Takeda Kanryusai
Encyclopedia
Takeda Kanryusai (? – June 22, 1867) was the fifth unit captain of the Shinsengumi
which were a special police
force for the Tokugawa
regime.
born in Izumo
, in the late Edo Period
. Born Fukuda Hiroshi in Izumo (modern day Shimane Prefecture
, in the Chūgoku region
), it's said that Takeda wanted to become a doctor in his youth. However, he left his clan to study the Koushuu Nagamuna style of military strategy in Edo
. While there, he became close to the well-known Takeda family and was adopted by them, taking the name Takeda Kanryuusai. This branch of the Takeda clan were hereditary Aizu
vassals, although Takeda Kouunsai was a well-known antibakufu activist involved with the Tengu-tou.
Little is known of Takeda Kanryuusai's life before joining the Shinsengumi, but he was likely involved in academics and medicine. His sword style was most likely Hokushin Ittō-ryū, although he does not appear to have been very skilled. He was close to the influential loyalist Hirano Kuniomi. However, he was too outspoken an advocate of sonno joi and was arrested. He escaped imprisonment in 1863 and fled to Kyoto
to join the Shinsengumi.
in Edo and joined his group early in the winter of 1863 or 1864, at age 30. He was appointed to a management position as a fukuchou's assistant based on his credentials in military strategy. There, he ingratiated himself to Kondou with cheap flattery and was despised by most of the other members.
Takeda was assigned to assist in the arrest of Furutaka Shuntaro (also known as Masuya Kiemon), which lead to the Ikedaya Affair. He was a member of Kondo's group and helped to secure the perimeter of Ikeda-ya. Takeda participated in the indoor battle after the arrival of Hijikata's group, bringing down the ceiling and killing a Tosa
ronin. He received a 20 ryou bonus for valor in combat. Soon after, he was sent as an officer to the Akebono Restaurant incident, in which an Aizu retainer accidentally killed a Nagato
retainer.
When Nagakura Shinpachi
and others petitioned the Aizu clan on account of Kondou's allegedly despotic leadership, Takeda strived to mediate between the two sides. After that, he turned to military affairs such as increasing the ranks of the Shinsengumi. In September he accompanied Kondo to Edo as his secretary; in November, he went to Nagato as a military advisor. He outranked military advisor Ito Kashitaro at the time. However, the Shinsengumi were beginning to adopt more Western military techniques based on the French army by the time of Ito Kashitaro's enlistment, which rendered Takeda's Koushuu style obsolete. However, a clever appeal to Kondou earned Takeda the position of fifth Unit Captain in 1865. He also taught strategy and tactics.
But Itou Kashitarou's excellence in academics and martial arts was not ignored by Kondo, no matter how fond he was of his sycophant, Takeda. Takeda was left off an 1866 business trip to Hiroshima in favor of the other military advisor. In desperation, he sought whatever allies he could.
There are conflicting accounts of how and when Takeda was killed. The first is that he was assassinated on the 28th day, ninth month, of the year Keiou 2 (November 5, 1866), on his way back from Izumo. He was making his way across the Zenitori Bridge of the Taketa Highway in Fushimi when he was confronted by Saito Hajime
and Shinohara Tainoshin. Saitou Hajime is often credited with the kill, although Shinohara is said to be the true assassin. The other story is that he was not murdered until the 22nd day, sixth month, in the year Keiou 3 (July 23, 1867), on his way home along that highway from a farewell party organised by Kondo. He had obtained permission to leave, but the Shinsengumi secretly plotted against him. He may have also attempted to join Itou's group at this time, but was turned down. He then intended to join Satsuma. Saitou, and sometimes Shinohara, are usually credited in this version of the assassination as well, but they had both left the Shinsengumi months earlier as a part of Itou's group. There is much unresolved confusion over when exactly Takeda left the Shinsengumi and when his treachery was discovered. The 1867 date is more widely used.
Rurouni Kenshin
author Nobuhiro Watsuki
cites Takeda Kanryūsai as the inspiration for a character by the name of Takeda Kanryū, who appears for a few chapters in the manga, as well as in the television series of the same name.
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...
which were 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 for 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...
regime.
Background
He was a samuraiSamurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
born in Izumo
Izumo Province
was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku Region.- History :It was one of the regions of ancient Japan where major political powers arose...
, in the late 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....
. Born Fukuda Hiroshi in Izumo (modern day Shimane Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...
, in the Chūgoku region
Chugoku region
The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :...
), it's said that Takeda wanted to become a doctor in his youth. However, he left his clan to study the Koushuu Nagamuna style of military strategy 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...
. While there, he became close to the well-known Takeda family and was adopted by them, taking the name Takeda Kanryuusai. This branch of the Takeda clan were hereditary 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:...
vassals, although Takeda Kouunsai was a well-known antibakufu activist involved with the Tengu-tou.
Little is known of Takeda Kanryuusai's life before joining the Shinsengumi, but he was likely involved in academics and medicine. His sword style was most likely Hokushin Ittō-ryū, although he does not appear to have been very skilled. He was close to the influential loyalist Hirano Kuniomi. However, he was too outspoken an advocate of sonno joi and was arrested. He escaped imprisonment in 1863 and fled to 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:...
to join the Shinsengumi.
Shinsengumi Period
Somehow he had been acquainted with Kondo 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...
in Edo and joined his group early in the winter of 1863 or 1864, at age 30. He was appointed to a management position as a fukuchou's assistant based on his credentials in military strategy. There, he ingratiated himself to Kondou with cheap flattery and was despised by most of the other members.
