Samurai Assassination - Death of Shinsengumi Leader Serizawa Kamo

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Japan in the mid-19th century was in turmoil. The two centuries of seclusion from the outside world had been shattered by the arrival of the black ships of the American Commodore Perry in 1853. The once strong and secure Tokugawa Shogunate government began to totter and reel. Anti-Shogun activists chanted "Sonno Joi!" ("Revere the Emperor! Expel the Foreigners!") wanting a return of power to the ancient Imperial Court. Assassinations became the order of the day. A top Shogunate official was assassinated in front of the very gates of the Shogun's castle in 1860.



In early 1863 a historical meeting between the Shogun and the Emperor was to take place in Kyoto. Such a meeting between the Shogun and the Emperor had not taken place since the mid-17th century. To protect the Shogun, the Shogunate raised a force of ronin (masterless samurai) known as the Roshigumi. Upon arriving in Kyoto, the leader of the Roshigumi promptly revealed he was really working for the Loyalists against the Shogunate and ordered the group back to Edo. 13 members dissented and remained in Kyoto one of them being Serizawa Kamo.



Serizawa Kamo was a samurai from the Mito domain who was partially involved in the assassination of the top Shogunate official in 1860. He was brave but reckless and often violent when drunk.

He became the leader of the Roshigumi's dissenters who formed a new group to preserve the Shogun's peace in Kyoto. This new group would later be known as Shinsengumi.



Shinsengumi under Serizawa earned a reputation as ruthless bullies and were known as the Wolves of Mibu after the place they were quartered. Serizawa refused to pay back debts, damaged shops and restaurants in drunken rages, got into brawls, and killed indiscriminately. 


Once in Osaka Serizawa killed a passing sumo wrestler for not given due deference that a samurai deserved to receive. This led to a brawl with a group of angry wrestlers which left 10 more dead.


 Serizawa's excesses were a threat to the group's existence. On October 30, 1863 (by western calendar) Serizawa had a drinking bout with two of his cronies. They were set upon by four assassins. Only one escaped. Serizawa was cut down likely too drunk to fight back. After his death, Kondo Isami became the new leader of Shinsengumi. It's not clear if Kondo took part in the killing (the film Shinsengumi Assassins of Honor starring Mifune Toshiro depicts him as dealing the killing blow) but most likely he ordered it to preserve the Corps.









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