Hijikata Toshizo
Encyclopedia
was the vice-commander of Shinsengumi
, a great swordsman and a talented Japan
ese military
leader who resisted the Meiji Restoration
.
, a suburb of Tokyo
. He was the youngest of six children, and his father, a well-to-do farmer, died shortly before his birth. Hijikata's mother also died when he was a young boy, and he was therefore raised by his older brother and sister-in-law.
He was apparently tall compared to the average Japanese men of the period, standing at approximately 165cm, when the average height was 154-158cm. He was said to be spoiled at an early age and was alleged to be mean to all but his friends and family. This changed when a 21-year-old swordsman from the Aizu
clan known for opposing the Reformists was forced to commit seppuku
(ritual suicide). When Hijikata attended the man's funeral, he apparently cried in public.
Hijikata spent his youth selling his family's Ishida Sanyaku (medicine for treating injuries such as bruises and broken bones) while practicing his self-taught kenjutsu
. His brother-in-law, Satō Hikogorō, managed a Tennen Rishin-ryū
dojo in Hino; through Sato, Hijikata met the later Kondō Isami
and was formally enrolled at the Tennen Rishin-ryū's Shieikan in 1859. Although Hijikata himself never fully mastered the Tennen Rishin-ryū
, it is said that he managed to develop the "Shinsengumi-Kenjutsu" fighting style from the Tennen Rishin-ryū.
formed the Shinsengumi. Kondō and two other men, Serizawa Kamo
and Niimi Nishiki
, became joint leaders of the group, and Hijikata served as one of the deputy leaders. Shinsengumi served as a special police
force in Kyoto
that fought against the Reformists under Matsudaira Katamori
, the Daimyo
of Aizu.
However, Serizawa and Niimi began fighting, drinking, and committing extortion in Kyoto, which started to tarnish the reputation of Shinsengumi and earned the group the derogatory nickname of "Wolves of Mibu" (壬生狼 miburō). Hijikata found enough proof against Niimi in these matters and ordered him to commit seppuku. Serizawa and his followers, however, were assassinated, and Kondo became the sole leader of Shinsengumi with Yamanami Keisuke
and Hijikata as his vice-commanders.
The group grew to 140 men, which included a number of farmers and merchants whose livelihood would be threatened if the Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown. The regulations set up by Shinsengumi within Kyoto were strict and Hijikata was known to be harsh in enforcing them, hence his nickname: "The Demon of the Shinsengumi". Even within the Shinsengumi itself, regulations were strictly enforced by Hijikata. Deserters and traitors were forced to commit seppuku; this happened to Yamanami (one of Hijikata's old friends) when he tried to leave Shinsengumi in 1865.
Hijikata owned a sword made by renowned swordsmith Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada (和泉守兼定) that was forged during the Edo period
.
Together with the rest of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata became a hatamoto
in 1867. He was given the rank of yoriai (yoriai-kaku 寄合格) in early 1868.
April 25) 1868, Hijikata led Shinsengumi on their final battles against the new government. After a time in Aizu
, he went to Sendai, where he joined up with Enomoto Takeaki
's fleet. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, and told the physician Matsumoto Ryojun
that "I am not going to battle to win. With the Tokugawa government about to collapse, it would be a disgrace if no one is willing to go down with it. That is why I must go. I will fight the best battle of my life to die for the country".
In October 1868, Hijikata and Ōtori Keisuke
lead Shogunate forces to occupy the fortress of Goryōkaku
in the Battle of Hakodate
, and continued to eliminate local resistance. When the short-lived Ezo Republic was founded in December, Hijikata was made a vice-minister of the Army. Imperial troops continued to attack by land and sea. In the final conflict of the revolution, on June 20 (lunar calendar May 11), 1869, Hijikata was killed while in combat on horseback by a bullet that shattered his lower back. A week after his death, the Goryōkaku fortress was taken, and the military of Ezo Republic surrendered to the Meiji government on May 17, 1869.
It is unknown where Hijikata was buried, but a memorial gravestone
stands near Itabashi Station in Tokyo
, next to Kondō Isami's. The death poem entrusted to Ichimura Tetsunosuke
shortly before Hijikata's death reads:
Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo, My spirit guards my lord in the east.
