* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Hijikata Toshizō
土方歳三
The Demon Vice-Commander
Description
Birth of the Demon Vice-Commander
Born in Tenpō 6 (1835) in Ishida Village, Tama District, Musashi Province, Hijikata Toshizō rose to prominence as vice-commander of the Shinsengumi and became one of the mightiest swordsmen of the Bakumatsu era, feared by all as "the Demon Vice-Commander." Though born as the youngest son of a farming family, he burned with aspiration to become a samurai and entered the Shieikan, the dōjō of Kondō Isao, a master of Tennen Rishin-ryū, from which he immersed himself in the turbulent upheavals of the final years of the shogunate.
Entry into Tennen Rishin-ryū
Toshizō's martial prowess and gift for organizational leadership manifested most fully in his activities with the Shinsengumi in Kyoto from Bunkyū 3 (1863) onward. He established the strict code of conduct known as the Kyokuchū Hattō (Rules of the Shinsengumi), and showed no mercy in ordering violators to commit seppuku. So iron-fisted was his discipline that it was said "the lives of the men lay in the palm of Hijikata's hand," transforming the motley rabble of rōnin into the mightiest fighting force of the Bakumatsu. Toshizō himself took the lead in enforcing the code, showing no sympathy even to friends who transgressed. This very ruthlessness earned him the epithet "the Demon Vice-Commander."
Formation of the Shinsengumi
The Ikedaya Incident of Genji 1 (1864), the 5th of June, became the event that announced the Shinsengumi's name to all of Japan, and Toshizō stood at the center of that battle. Upon learning that sonnō-jōi loyalists from Chōshū and Tosa domains had planned to torch Kyoto, the Shinsengumi raided the Ikedaya. The close-quarters sword combat within that narrow space was horrific, and Toshizō himself wielded his blade, striking down one opponent after another. This incident is credited with delaying the Meiji Restoration by several years.
Activities in Kyoto
The most famous of Toshizō's beloved swords was the Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, forged by the master craftsman Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada (eleventh generation of Aizu). Kanesada blades are known for inheriting the Mino tradition while possessing keen, razor-sharp edges suited to real combat. Toshizō's Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada was a battle-tested blade that survived multiple brutal sword engagements with the Shinsengumi and protected Toshizō's life through countless battles including the Ikedaya Incident. This sword, still preserved in the Hijikata Toshizō Museum today, bears layers upon layers of nicks in the blade and signs of repeated re-polishing, silently attesting to the violent battles of Toshizō's extraordinary life.
Bakumatsu Turmoil and Swordsman
Another beloved sword, the Yamato-no-Kami Minamoto Hidekuni, is said to have been Toshizō's sword in his early years. Hidekuni was a swordsmith of the late Edo period renowned among Bakumatsu loyalists for the exceptional sharpness of his blades. After gaining extensive combat experience with this sword, Toshizō is said to have switched to the more keenly honed Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.
Participation in the Hakodate War
In the first month of Keiō 4 (1868), the shogunate army suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, and the Shinsengumi received grievous losses. Yet Toshizō refused to surrender. He continued northward, fighting through the Battle of Kōshū Katsunuma, the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle, and the Aizu War. During this time, Toshizō adopted Western dress and studied French military tactics, reinventing himself as a modern commander. Yet he never relinquished his katana. The Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada was the very soul of Toshizō as a samurai.
Strongest Swordsman of the Bakumatsu
On the 11th of May, Meiji 2 (1869), Toshizō met his end at the Battle of Goryōkaku in Hakodate. Charging into the enemy ranks from horseback, Toshizō fell to gunfire. He was thirty-five. The figure of Toshizō in Western dress, saber at his side, perfectly embodied the Bakumatsu era, an age where old and new worlds collided. His dignified profile, captured in photographs, conveys to this day the final brilliance of the age of the samurai. For Toshizō, the Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada was the ultimate proof of loyalty to the shogunate he could not save, and a symbol of his unshakable resolve to live as a samurai and die as a samurai.
Notable Swords
- Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada (11th gen., Nosada)
- Yamato-no-Kami Minamoto Hidekuni