Takechi Hanpeita

Takechi Hanpeita (1829–1865) was a late Edo period loyalist and founder of the Tosa Kinno-to Party, a central figure in the sonnō jōi (revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians) movement. He was also known as Takechi Zuisan. Born into a family of village samurai (lower-ranking warrior class) in the Tosa Domain (present-day Kōchi Prefecture), he wielded exceptional swordsmanship and organizational prowess, becoming one of the most influential figures of the late Edo period in both political and military affairs.

In his youth, Hanpeita traveled to Edo to pursue martial training, eventually achieving full mastery (menkyō kaiden) in the Kyōshin Meichi-ryu style. His technique, known as the three-stage thrust, was regarded as exceptional even among contemporary master swordsmen. He maintained numerous disciples, including Nakaoka Shintarō, and had family connections with Sakamoto Ryōma. He became the preeminent swordmaster of the Tosa Domain.

In 1861, Hanpeita founded the Tosa Kinno-to Party, rapidly gathering over 200 like-minded samurai from the lower ranks within the domain in less than a year. Under the banner of "revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians" (kinno jōi), he sought to seize political control within the domain and enacted sweeping administrative reforms. However, the radical sonnō jōi movement generated friction both within and beyond the domain, and following the Bunkyū Reforms of 1862, as the kōbu gattai (union of court and shogunate) faction gained prominence, the Tosa Kinno-to Party became increasingly isolated.

The most famous incident involving Hanpeita and the Tosa Kinno-to Party was the assassination of Yoshida Tōyō (1862). Yoshida Tōyō was a powerful figure in the Tosa Domain and an advocate of the kōbu gattai faction, placing him in sharp ideological conflict with the sonnō jōi-aligned Hanpeita. Hanpeita successfully sent an assassin from the Tosa Kinno-to Party to eliminate Tōyō, but this act drew the attention of the shogunate and eventually led to Hanpeita's own downfall.

Regarding Japanese swords, Hanpeita was an accomplished master of the Kyōshin Meichi-ryu style and possessed deep expertise in sword craft. For the late Edo period loyalists, the sword served as a tangible expression of their convictions, and Hanpeita's blade embodied his sonnō jōi aspirations. The swords borne by the fellow members of the Tosa Kinno-to Party functioned as symbols of their oath to overthrow the shogunate.

In 1865, under orders from Yamauchi Yōdō, Hanpeita was commanded to commit seppuku within the Tosa Domain. He died at the age of 37. His final moments were reportedly as valiant as his signature three-stage thrust technique, as he made three deliberate cuts across his abdomen before meeting his end with the pride of a true samurai. After his death, the spirit of the Tosa Kinno-to Party was carried forward by Sakamoto Ryōma, Nakaoka Shintarō, and others, becoming a driving force of the Meiji Restoration.