Hijikata is depicted in the 1999 film Gohatto
('Taboo') (played by Takeshi Kitano
), and the 2004 NHK
Taiga drama series Shinsengumi!
(including the single-episode sequel Shinsengumi!: Hijikata Toshizo Saigo no Ichinichi). He is the protagonist in Morita Kenji's manga Getsumei Seiki, and in Mibu Robin's Baragaki ("Red Demon"). Hijikata is also featured in a number of other anime and manga series, including Peace Maker Kurogane; Kaze Hikaru
; Shura no Toki; Gintama
(a comedy/alternate universe version); Hijikata Toshizou - Shiro no Kiseki (a short OVA); Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
; Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi;
the yaoi manga Soshite Haru no Tsuki, and the popular otome game
/anime series Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
(in which he is the romantic lead)he appears in Kouta Hirano
's new work called Drifters
as an Antagonist rather than a protagonist.
He was also said to be the deceased father of the fifteen-year-old, female protagonist in the manga Hakodate Youjin Buraichou Himegami by Tamaki Nozomu.
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...
, a great swordsman and a talented Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
leader who resisted the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
.
Background
Hijikata Toshizō Yoshitoyo was born on May 31, 1835 in present-day HinoHino, Tokyo
is a city located in central Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 182,092 and a population density of 6,610 persons per km². The total area was 27.53 km².-Geography:...
, a suburb of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He was the youngest of six children, and his father, a well-to-do farmer, died shortly before his birth. Hijikata's mother also died when he was a young boy, and he was therefore raised by his older brother and sister-in-law.
He was apparently tall compared to the average Japanese men of the period, standing at approximately 165cm, when the average height was 154-158cm. He was said to be spoiled at an early age and was alleged to be mean to all but his friends and family. This changed when a 21-year-old swordsman from the Aizu
Aizu
is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...
clan known for opposing the Reformists was forced to commit seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
(ritual suicide). When Hijikata attended the man's funeral, he apparently cried in public.
Hijikata spent his youth selling his family's Ishida Sanyaku (medicine for treating injuries such as bruises and broken bones) while practicing his self-taught kenjutsu
Kenjutsu
, meaning "the method, or technique, of the sword." This is opposed to kendo, which means the way of the sword. Kenjutsu is the umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration...
. His brother-in-law, Satō Hikogorō, managed a Tennen Rishin-ryū
Tennen Rishin-ryu
is a Japanese martial art, commonly known as the style practiced by several core members of the Shinsengumi.-History:Founded by Kondō Kuranosuke Nagahiro around 1789, the style was popularized by Kondō Shūsuke , the third generation master of the style, who, together with Satō Hikogorō, spread its...
dojo in Hino; through Sato, Hijikata met the later Kondō 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...
and was formally enrolled at the Tennen Rishin-ryū's Shieikan in 1859. Although Hijikata himself never fully mastered the Tennen Rishin-ryū
Tennen Rishin-ryu
is a Japanese martial art, commonly known as the style practiced by several core members of the Shinsengumi.-History:Founded by Kondō Kuranosuke Nagahiro around 1789, the style was popularized by Kondō Shūsuke , the third generation master of the style, who, together with Satō Hikogorō, spread its...
, it is said that he managed to develop the "Shinsengumi-Kenjutsu" fighting style from the Tennen Rishin-ryū.
Shinsengumi period
In 1863, he and Kondō IsamiKondo 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...
formed the Shinsengumi. Kondō and two other men, 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...
and 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...
, became joint leaders of the group, and Hijikata served as one of the deputy leaders. Shinsengumi served as a special police
Special police
Special Police does not have a consistent international meaning. In many cases it will describe a police force or a unit within a police force whose duties and responsibilities are significantly different from other forces in the same country or significantly different from other police in the same...
force in Kyoto
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:...
that fought against the Reformists under Matsudaira Katamori
Matsudaira Katamori
was a samurai who lived in the last days of the Edo period and the early to mid Meiji period. He was the 9th daimyo of the Aizu han and the Military Commissioner of Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period. During the Boshin War, Katamori and the Aizu han fought against the Meiji Government armies, but...
, the Daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Aizu.
