Shinsengumi joined the forces of the Republic of Ezo in the north.

The Shinsengumi 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 Kōtetsu, in the early morning, from the Kaiten warship, a number of oppositionists, including Nomura Risaburō, managed to board the ship, but were soon mowed down by its Gatling gun. Many others including the captain of Kaiten were also killed by gunfire from the Imperial ships. The battle lasted only thirty minutes and the survivors and Kaiten retreated to Hakodate.

On the fourth week of May 1869, Hijikata led 230 Republic of Ezo forces and the surviving Shinsengumi against the 600 strong Imperial forces during the Battle of Futamata 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 Shinsengumi

Hijikata was killed from a gunshot wound on June 20 (lunar calendar May 11), 1869, during the Battle of Hakodate in Hokkaido. Before his death, he wrote of his loyalty to the Tokugawa on the death poem sent by his page Ichimura Tetsunosuke to the house of his brother-in-law:

Though my body may decay on the Island of Ezo,
My spirit guards my lords in the East.

— 

A remaining group of survivors, under the last commander Sōma Kazue, who had been under Nagai Naoyuki's supervision at Benten Daiba, surrendered three days later on June 23, (lunar calendar May 14), 1869, marked the end of the Shinsengumi. The forces of the Republic of Ezo would later surrender on June 27, (lunar calendar 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 Takagi Teisaku [ja], went on to become prominent figures.

Monument

In 1875, Nagakura Shinpachi, with the help of the physician Matsumoto Ryōjun and several surviving former Shinsengumi comrades including Saitō Hajime among others, erected the monument for Kondō Isami, Hijikata Toshizō, and the fallen comrades of the Shinsengumi at Jutoku-ji temple boundary known as Graves of Shinsengumi in Itabashi, Tokyo and held requiems for their past comrades' souls.

In popular culture

During the Meiji (1868–1912) and Taisho (1912–1926) periods, the Shinsengumi were generally unpopular. At that time, the Japanese considered the Meiji Restoration a great achievement and regarded the current system centered around Satsuma and Choshu as just. Therefore, the Shinsengumi were perceived as a foolish group resisting the Meiji Restoration. This prevailing notion began to change with Kan Shimozawa's novel "Shinsengumi Shimatsuki" (1928). Furthermore, after World War II, there was a reevaluation of history among the Japanese. Ryōtarō Shiba's novel "Moeyo Ken" (1964) gained popularity, spreading empathy towards the way of life of the Shinsengumi. Today, the Shinsengumi is depicted and beloved by people through various media such as novels, movies, dramas, anime, and more.

  • The Shinsengumi have often been adapted in television drama, for example Shinsengumi Shimatsuki (Shinsengumi, its birth to end) (TBS, 1961); and Shinsengumi Keppuroku (NTV, 1967). In 2004, the Japanese television broadcaster NHK made a year-long television drama series following the history of the Shinsengumi, called Shinsengumi!, which aired on Sunday evenings.
  • An early film, The Legend of Shinsengumi (1963) was based on a 1928 novel of the same name.
  • In 1969, a full-length film, Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honour, starring Toshiro Mifune was released. It depicted the rise and fall of the Shinsengumi.
  • The main characters of Space Battleship Yamato (Japanese: 宇宙戦艦ヤマト, Hepburn: Uchū Senkan Yamato) were named after the Shinsengumi.
  • The 1999 film Taboo (Gohatto) depicted the Shinsengumi one year after the Ikedaya affair. The film shows the Shinsengumi's strict code and acceptance of homosexuality among the samurai members.
  • In 2003, a Japanese samurai drama, When the Last Sword Is Drawn, depicted the end of the Shinsengumi, focusing on various historical figures such as Saitō Hajime.
  • Manga artist Nobuhiro Watsuki is a self-proclaimed fan of the Shinsengumi and many of his characters in Rurouni Kenshin are based on its members, including Sagara Sanosuke (inspired by Harada Sanousuke); Shinomori Aoshi (modeled after Hijikata Toshizō); Seta Sōjirō (based on Okita Souji); and Saitō Hajime.
  • The 2003 manga, Getsu Mei Sei Ki or Goodbye Shinsengumi by Kenji Morita depicted the life of Hijikata Toshizō. The manga Kaze Hikaru presents a fictional tale of a girl joining the Shinsengumi in disguise and falling in love with Okita Soji.
  • The manga Peacemaker Kurogane by Nanae Chrono is a historical fiction taking place during the end of the Tokugawa period, following a young boy. Ichimura Tetsunosuke, who tries to join the Shinsengumi.
  • The anime series Soar High! Isami features three 5th graders who are fictional descendants of the Shinsengumi and they fight against the evil organization, the Black Goblin.
  • The game series/anime series/anime movie franchise Hakuōki (Hakuōki Shinsengumi Kitan, lit. 'Demon of the Fleeting Blossom: The Mysterious Tale of the Shinsengumi') follows a girl, looking for her lost father (a doctor who worked with the Shinsengumi). The premise mixes supernatural elements and fictional enemies and historical events. The Shinsengumi characters are fictionalized adaptations of the real members and retain their real names throughout the show.
  • Touken Ranbu (2015) is a free-to-play collectible card browser video game developed by Nitroplus and DMM Games. It has spawned multiple different anime series, Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru (2016) and Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru (2018), both for a younger audience, as well as the more sophisticated Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu (2017). In the Touken Ranbu 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 Shinsengumi heroes like Okita Souji, Hijikata Toshizo, and Isami Kondo are featured. One of the most prominent characters in Touken Ranbu is Hijikata's long sword, which bore the name Izuminokami Kanesada.
  • The 2004 video game Fu-un Shinsengumi, which was developed by Genki and published by Konami, is based on the Shinsengumi.
  • In March 2012, a stand-alone expansion for Total War: Shogun 2 set during the Boshin War was released. Fall of the Samurai features the Shinsengumi 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 video game and also an anime series about girl members of the Shinsengumi.
  • Moeyo Ken ("Burn My Sword") is the name of a famous 1964 novel by Ryōtarō Shiba about the Boshin War (1868 to 1869 CE) from the point of view of Hijikata Toshizō. It is regarded by Shinsengumi fans as the 'bible' of Shinsengumi fiction and was the first literary work to focus on Hijikata; previously, Shinsengumi stories tended to focus on the commander Isami Kondo. Shiba also published short stories about the Shinsengumi. His Shinsengumi fiction has not yet been translated into English; it is available in Japanese and Chinese.
  • Shinsengumi Keppūroku Japanese television jidaigeki period drama was broadcast on TV Asahi in 1998.
  • The Shinsengumi appear in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order 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. Shinsengumi 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 Shinsengumi feature heavily in the plot of the 2014 video game Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin!. In this game, main protagonist Sakamoto Ryoma, a 19th-century doppelgänger of main series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, becomes the group's third unit captain under the alias of Saito Hajime.
  • The Shinsengumi appears in the app "Bakumatu Hanafuda". Players are confrontations to Shinsengumi members by Koi Koi.
  • In the manga Golden Kamuy 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.
  • The manga and anime Gintama features its own alternate reality version of the Shinsengumi as regular characters, including members with surnames such as Kondo, Hijikata, and Okita.

