Rise of the Ronin

The Bakumatsu Setting and Rise of the Ronin

Rise of the Ronin is an open-world action RPG developed by Koei Tecmo Games and Team NINJA and released for the PS5 in March 2024. Its setting is the Bakumatsu, the period from Kaei 6 (1853), when Perry's fleet arrived, through the Boshin War (1868–69), one of the most dramatic upheavals in Japanese history.

The Bakumatsu was both the end of the age of the samurai and a decisive turning point for the culture of the Japanese sword. As Western-style firearms and cannons eroded the practical superiority of the sword, samurai became increasingly aware of the spiritual and cultural value invested in the blade. In the roughly twenty years before the Haitōrei edict banning the wearing of swords (1876), Bakumatsu patriots wore their swords every day as the line between life and death and pushed through the storm of the age. This game recreates the atmosphere of that era with overwhelming resolution.

Swordsmanship Schools and the Diversity of Japanese Swords

One of the defining features of this game is the abundance of swordsmanship schools (sword styles) and the diversity of how Japanese swords are wielded in line with each school. Schools that existed in the actual Bakumatsu, such as Tennen Rishin-ryū, Shindō Munen-ryū, Hokushin Ittō-ryū, and Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, are recreated, and players can switch styles depending on the situation as they fight.

Tennen Rishin-ryū is famous as the school of the Shinsengumi, and in this game its ties to Kondō Isami and Hijikata Toshizō are deeply portrayed. Hokushin Ittō-ryū is known for its connection to Sakamoto Ryōma and the Chiba dojo, and it was a school widely spread among Bakumatsu patriots. The game lets players experience in playable form how these schools are deeply tied to the actual use of the sword.

Furthermore, the game features many kinds of swords and polearms, including uchigatana, ōdachi, naginata, and yari, and their respective strengths in range and their tactical characteristics are reflected in the game system. The uchigatana was the standard armament of the early modern samurai, combining portability and speed, while the ōdachi has the weight and power of its long blade. By experiencing these differences, players naturally deepen their understanding of the types of Japanese swords and how they were used.

Real Bakumatsu Patriots and Sword Culture

The game features many real historical figures who seem to have stepped out of history books, including Sakamoto Ryōma, Katsura Kogorō, Kondō Isami, Hijikata Toshizō, Katsu Kaishū, Yoshida Shōin, Fukuzawa Yukichi, and Matthew Perry. Swords these people actually used remain in the historical record, and interest in them is expected to grow through the game.

Sakamoto Ryōma's favorite sword was the Mutsu no Kami Yoshiyuki, said to be the work of Yoshiyuki, a swordsmith of Tosa Domain. It is said Ryōma was carrying it when he was attacked at the Ōmiya, and it is now held by the Kyoto National Museum. Hijikata Toshizō's favorite sword, the Izumi no Kami Kanesada, is the work of a famous smith of Aizu and is renowned as a symbol of the Shinsengumi's vice-commander.

Influence on Sword Culture in the Bakumatsu

The Bakumatsu was also an important turning point in the forging techniques of Japanese swords. Minamoto no Kiyomaro, Hosokawa Masayoshi, and Kurihara Nobuhide studied the techniques of old swords (kotō) while producing excellent blades to meet the demand of Bakumatsu samurai. The works of Minamoto no Kiyomaro in particular are known for their bold hamon influenced by the Sōshū tradition, and they are still highly regarded today as famous swords of the late Bakumatsu.

After the Haitōrei edict, Japanese swords changed character from weapons to art objects and cultural properties. Bakumatsu swords hold a special place in the appreciation of swords today, as works that combine the historical weight of the last practical battle swords that samurai entrusted their lives to with the value of art objects in which the finest achievements of modern swordsmithing came together.

Rise of the Ronin and Toukenza

Rise of the Ronin is a rare work that lets players experience the relationship between the Bakumatsu era and Japanese swords on the broad canvas of an open world. The role of Toukenza is to connect the feeling players had on screen, of living through the age with a sword at their side, to an encounter with real Japanese swords. The spirit of the shintō and Bakumatsu-period blades worn by the patriots of the late Edo period lives on in the authentic swords that still survive today.