Nakaoka Shintarō

Nakaoka Shintarō (中岡 慎太郎, May 6, 1838 – December 12, 1867) was a passionate patriot and a prominent figure in Japan's late Edo period. He served as the commander of the Rikuentai (陸援隊), an army support force. In recognition of his contributions, he was posthumously honored with the title of Shōshi (正四位), Senior Fourth Rank, on April 8, 1891 (Meiji 24).
As shown in the Hakuōki franchise, Nakaoka was a friend of Sakamoto Ryōma and was assassinated alongside him. 
==Background==
Nakaoka Shintarō was born as the eldest son of Nakaoka Shodenji, the head of the Oshoya (大庄屋) in Kashiwagi Village, Kitagawa District, Tosa Province (now Kashiwagi, Kitagawa Village, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture). His given name was Michimasa (道正), and he was later known by various names such as "Fukutarō" (福太郎) or "Fukugorō" (福五郎), "Mitsutsugu" (光次), and eventually "Shintarō" (慎太郎). He also used the alias Ishikawa (石川) Seinosuke(清之助 or 誠之助).
In the first year of Ansei (1854), at the age of 17, he studied Confucianism and history under Tetsuma Mazaki. The following year, he joined the dojo (sword school) of Takechi Hanpeita to learn swordsmanship. In the fourth year of Ansei (1857), at the age of 20, he married Kane, the 15-year-old daughter of Hikojirō Toshioka, a village headman in Notomo. From that point on, he wholeheartedly engaged in revolutionary activities as a member of the Tosa Kinno-to (土佐勤王党), a group founded by Takechi Hanpeita in the first year of Bunkyū (1861).
In the second year of Bunkyū (1862), along with Gensui Hisa and Hanzō Yamagata from the Chōshū Domain, Shintarō visited Saku Maeda in Matsushiro to discuss national defense and political reform, deepening his awareness of the issues at hand. This encounter marked a turning point in his commitment to the revolutionary cause.
==Suppression of loyalist parties==
In December 1862, Takechi Hanpeita and others planned reforms in Tosa, but their imperial decree incident angered Yamamoto Yodo. He imprisoned them upon their return to Tosa. Yodo cracked down on the anti-foreign faction, dismissing officials and ordering the seppuku of the ringleaders in June.
During the August 18th Coup in Kyoto, the crackdown intensified. Yodo imprisoned many, including Takechi's brother, Tanai Eikichi, and relatives of his wife. Shintarō was also targeted but escaped thanks to a warning from Adachi Yukizo.
==Exile to Chōshū==
After leaving Tosa Domain, Shintarō sought refuge in Chōshū Domain in September of the same year. He adopted the alias Ishikawa Seinosuke and became a coordinator for other exiled rebels within Chōshū. He also served as a bodyguard for the seven samurais (known as the "Five Rōnin") who were hiding in Mita-jiri, Suo Province, and became a crucial liaison between Chōshū and other rebel groups.
In 1864, during the Kinmon Incident on July 19, Shintarō joined the ranks of the rōnin unit known as Chūyū-tai 忠勇隊 (Loyalty Corps) but faced defeat along with the Chōshū forces. He sustained a gunshot wound in the battle. In this battle, Izumi Maki, the governor-general of Chūyū-tai, committed suicide, so Shintarō and Maki's brother served as his successors.
==Satchō Alliance==
After the Kinmon Rebellion, Chōshū domain was declared enemies of the government, and the second Chōshū expedition was imminent. To achieve the rescue of Chōshū and the restoration of the nation through a powerful alliance, Shintaro, along with Tosa rōnin such as Hijikata Hisamoto, began efforts to realize the Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance.
Support for this initiative came from figures like Sakamoto Ryōma, who had established the Kaientai (海援隊) in Nagasaki. On January 21 or 22, in Kyoto, they successfully reconciled Satsuma and Chōshū at the Satsuma domain's residence in Nihonmatsu, and then formalized the Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance at the Konoefu residence of the Saigo family on Horikawa Street.
Furthermore, in February of the same year, due to the influence of Yamauchi Yodo on Saigo, Shintarō and Ryōma were pardoned for leaving Tosa Domain (though they remained rōnin and did not officially return to the Domain).
==Rikuentai Formation==
On July 22, Shintarō sent a letter to Tadaichiro Motoyama, the Ometsuke (Grand Inspector) of the Tosa Domain. In the letter, he expressed his concerns about the critical situation they were facing, as he feared that a large-scale war would soon erupt. Shintarō believed that this was not the time for him to travel to Kyoto, but instead, he needed to face the formidable enemies and act swiftly with a small group of loyal followers to achieve success for their Domain.
He acknowledged that if they were to confront the enemy head-on, there might be few survivors, but he fully respected the strong determination of their leader (Tadaichiro Motoyama) to face the enemy. Shintarō mentioned that if he heard about the decision to march to Kyoto, he would immediately join the battle. He also conveyed that many troops were eagerly preparing for action to be at the forefront.
Shintarō's letter demonstrated the need for a firm resolve and military preparedness in the face of the impending conflict. Despite his previous efforts in negotiating the alliance between Satsuma and Chōshū and promoting the restoration of imperial rule, he was now considering the possibility of armed resistance and advocated for military reforms based on the example of Chōshū.
On July 27, 1867, Shintarō gathered the rōnin at Tosa domain's residence in Shirakawa Village outside Kyoto and organized the Rikuentai (陸援隊), with himself as the leader.
Later, on September 22, Shintarō sent another letter titled "Heidan" to his comrade in Tosa, Yataro Oishi, outlining a more detailed plan for military organization.
==Assassination==
On November 15, while visiting Sakamoto Ryōma at Omiya-ya in Kyoto, Shintarō was attacked by an unknown assailant and left critically injured (Omiya-ya Incident). Ryōma passed away immediately or in the early hours of the next day, but Shintarō managed to survive for two more days. During this time, he provided detailed accounts of the assassination attempt to individuals like Takasugi Shinsaku. He also entrusted a message to Kagawa Keizo of the Rikuentai, requesting him to convey to Iwakura Kyō that the restoration of the imperial rule relied heavily on his support. On November 17, just two days after the incident, Shintarō passed away at the age of 29.
==References==
*『中岡慎太郎全集』宮地佐一郎編・解説、勁草書房、1991年
*尾崎卓爾『中岡慎太郎』（1926年）
*尾崎卓爾『中岡慎太郎先生』（1927年/復刻版、マツノ書店、2010年）
*『板垣退助君戊辰戦略』上田仙吉編、明治15年刊（一般社団法人板垣退助先生顕彰会再編復刻
* 保古飛呂比』佐々木高行筆、『維新土佐勤王史』瑞山會、『中岡慎太郎』尾崎卓爾著より)
*平尾道雄『陸援隊始末記』
*平尾道雄『中岡慎太郎 : 新訂陸援隊始末記』白竜社、1966年
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Category:Historical counterparts