However, Serizawa and Niimi began fighting, drinking, and committing extortion in Kyoto, which started to tarnish the reputation of Shinsengumi and earned the group the derogatory nickname of "Wolves of Mibu" (壬生狼 miburō). Hijikata found enough proof against Niimi in these matters and ordered him to commit seppuku. Serizawa and his followers, however, were assassinated, and Kondo became the sole leader of Shinsengumi with Yamanami Keisuke
Yamanami Keisuke
was a Japanese samurai. He was the General Secretary of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto during the late Edo period.-Background:...
and Hijikata as his vice-commanders.
The group grew to 140 men, which included a number of farmers and merchants whose livelihood would be threatened if the Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown. The regulations set up by Shinsengumi within Kyoto were strict and Hijikata was known to be harsh in enforcing them, hence his nickname: "The Demon of the Shinsengumi". Even within the Shinsengumi itself, regulations were strictly enforced by Hijikata. Deserters and traitors were forced to commit seppuku; this happened to Yamanami (one of Hijikata's old friends) when he tried to leave Shinsengumi in 1865.
Hijikata owned a sword made by renowned swordsmith Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada (和泉守兼定) that was forged during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
.
Together with the rest of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata became a hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
in 1867. He was given the rank of yoriai (yoriai-kaku 寄合格) in early 1868.
Death
After Kondo surrendered to the Imperial Loyalist Army and was executed on May 17 (lunar calendarLunar 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...
April 25) 1868, Hijikata led Shinsengumi on their final battles against the new government. After a time in Aizu
Aizu
is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...
, he went to Sendai, where he joined up with Enomoto Takeaki
Enomoto Takeaki
Viscount was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War...
's fleet. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, and told the physician Matsumoto Ryojun
Matsumoto Jun (physician)
' was a Japanese physician who served as the personal physician to the last Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu. He also studied photography with J. L. C...
that "I am not going to battle to win. With the Tokugawa government about to collapse, it would be a disgrace if no one is willing to go down with it. That is why I must go. I will fight the best battle of my life to die for the country".
In October 1868, Hijikata and Ōtori Keisuke
Otori Keisuke
was a Japanese military commander during the last years of the Tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Era.-Early life and education:Ōtori Keisuke was born in Akamatsu Village, in the Akō domain of Harima Province , the son of physician Kobayashi Naosuke...
lead Shogunate forces to occupy the fortress of Goryōkaku
Goryokaku
is a star fort in the city of Hakodate in southern Hokkaidō, Japan. It was the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo.- History :Built by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1857-1866, it was located in the center of the port of Hakodate, on the island of Hokkaidō...
in the Battle of Hakodate
Battle of Hakodate
The was fought in Japan from October 20, 1868 to May 17, 1869, between the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate army, consolidated into the armed forces of the rebel Ezo Republic, and the armies of the newly formed Imperial government...
, and continued to eliminate local resistance. When the short-lived Ezo Republic was founded in December, Hijikata was made a vice-minister of the Army. Imperial troops continued to attack by land and sea. In the final conflict of the revolution, on June 20 (lunar calendar May 11), 1869, Hijikata was killed while in combat on horseback by a bullet that shattered his lower back. A week after his death, the Goryōkaku fortress was taken, and the military of Ezo Republic surrendered to the Meiji government on May 17, 1869.
It is unknown where Hijikata was buried, but a memorial gravestone
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
stands near Itabashi Station in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, next to Kondō Isami's. The death poem entrusted to Ichimura Tetsunosuke
Ichimura Tetsunosuke
was a member of the Shinsengumi and Hijikata Toshizō's page.Although commonly believed to be a fictional character, Ichimura Tetsunosuke was a real member of the Shinsengumi. Born in the year 1854, Tetsunosuke was the third son of Ichimura Hanemoki...
shortly before Hijikata's death reads:
Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo, My spirit guards my lord in the east.
