Roshigumi
Encyclopedia
The Rōshigumi the "Kyoto
Defenders", was a group of 234 masterless samurai (ronin
), founded by Kiyokawa Hachirō in 1863. Loyal to the Bakufu, they were supposed to act as the protectors of the Tokugawa
shogun
.
Kiyokawa Hachirō formed the Rōshigumi with funding from the Tokugawa regime. Originally, he claimed it was formed for protecting the Tokugawa shogun in Kyoto and preparing for military action against Western countries. However, he lied to the regime; his goal was to gather people to work with the imperialists and not the Shogunate government.
The Rōshigumi met on March 26 (lunar calendar
February 8), 1863 in Edo
and they all left for Kyoto. Kondo Isami
, Hijikata Toshizo
, Okita Soji
, Inoue Genzaburō
, Todo Heisuke
, Harada Sanosuke
, Nagakura Shinpachi
. Serizawa Kamo
, Niimi Nishiki
, Hirayama Gorou, Hirama Juusuke, and Noguchi Kengi were all among the members of the Rōshigumi. (Two days later, while the Rōshigumi left for Kyoto, Kondo was responsible for assigning lodges for the members. However, he accidentally forgot about Serizawa's group, leading to a famous incident where Serizawa lost his temper and, with the help of his group, created a huge bonfire outside the lodges as an insult to Kondo.)
On April 10 (lunar calendar February 23), the Rōshigumi arrived at Kyoto and the group stayed in Yagitei, a Mibu village outside Kyoto. Surprisingly, Kiyokawa suddenly commanded the group to return to Edo when they had just arrived in Kyoto. By then, he had secretly submitted a letter to the imperialists stating that his Rōshigumi were to work only for the Emperor
. Thirteen members dissented and stayed in Kyoto, including Kondo and Serizawa, and became the founding members of the Shinsengumi
.
In response, a government official made spies out of Rōshigumi members Tomouchi Yoshio and Iesato Jiro, forcing them to stay in Kyoto and join Serizawa and Kondo's group in order to keep an eye on them.
Other dissident members of the Rōshigumi returned to Edo
and became the founding members of the Shinchōgumi (the Shinsengumi's brother league in Edo) with Okita Rintaro
(Okita Soji
's brother-in-law) as a commander.
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
Defenders", was a group of 234 masterless samurai (ronin
Ronin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
), founded by Kiyokawa Hachirō in 1863. Loyal to the Bakufu, they were supposed to act as the protectors of the Tokugawa
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
.
Kiyokawa Hachirō formed the Rōshigumi with funding from the Tokugawa regime. Originally, he claimed it was formed for protecting the Tokugawa shogun in Kyoto and preparing for military action against Western countries. However, he lied to the regime; his goal was to gather people to work with the imperialists and not the Shogunate government.
The Rōshigumi met on March 26 (lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
February 8), 1863 in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
and they all left for Kyoto. Kondo Isami
Kondo Isami
was a Japanese swordsman and official of the late Edo Period, famed for his role as commander of the Shinsengumi.-Background:Isami, who was first known as Katsugorō, was born to Miyagawa Hisajirō, a farmer residing in Kami-Ishihara village in Musashi Province, now in the city of Chōfu in Western...
, Hijikata Toshizo
Hijikata Toshizo
was the vice-commander of Shinsengumi, a great swordsman and a talented Japanese military leader who resisted the Meiji Restoration.-Background:...
, Okita Soji
Okita Soji
, was the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto during the late shogunate period. He was one of the best swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, along with Saito Hajime and Nagakura Shinpachi....
, Inoue Genzaburō
Inoue Genzaburo
was born in Bushu . He was the captain of the sixth unit of the Shinsengumi which were a special police force for the Tokugawa regime....
, Todo Heisuke
Todo Heisuke
Tōdō Heisuke Tōdō Heisuke Tōdō Heisuke (藤堂 平助 1844 – December 13, 1867）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:...
, Harada Sanosuke
Harada Sanosuke
was a Japanese warrior who lived in the late Edo period. He was the 10th unit captain of the Shinsengumi, and died during the Boshin War.-Background:...
, Nagakura Shinpachi
Nagakura Shinpachi
was the captain of the 2nd troop of the Shinsengumi.-Background:Nagakura Shinpachi Noriyuki, known as Eikichi or Eiji during his childhood, was born in the Matsumae clan's "kami-yashiki" in Edo on the 11th day of the fourth month of Tenpō 10 His father, Nagakura Kanji, was a retainer of the...
. Serizawa Kamo
Serizawa Kamo
Serizawa Kamo was a samurai known for being the original lead commander of the Shinsengumi. He trained in and received a licence in the Shindō Munen-ryū. "Kamo" means goose or duck in Japanese which was an odd name to call oneself at the time...
, Niimi Nishiki
Niimi Nishiki
was born in Mito-han . He was a master of the Shintomunen-ryu swordsmanship style. He was one of the original thirteen members of the Shinsengumi, together with Serizawa Kamo and Kondō Isami...
, Hirayama Gorou, Hirama Juusuke, and Noguchi Kengi were all among the members of the Rōshigumi. (Two days later, while the Rōshigumi left for Kyoto, Kondo was responsible for assigning lodges for the members. However, he accidentally forgot about Serizawa's group, leading to a famous incident where Serizawa lost his temper and, with the help of his group, created a huge bonfire outside the lodges as an insult to Kondo.)
On April 10 (lunar calendar February 23), the Rōshigumi arrived at Kyoto and the group stayed in Yagitei, a Mibu village outside Kyoto. Surprisingly, Kiyokawa suddenly commanded the group to return to Edo when they had just arrived in Kyoto. By then, he had secretly submitted a letter to the imperialists stating that his Rōshigumi were to work only for the Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
. Thirteen members dissented and stayed in Kyoto, including Kondo and Serizawa, and became the founding members of the Shinsengumi
Shinsengumi
The were a special police force of the late shogunate period.-Historical background:After Japan opened up to the West following U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's visits in 1853, its political situation gradually became more and more chaotic...
.
In response, a government official made spies out of Rōshigumi members Tomouchi Yoshio and Iesato Jiro, forcing them to stay in Kyoto and join Serizawa and Kondo's group in order to keep an eye on them.
Other dissident members of the Rōshigumi returned to Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
and became the founding members of the Shinchōgumi (the Shinsengumi's brother league in Edo) with Okita Rintaro
Okita Rintaro
was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who was a commander of the Shinchōgumi .-Biography:...
(Okita Soji
Okita Soji
, was the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto during the late shogunate period. He was one of the best swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, along with Saito Hajime and Nagakura Shinpachi....
's brother-in-law) as a commander.