Hijikata Toshizō Background . Hijikata Toshizō Yoshitoyo was born on May 31 , 1835 in present - day Hino , a suburb of Tokyo . He was the youngest of six children , and his father , a well - to - do farmer , died shortly before his birth . Hijikata ' s mother also died when he was a young boy , and he was therefore raised by his older brother and sister - in - law . He was apparently tall compared to the average Japanese men of the period , and it is said that he was very handsome . He was said to be spoiled at an early age and was alleged to be mean to all but his friends and family . This changed when a 21 - year - old swordsman from the Aizu clan known for opposing the Reformists was forced to commit seppuku ( ritual suicide ) . When Hijikata attended the man ' s funeral , he apparently cried in public . Hijikata spent his youth selling his family ' s " Ishida Sanyaku " ( medicine for treating injuries such as bruises and broken bones ) while practicing his self - taught kenjutsu . His brother - in - law , Satō Hikogorō , managed a " Tennen Rishin - ryū " dojo in Hino ; through Sato , Hijikata later met Kondō Isami and was formally enrolled at the Tennen Rishin - ryū ' s Shieikan in 1859 . Although Hijikata himself never fully mastered the " Tennen Rishin - ryū " , it is said that he managed to develop the " Shinsengumi - Kenjutsu " fighting style from the Tennen Rishin - ryū . Shinsengumi period . In 1863 , he and Kondō Isami formed the Shinsengumi . Kondō and two other men , Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki , became joint leaders of the group , and Hijikata served as one of the deputy leaders . Shinsengumi served as a special police force in Kyoto that fought against the Reformists under Matsudaira Katamori , the Daimyo of Aizu . However , Serizawa and Niimi began fighting , drinking , and extorting money from merchants in Kyoto , which started to tarnish the reputation of Shinsengumi and earned the group the derogatory nickname of " Wolves of Mibu " ( 壬生狼 " miburō " ) . Hijikata found enough proof against Niimi in these matters and ordered him to commit seppuku . Serizawa and his followers , however , were assassinated , and Kondo became the sole leader of Shinsengumi with Yamanami Keisuke and Hijikata as his vice - commanders . The group grew to 140 men , which included a number of farmers and merchants whose livelihood would be threatened if the Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown . The regulations set up by Shinsengumi within Kyoto were strict and Hijikata was known to be harsh in enforcing them , hence his nickname : " The Demon of the Shinsengumi " . Even within the Shinsengumi itself , regulations were strictly enforced by Hijikata . Deserters and traitors were forced to commit seppuku ; this happened to Yamanami ( one of Hijikata ' s old friends ) when he tried to leave Shinsengumi in 1865 . Hijikata owned a sword made by renowned swordsmith " Izumi - no - Kami Kanesada " ( ) that was forged during the Muromachi period . Together with the rest of the Shinsengumi , Hijikata became a hatamoto in 1867 . He was given the rank of " yoriai " ( " yoriai - kaku " 寄合格 ) in early 1868 . Death . After Kondo surrendered to the Imperial Loyalist Army and was executed on May 17 ( lunar calendar : 4th month , 25th day ) 1868 , Hijikata led the Shinsengumi in their final battles against the new government . After a time in Aizu , he went to Sendai , where he joined up with Enomoto Takeaki ' s fleet . He knew he was fighting a losing battle , and told the physician Matsumoto Ryojun : " I am not going to battle to win . With the Tokugawa government about to collapse , it would be a disgrace if no one is willing to go down with it . That is why I must go . I will fight the best battle of my life to die for the country " . In October 1868 , Hijikata and Ōtori Keisuke lead Shogunate forces to occupy the fortress of Goryōkaku in the Battle of Hakodate , and continued to eliminate local resistance . When the short - lived Ezo Republic was founded in December , Hijikata was made a vice - minister of the Army . Imperial troops continued to attack by land and sea . In the final conflict of the revolution , on June 20 ( lunar calendar : 5th month , 11th day ) , 1869 , Hijikata was killed while in combat on horseback by a bullet that shattered his lower back . A week after his death , Goryōkaku fortress was taken , and the military of Ezo Republic surrendered to the Meiji government on June 27 , 1869 . It is unknown where Hijikata was buried , but a cenotaph stands near Itabashi Station in Tokyo , next to Kondō Isami ' s . The death poem entrusted to Ichimura Tetsunosuke shortly before Hijikata ' s death reads : " Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo , My spirit guards my lord in the east . " In popular culture . The Shinsengumi have become a popular subject for films , television , and manga and anime , ranging from historical drama to comedy and romance . As a leader of the group , Hijikata is usually a prominent character in such productions . Hijikata is depicted in the 1999 film " Gohatto " ( " Taboo " ) ( played by Takeshi Kitano ) , and the 2004 NHK Taiga drama series " Shinsengumi ! " ( including the single - episode sequel " Shinsengumi ! : Hijikata Toshizo Saigo no Ichinichi " ) . He is the protagonist in Morita Kenji ' s manga " Getsumei Seiki " , and in Mibu Robin ' s " Baragaki " ( " Red Demon " ) . Hijikata is also featured in a number of other anime and manga series , including " Peace Maker Kurogane " ; " Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto " ; " Ghost Slayers Ayashi " ( as a child , with a brief glimpse of his future death ) ; " Kaze Hikaru " ; " Shura no Toki " ; " Gintama " ( a comedy / alternate universe version ) ; " Hell Girl " and the popular otome game / anime series " " . Hijitaka is also a supporting character in " Shin Teito Monogatari " , the prequel to the bestselling historical fantasy novel " Teito Monogatari " ( Hiroshi Aramata ) .