Shinsengumi! (NHK Taiga Drama, 2004)
新選組!
The 43rd NHK Taiga Drama, broadcast from 11 January to 12 December 2004. Written by Koki Mitani in his first Taiga Drama screenplay, it starred Shingo Katori as Shinsengumi commander Kondo Isami. An original screenplay not based on an existing historical novel, it follows Kondo from the Shinsengumi's formation to his death.
Description
Overview
Shinsengumi! was the 43rd NHK Taiga Drama, broadcast from 11 January to 12 December 2004. It was written by Koki Mitani, marking his first Taiga Drama screenplay, and starred Shingo Katori as Shinsengumi commander Kondo Isami. It was an original screenplay not adapted from an existing historical novel.
Setting
The drama follows Kondo Isami, Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Soji — who ran the Shieikan swordsmanship dojo in Edo — as they form the Shinsengumi, a peacekeeping force in Bakumatsu-era Kyoto, and live through a turbulent age. Centered on Kondo, it focuses on the friendships and conflicts among the corps members and on young men buffeted by their era.
Swords in the Story
Legends surrounding the corps members' personal swords form an important motif. Kondo Isami is said to have claimed to own a genuine blade by the master smith Nagasone Kotetsu, though its authenticity has long been historically disputed. Vice-commander Hijikata Toshizo is known to have actually carried a sword by the Aizu swordsmith Izumi no Kami Kanesada (eleventh generation). First-unit captain Okita Soji's sword is traditionally identified as a Kashu Kiyomitsu blade.
Relationship to History
While centered on Kondo Isami and broadly following historical events, the drama includes bold fictional embellishments by Mitani, such as allowing corps members who were historically purged or killed to exit the story still alive. It is also known for departing from Taiga Drama conventions, dispensing with narration and incorporating comedic elements.
Cultural Impact
The drama contributed to the broader Bakumatsu/Shinsengumi boom and has been re-evaluated favorably in later years. It stands as one of Koki Mitani's representative works and helped introduce the wider public to the legends surrounding the personal swords of late-Edo swordsmen.
Real Swords Featured
Nagasone Kotetsu
The renowned blade Kondo Isami is said to have claimed to own; its authenticity remains historically disputed.
Izumi no Kami Kanesada (11th generation)
An Aizu swordsmith whose blade is well documented as Hijikata Toshizo's personal sword.
Kashu Kiyomitsu
A Kaga-province swordsmith traditionally associated with Okita Soji's sword.
See authentic Japanese swords
See authentic Japanese swordsThis page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.