Hijikata Toshizō

Background

Hijikata Toshizō was born on May 31, 1835, in the Ishida village, Tama region of Musashi Province (present day Ishida, Hino, Tokyo), Japan. He was the youngest of ten children. His father died a few months before his birth. His mother died when he was six, and he was raised by his second older brother and sister-in-law.

He spent his youth selling his family's Ishida san'yaku (medicine for treating injuries) while practicing self-taught kenjutsu. Through his brother-in-law, he met Kondō Isami and was formally enrolled at the Tennen Rishin-ryū's Shieikan in 1859. He developed the 'Shinsengumi-Kenjutsu' fighting style from the Tennen Rishin-ryū.

In 1863, he and Kondō joined the Rōshigumi in Edo, later becoming the Mibu Rōshigumi, which was renamed the Shinsengumi. Hijikata served as a deputy leader. After the deaths of Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki, Kondō became sole leader, and Hijikata later became Vice-Commander after Yamanami Keisuke's seppuku.

He enforced strict regulations, earning the nickname 'the Demon Vice-Commander.' He owned a sword signed 'Izumi no Kami Kanesada.' He became a hatamoto in 1867 and took the name Naitō Hayato, reverting to his original name after Kondō's execution. During the Boshin War, he fought at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, the Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma, and later joined Enomoto Takeaki's fleet. He told a physician, 'I am not going to battle to win... I will fight the best battle of my life to die for the country.' He led a raid to steal the imperial warship Kōtetsu in the Battle of Miyako Bay, but Kōtetsu repelled the attack with a Gatling gun. He died at the Battle of Hakodate.