Kondō Isami

Kondō Isami (近藤 勇, November 9, 1834 – May 17, 1868) was a Japanese swordsman and samurai of the late Edo period. He was the fourth generation master of Tennen Rishin-ryū and was famed for his role as commander of the Shinsengumi.Stephane Lun (2021) "A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management." [Kindle paperwhite version] Retrieved from amazon.com
==Background==
 was born into the Miyagawa familyŌishi Manabu 大石学, Shinsengumi: saigo no bushi no jitsuzō 新選組: 最後の武士の実像. (Tokyo: Chuōkōron-shinsha, 2004), p. 21 as Miyagawa Katsugorō on November 9, 1834, in the village of Kami-Ishihara, located in Musashi Province (present-day Chōfu city) in Western Tokyo.Kojima Masataka 小島政孝. Shinsengumi yowa 新選組余話. (Tokyo: Kojima-Shiryōkan 小島資料館, 1991), p. 10 Among his siblings were two older brothers, Otojirō (音次郎), later known as Otogorō (音五郎), and Kumezō (粂蔵), later known as Sōbei (惣兵衛), as well as an older sister named Rie (リエ), who sadly passed away two years prior to his birthŌishi, p. 22. In 1848, Katsugorō commenced his training at the renowned Shieikan, the principal dojo of the Tennen Rishin-ryūShinsengumi dai zenshi 新選組大全史. (Tokyo; Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, 2003) p. 27; Ōishi, p. 22..
As a young man, Miyagawa Katsugorō displayed a strong passion for reading and held a particular fondness for the tales of the Forty-seven rōnin and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.Kojima, p.14 He gained recognition as a scholar and achieved fame for thwarting a group of thieves who attempted to infiltrate his family home. These notable feats caught the attention of Kondō Shūsuke, the third-generation master of the Tennen Rishin-ryū.Shinsengumi dai zenshi, p. 27 Waste no time, Shūsuke promptly adopted the young Katsugorō in 1849, who adopted the name Shimazaki Katsuta (島崎勝太).Kojima, p.95-96. According to a record held by the former Gozu-tennōsha Shrine 牛頭天王社 (now the Hino Yasaka-jinja Shrine 日野八坂神社), Katsuta is listed with both his full common name and formal name as Shimazaki Isami Fujiwara (no) Yoshitake (島崎勇藤原義武). This indicates that he had assumed the name Isami (勇) by 1858, the date mentioned in the document.Ōishi, p. 22.
It is said that Kondō possessed a katana named "Kotetsu" (虎徹), attributed to the 17th-century swordsmith Nagasone Kotetsu. Nevertheless, the authenticity of Kondō's "Kotetsu" sword remains a subject of considerable debate. According to Yasu Kizu's pamphlet on the swordmaker Kotetsu, it is possible that Kondō's sword was actually crafted by Minamoto no Kiyomaro, a highly esteemed swordsmith who worked around the same period as Kondō.Yasu Kizu, Swordsmith Nagasone Kotetsu Okisato (Hollywood: W.M. Hawley Publications, 1990), p. 9
In 1860, Kondō married Matsui TsuneShinsengumi dai zenshi, p.35, and this union proved advantageous for Kondō, as Tsune was the daughter of Matsui Yasogorō (松井八十五郎), a retainer of the Shimizu-Tokugawa clan.Ōishi, p. 24. On September 30, 1861, Isami ascended to the position of the fourth-generation master (sōke no yondai me 宗家四代目) of Tennen Rishin-ryū27 August, Bunkyū 1 (1861), by the old lunar calendar. See Ōishi, p. 24., assuming the name Kondō Isami and assuming leadership of the Shieikan.Shinsengumi dai zenshi, p.27; Ōishi, p. 24. A year later, his daughter Kondō Tama (1862–1886) came into the world.Shinsengumi dai zenshi, p.36; Ōishi, p. 24.
Although he was never employed by the Tokugawa Bakufu before his Shinsengumi days, Kondō was a candidate for a teaching position at the Kōbusho (an exclusive military training school, primarily for the use of the shogunal retainers) in 1862."Kondō Hijikata to Okita no Shinsengumi" 近藤・土方・沖田の新選組. Rekishi Dokuhon, December 2004, p.62.
