* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Inoue Genzaburo
井上源三郎
6th Unit Captain of the Shinsengumi — Veteran from the Shieikan days who anchored the organization, killed in action at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
Description
Veteran Swordsman of the Shieikan
Born in Bunsei 12 (1829), Inoue Genzaburo was one of the long-standing practitioners of the Shieikan dojo, the Tennen Rishin-ryu school led by Kondo Isao and Hijikata Toshizo. From the late Tempo period through the Kaei and Ansei periods, he cultivated his swordsmanship at the Shieikan, training as a student of Kondo Shusai (the third generation), the adoptive father of Kondo Isao. He was one of the older members of the Shieikan group and was esteemed as an experienced and accomplished swordsman.
Sixth Unit Commander of the Shinsengumi
He participated in the Ronin Corps' journey to Kyoto in Bunkyū 3 (1863) and was appointed Sixth Unit Commander following the formation of the Shinsengumi. While Genzaburo left few dramatic tales, he functioned as a practical administrator essential to the organization's stability. Unlike the distinctive leadership of figures such as Kondo Isao and Hijikata Toshizo, he earned the trust of his colleagues through his honest character in steadfastly performing his duties.
Tennen Rishin-ryu and His Swords
As a Tennen Rishin-ryu swordsman, Genzaburo engaged in numerous duties wielding the practical combat techniques he had trained at the Shieikan. Documentary sources regarding his favorite sword are sparse, but as a Tennen Rishin-ryu swordsman, he likely favored practical combat blades similar to those of Kondo Isao's "Nagasone Kotetsu" and Hijikata Toshizo's "Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada." There is also the possibility that he favored the "Yamato-no-Kami Yasusada," which was widely used among Shinsengumi swordsmen during the late Bakumatsu period.
Death in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
In the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in January of Keiō 4 (1868), Genzaburo fought on the front lines and fell in battle. He was 40 years old. As a long-standing veteran since the Shieikan, Genzaburo's death—having consistently supported the organization from its formation through the outbreak of the Boshin War—was a grievous loss to the Bakufu side. Though he had few dramatic anecdotes, Genzaburo remains an important figure in Shinsengumi history, remembered as a steadfast warrior who supported the organization's foundation.
Notable Swords
- Katana (details undocumented; as a Tennen Rishin-ryu practitioner he would have carried a practical fighting sword; no specific attribution is reliably recorded)