See also

Further reading

  • Stephane Lun 倫世豪. A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management. 2021 Kindle Paperwhite version. Amazon.com
  • Ryōtarō Shiba, Moeyo Ken 燃えよ剣(Burn My Sword). 1972 ISBN 410115208X
  • Ryōtarō Shiba, Shinsengumi Keppu Roku 新選組血風錄 (Shinsengumi: Chronicles of Blood and Tempest). 2004 ISBN 4041290074
  • Hillsborough R. Shinsengumi: the Shogun's last samurai corps. 2005 ISBN 0-8048-3627-2.
  • Hillsborough R. Samurai sketches: from the bloody final years of the shogun. 2001 ISBN 0-9667401-8-1
  • Kikuchi A. 菊地明 and Aikawa T. 相川司. Shinsengumi Jitsuroku 新選組実錄". Chikuma-shobō 筑摩書房, Tokyo, 1996.
  • Ōishi M. 大石学. Shinsengumi: Saigo no Bushi no Jitsuzō 新選組：最後の武士」の実像. Chūōkōron-shinsha 中央公論新社, Tokyo, 2004.
  • Sasaki S. 佐々木克. Boshin sensō: Haisha no Meiji ishin 戊辰戦争 : 敗者の明治維新. Chūōkōron-shinsha 中央公論社, Tokyo, 1977.

Notes

  1. An argument for Matsudaira Katamori bestowing the name can be made by comparing the similarity of the name Shinsengumi to one of Aizu's later frontline combat units, the Bessengumi (別選組, the "Separately Selected Corps").

References

  1. Watsuki, N. "Glossary of the Restoration." Rurouni Kenshin Volume 3. Viz Media p190.
  2. ^ Stephane Lun (2021) "A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management." Retrieved from amazon.com
  3. Wakabayashi B. T. Anti-foreignism and Western learning in early-modern Japan: the new theses of 1825. Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1986.
  4. ^ Dougill J. "Kyoto: a cultural history". Oxford University Press, 2006 p. 171. ISBN 9780195301373.
  5. ^ Oishi M. Shinsengumi: Saigo no Bushi no Jitsuzō. Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, Tokyo, 2004.
  6. Turnbull S. "The Samurai swordsman – master of war." Tuttle Publishing, 2013. ISBN 978-1462908349.
  7. Stephane Lun (2021) "A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management"
  8. ^ Stephane Lun (2021) "A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management."
  9. "Bessengumi"
  10. ^ 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 p. 63 ISBN 978-1467703772.
  11. Clements J. "A brief history of the samurai" Constable & Robinson, 2013 ISBN 9781472107725.
  12. "Takagi became a professor of economics at Hitotsubashi University". Archived 2007-03-18 at the Wayback Machine Kuwana city website.
  13. "明治・大正期までは、維新を成し遂げた薩摩や長州は「正義」、かたや江戸幕府方の新選組は血塗られた殺りく集団で「悪役」とみなされていました。". Yumenavi. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  14. 新選組! NHK website.
  15. "Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honour IMDB website.
  16. "When the last sword is drawn." IMDB website
  17. Kapell M. and Elliot A. (ed.) "Playing with the past: digital games and the simulation of history." A&C Black, 2013 p. 140 ISBN 9781623563875.
  18. Gantayat, Anoop (January 27, 2004). "Fu-un Shinsengumi Playtest". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2019.

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