==Shinsengumi==
In 1863, the Tokugawa Bakufu attempted to find ways of protecting the shōgun Tokugawa Iemochi during his time in Kyoto, therefore they created a special unit that consisted of rōnin.Shinsengumi dai zenshi, p. 38 The unit became known under the name of Rōshigumi, which Kondō joined with his close friend Hijikata Toshizō, as well as Shieikan's members and guests Yamanami Keisuke, Okita Sōji, Harada Sanosuke, Nagakura Shinpachi, Tōdō Heisuke, and Inoue Genzaburō.Stephane Lun (2021) "A Guide on Shinsengumi: the background and management." [Kindle paperwhite version] Retrieved from amazon.com After the revelation of their true allegiance as Imperial supporters by the de facto commander, Kiyokawa Hachirō, the Rōshigumi disbanded, and the majority of its members returned to Edo. However, Kondō, Hijikata, former Mito retainer Serizawa Kamo, and a small group of others chose to remain in Kyoto and established the Mibu Rōshigumi.Kojima, pp. 39–40 They operated under the direct orders of the BakufuYamakawa Hiroshi 山川浩. Kyōto Shugoshoku Shimatsu 京都守護職始末. ed. Tōyama Shigeki (Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1966), p. 87 and were subordinate to Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu, who assumed the responsibility of overseeing their activities. With Aizu acting as the Protector of Kyoto, their role primarily involved serving as a police force in the imperial capital.Shinsengumi dai zenshi, p. 45
On August 18, their unit was officially named the Shinsengumi.Shinsengumi dai zenshi, pp. 52–53 In July 1864, the Shinsengumi gained significant recognition for their apprehension of a group of shishi, an incident known as the Ikedaya Affair or Ikedaya Incident.Shinsengumi dai zenshi, p. 56–59
During his time in Kyoto, Kondō engaged in relationships with at least two mistresses, Miyuki and Oko, both of whom were geishas. With Oko, he fathered an illegitimate daughter named Oyu, who would later follow the path of a geisha in Gion.
On July 10, 1867, Kondō achieved the rank of hatamoto (a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa Bakufu), along with the rest of the members of the Shinsengumi.Ōishi, p. 160.
==Boshin War==
After sustaining a gunshot wound during the Battle of Toba–Fushimi in January 1868, Kondō made his way back to Edo. It was there that he encountered the military commander Katsu Kaishū, which led to his promotion to the rank of wakadoshiyori (wakadoshiyori-kaku 若年寄格) within the rapidly deteriorating Tokugawa administration."近藤勇 KONDO". www.tamahito.com. Retrieved Apr 30, 2019 Determined to regroup, Kondō formed a fresh unit called the Kōyō Chinbutai (甲陽鎮撫隊, Pacification Corps) from the surviving members of the Shinsengumi. Operating under the alias of Okubo Tsuyoshi, he led this unit as they departed from Edo on March 24, tasked with quelling uprisings in Kōfu Castle. However, upon receiving news on March 28 that Imperial Court forces, led by Itagaki Taisuke, had already taken control of Kōfu Castle, they settled in the town of Katsunuma, located five miles east of Kōfu.
The Imperial forces launched an attack on Kondō and his unit on March 29, 1868, during the Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma. Despite valiantly holding their ground for approximately two hours, they eventually succumbed to defeat. Escaping narrowly from the battle, they retreated back to Edo.
On April 11, 1868, Kondō, along with Hijikata and their unit, departed Edo once again. They established a temporary headquarters at the Kaneko family estate, situated northeast of Edo. At this point, Kondō altered his alias from Okubo Tsuyoshi to Okubo Yamato.
Subsequently, on April 25, 1868, they relocated to a new headquarters in Nagareyama.
==Execution==
During their training session in Nagareyama on April 26, 1868, Kondō and his unit were taken by surprise when they were ambushed by Imperial forces. Vice-chief of Staff Arima Tota from Satsuma Domain held suspicions that "Okubo Yamato" was none other than Kondō himself.
Consequently, he ordered Kondō to be brought back to the Imperial forces camp at Koshigaya for interrogation. On April 27, 1868, Kondō was transported to Itabashi for questioning. Meanwhile, Hijikata traveled to Edo to seek assistance from Katsu Kaishū in securing a pardon for Kondō. A letter purportedly written by Katsu arrived at Itabashi on April 28, pleading for Kondō's life to be spared. However, the messenger delivering the letter was apprehended, and the plea was ultimately rejected.
Subsequently, on April 30, 1868, Kondō stood trial and was pronounced guilty. Consequently, he was executed by beheading at the Itabashi execution grounds on May 17, 1868, carried out by the executioner Yokokura Kisoji.Kojima, p.91 Among the onlookers present during the execution was Kondō's nephew, Miyagawa Yūgorō. Kondō's severed head was placed on a pike for public display.
Three days later, on May 20, 1868, Kondō's body was claimed by his nephew, who took it back to Osawa, Edo, for burial. Meanwhile, his preserved head was transported to Kyoto, where it was exhibited on a pike at Sanjō Ōhashi.
While displayed on the bridge, Kondō's head was eventually taken by Saitō Hajime, who later entrusted the priest Sonku Giten with organizing a memorial service for him. The head was then taken by the priest upon his relocation to Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, and interred in a small mound behind the Hozoji temple."日本吉 - NIPPON-KICHI". nippon-kichi.jp. Retrieved Apr 30, 2019.
According to Tani Tateki (1837–1911) of the Tosa Domain, Kondō was arrested and executed by the new government, which predominantly consisted of samurai from Chōshū han and Satsuma han. They accused him directly of the assassination of Sakamoto Ryōma. Tani persistently maintained Kondō's responsibility for the killing, even after former Mimawarigumi member Imai Nobuo confessed to the crime in 1870.
==References==
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Category:Historical counterparts