In popular culture
The Shinsengumi have become a popular subject for films, television, and manga and anime, ranging from historical drama to comedy and romance. As a leader of the group, Hijikata is usually a prominent character in such productions. Though the treatment varies, he is typically portrayed as a tragic hero, representing the end of the warrior age and the "last of the samurai".Hijikata is depicted in the 1999 film Gohatto
Taboo (1999 film)
is a 1999 Japanese film directed by Nagisa Ōshima. It shows life in a samurai training school during the bakumatsu period, the end of the samurai era in the mid-19th century, specifically concentrating on the issue of homosexuality in the shudō tradition in the partially-closed environment.-Plot...
('Taboo') (played by Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano
is a Japanese filmmaker, comedian, singer, actor, film editor, presenter, screenwriter, author, poet, painter, and one-time video game designer who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. The famed Japanese film critic...
), and the 2004 NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
Taiga drama series Shinsengumi!
Shinsengumi!
is a Taiga drama television series produced by Japanese broadcaster NHK. It was a popular drama about shinsengumi, the Japanese special police from the Shogun period....
(including the single-episode sequel Shinsengumi!: Hijikata Toshizo Saigo no Ichinichi). He is the protagonist in Morita Kenji's manga Getsumei Seiki, and in Mibu Robin's Baragaki ("Red Demon"). Hijikata is also featured in a number of other anime and manga series, including Peace Maker Kurogane; Kaze Hikaru
Kaze Hikaru
is a Japanese manga series by Taeko Watanabe.Kaze Hikaru is set in the bakumatsu. After her father and older brother are murdered, Tominaga Sei decides to pose as a boy named so that she can join the Mibu-Roshigumi and avenge their deaths...
; Shura no Toki; Gintama
Gintama
, also known as Gintama, is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi and serialized, beginning on December 8, 2003, in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump...
(a comedy/alternate universe version); Hijikata Toshizou - Shiro no Kiseki (a short OVA); Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
is a Japanese anime series, created by Ryōsuke Takahashi and Sunrise. It was broadcast between October 6, 2006 and April 6, 2007 on the Japanese internet streaming channel, GyaO.-Story:...
; Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi;
the yaoi manga Soshite Haru no Tsuki, and the popular otome game
Otome game
An is a video game that is targeted towards a female market, where one of the main goals, besides the plot goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female player character and one of several male characters. This genre is most established in Japan. The label includes both visual...
/anime series Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
is a video game series by Idea Factory, first designed for the Playstation 2 and then later ported to Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, and Nintendo DS. A Nintendo 3DS version is soon to be released as well. It has been adapted into two 12/10-episode anime series animated by Studio DEEN; the...
(in which he is the romantic lead)he appears in Kouta Hirano
Kouta Hirano
is a Japanese manga artist born in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for his manga Hellsing.- History :Starting his career first as a manga artist's assistant , and later an H manga artist, he went on to enjoy somewhat limited success with other relatively unknown manga titles such as Angel Dust,...
's new work called Drifters
Drifters (manga)
is a fantasy, alternate history Japanese manga written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. The manga started serialization in Shōnen Gahosha's magazine, Young King Ours on April 30, 2009...
as an Antagonist rather than a protagonist.
He was also said to be the deceased father of the fifteen-year-old, female protagonist in the manga Hakodate Youjin Buraichou Himegami by Tamaki Nozomu.
Further reading
- Hijikata Toshizō and Okita Sōji. Hijikata Toshizō, Okita Sōji zenshokanshū edited by Kikuchi Akira. Tōkyō : Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha, 1995. ISBN 4404023065.
- Itō Seirō. Hijikata Toshizō no nikki. Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha, 2000. ISBN 440402861X
- Kikuchi Akira, et al. Shashinshū Hijikata Toshizō no shōgai. Tōkyō : Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha, 2001. ISBN 4404029306
- Miyoshi Tōru. Senshi no fu: Hijikata Toshizō no sei to shi. Tōkyō: Shueisha, 1993. ISBN 4087480011 ISBN 408748002X.
- Tanaka Mariko and Matsumoto Naoko. Hijikata Toshizō Boshin senki. Tōkyō : Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha, 1976.
- "Moe Yo Ken" ('Burn, My Sword') by Shiba Ryoutarou (http://moeyoken.blogspot.com/2009/01/1.html) Entire fictional biography of Toshizo (link no longer active)
- Hillsborough, Romulus. Shinsengumi: The Shōgun's Last Samurai Corps. North Clarendon, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0804836272.