Takeda was assigned to assist in the arrest of Furutaka Shuntaro (also known as Masuya Kiemon), which lead to the Ikedaya Affair. He was a member of Kondo's group and helped to secure the perimeter of Ikeda-ya. Takeda participated in the indoor battle after the arrival of Hijikata's group, bringing down the ceiling and killing a Tosa
Tosa Domain
The was a feudal domain in Tosa Province of Japan during the Edo period. Its official name is . Some from the domain played important roles in events in the late Tokugawa shogunate...
ronin. He received a 20 ryou bonus for valor in combat. Soon after, he was sent as an officer to the Akebono Restaurant incident, in which an Aizu retainer accidentally killed a Nagato
Nagato
- Places :* Nagato, Yamaguchi, a city in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan* Nagato, Nagano, a town in Nagano prefecture, Japan* Nagato Province, one of the old provinces of Japan- Characters :* Yuki Nagato, a character in the Haruhi Suzumiya series...
retainer.
When 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...
and others petitioned the Aizu clan on account of Kondou's allegedly despotic leadership, Takeda strived to mediate between the two sides. After that, he turned to military affairs such as increasing the ranks of the Shinsengumi. In September he accompanied Kondo to Edo as his secretary; in November, he went to Nagato as a military advisor. He outranked military advisor Ito Kashitaro at the time. However, the Shinsengumi were beginning to adopt more Western military techniques based on the French army by the time of Ito Kashitaro's enlistment, which rendered Takeda's Koushuu style obsolete. However, a clever appeal to Kondou earned Takeda the position of fifth Unit Captain in 1865. He also taught strategy and tactics.
But Itou Kashitarou's excellence in academics and martial arts was not ignored by Kondo, no matter how fond he was of his sycophant, Takeda. Takeda was left off an 1866 business trip to Hiroshima in favor of the other military advisor. In desperation, he sought whatever allies he could.
Death
Takeda approached Itou about forming a separate party within the Shinsengumi, but Ito refused only to do exactly that in 1867. Even without Itou's support, Takeda ambitiously planned to leave the Shinsengumi, contact Satsuma and start a new movement to overthrow the shogun. Although he had previously been loyal to Kondou, it is said that he was offered a large sum of money to leave. He obtained permission to leave the Shinsengumi and return to Izumo - however, the Shisnengumi's extensive network of informants discovered his secret communications with Satsuma.There are conflicting accounts of how and when Takeda was killed. The first is that he was assassinated on the 28th day, ninth month, of the year Keiou 2 (November 5, 1866), on his way back from Izumo. He was making his way across the Zenitori Bridge of the Taketa Highway in Fushimi when he was confronted by Saito Hajime
Saito Hajime
was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, who most famously served as the captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi. He was one of the few core members who survived the numerous wars of the Bakumatsu period.-Early years:...
and Shinohara Tainoshin. Saitou Hajime is often credited with the kill, although Shinohara is said to be the true assassin. The other story is that he was not murdered until the 22nd day, sixth month, in the year Keiou 3 (July 23, 1867), on his way home along that highway from a farewell party organised by Kondo. He had obtained permission to leave, but the Shinsengumi secretly plotted against him. He may have also attempted to join Itou's group at this time, but was turned down. He then intended to join Satsuma. Saitou, and sometimes Shinohara, are usually credited in this version of the assassination as well, but they had both left the Shinsengumi months earlier as a part of Itou's group. There is much unresolved confusion over when exactly Takeda left the Shinsengumi and when his treachery was discovered. The 1867 date is more widely used.
Character
Takeda was a tall man with cropped hair. He was known to have been strict to subordinates that he seemed to wish to reduce them to tears, while fawning over superiors. Takeda was also said to be homosexual. Homosexuality was discouraged within the Shinsengumi for the violent love triangles it often generated. Takeda did not have any recorded liaisons with women, and several recruits apparently complained of harassment. The novelist Shimozawa Kan writes in his "Shinsengumi Monogatari" that Takeda had been harassing a beautiful young boy, Umagoe Saburō, but that Umagoe rejected him and appealed to Hijikata. It happened that Umagoe also saw Takeda leaving the Satsuma estate and reported such to Kondō. However, since Umagoe left the Shinsengumi three years before Takeda's assassination, this is probably untrue. However, Takeda did not have an attractive personality to either sex. He largely avoided the dirty work of the Shinsengumi and concentrated on pandering to his superiors. Kondō found him to be educated and erudite, and was impressed with his skills in strategy and medicine, but obviously his opinion of Takeda changed. Takeda's decision to join Satsuma was probably motivated less by political aspirations than by greed. Unlike Itō, he lacked the charisma to successfully create a separatist group, and is remembered as a rather pathetic villain. Takeda Kanryūsai's memorial is at the Shinsengumi cemetery in Kitaku Takinogawa 7-chōme .Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin
, also known as Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The fictional setting takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. The story is about a fictional assassin named Himura Kenshin, from the Bakumatsu who becomes a wanderer to...
author Nobuhiro Watsuki
Nobuhiro Watsuki
is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin. He once worked as an assistant for his favorite author Takeshi Obata.-Biography:...
cites Takeda Kanryūsai as the inspiration for a character by the name of Takeda Kanryū, who appears for a few chapters in the manga, as well as in the television series of the same name.