by Andrew Pahel

Created on: October 29, 2009

Today Japan is at peace, enjoying the liberties of free works like art and animation, dance or theatre. It has not always been that way, in fact there was a time when the helpless had no protection, and especially at such a dark time like during the Tokugawa Regime. This brought about the birth of a legendary group known as the Shinsengumi, defenders of not only the people but the Tokugawa Shogunate.

In 1853, Japan opened its borders up to foreigners, this caused political frivolities in the government. In fact the nation of Japan was divided in two on political belief. One of which was the belief in "sonno joi", or "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians." Radicals took this belief to the next level and began committing murder in Kyoto, the imperial capital. In response the Tokugawa Shogunate established the Roshigumi, a group of 234 ronin, or master-less samurai, to protect the 14th Shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Iemochi. The Rshigumi was funded by the Tokugawa regime, the leader of the th Roshi gumi, Kiyokawa Hachir's revealed his true following the group's arrival in Kyoto, to gather rnin to work with the imperialists. To combat this treason, thirteen members of the Roshigumi became the thirteen founding members of the Shinsengumi. The Shinsengumi members were originally also known as the "Ronin of Mibu", or Miburo. Mibu was the suburb in the center of Kyoto where the headquarters resided. That nickname did not last long as the Shinsengumi's title became corrupted and was then called "The Wolves of Mibu". The actual word Shinsengumi could be translated to "Newly Selected Corps". Shinsen itself means New chosen, and gumi meaning group or squad, as illustrated in most every group established in Japan.

The founding Commanders of the Shinsengumi were as follows: Serizawa Kamo, Kondo Isami, and Nimi Nishiki. During the genesis of the group it was composed of three factions, where each commander led a faction. Unfortunately Tonouchi and Iesato were assassinated soon after. After Tonouichi's assassination and the the fall of the third faction, the two last factions, who were both stationed in Mibu, submitted a letter to the Aizu clan to police Kyoto and combat any revolutionaries who supported the Emperor. The request was granted and on September 30th, 1863, the Choshu clan was kicked out of the Imperial court by combined members of the Tokugawa Regime, the Aizu clan, and the Satsuma clan. The Shinsengumi were sent to backup the Aizu and defend the Imperial Court

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