SHINSENGUMI 新選組

Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki (part 3)
Rurouni Kenshin is issued mainly with Tokyo Arc, Kyoto Arc, and the Jinchū Arc. Apart from the description of the Shinsengumi during Kenshin's reunion with Saitō Hajime in Volume 7, the anime version's "Trust and Betrayal” contains scenes related to the Shinsengumi, recalling the situation of the factions' struggle during the Bakumatsu. This adds depth to the character of Himura Kenshin by providing background context.

Undoubtedly, the Kyoto Arc is the most beloved chapter. Besides the intense plot development, another attraction is the adaptation of many historical situations, sparking interest and resonance. For instance, the assassination of Ōkubo Toshimichi while riding a carriage to work in the 11th year of Meiji is portrayed in the series with Seta Sōjirō as the assassin; the Chōshū-han’s initial plan to burn down Kyoto and abduct the Emperor of the time, thwarted by the Shinsengumi in the Ikedaya Incident, is depicted in the series with Shishio Makoto drawing inspiration and reigniting the plan to burn down Kyoto.

Excerpt from the manga of Rurouni Kenshin

The appearance of Sagara Sanosuke, the captain of the Sekihōtai, is also a highlight in the series, given that he is rarely mentioned in other works. In the manga, young Sanosuke revered Sagara Sōzō, leader of the Sekihōtai (Red Banner Corps), as his mentor. During the Bakufu era, only aristocrats and samurai were allowed to publicly use surnames. As a peasant-born child, Sanosuke had no family name until the Meiji government’s 1870 household registration reform, which permitted commoners to adopt surnames for census, conscription, and taxation purposes under the “Surname Permission Order.” Sanosuke adopted the surname Sagara in tribute to his mentor. Historically, the Sekihōtai was a vanguard unit of the Ishin (Restoration) faction, meant to promote the new government’s virtues and authority. However, possibly due to their overexposure or because the anti-shogunate cause was nearing completion, the group was later framed and discarded. In 1868, they were executed as “false officials” by the very government they supported.

Bearing that humiliation, Sagara Sanosuke harbored deep resentment toward the Meiji government — a sentiment shared by many former samurai and commoners. They believed the Ishin leaders betrayed those who had sacrificed for the revolution, abandoning principles for political expediency. Similarly, Shishio Makoto, an assassin secretly employed by the Ishin faction, was eliminated after the revolution out of fear he might expose government secrets — sharing a fate not unlike Sagara Sōzō. Both Sanosuke and Shishio had risked their lives in the Bakumatsu era for the cause of the Restoration, only to find post-Meiji society nothing like they had hoped: betrayed by comrades, stripped of skills they could no longer use, and left without a place in society. Consumed by bitterness, they clung to vengeance, their hearts still trapped in purgatory.

In the “Jikan Jūnen” (Ten Years of Time) interview, Nobuhiro Watsuki once revealed that Shinsengumi 10th unit captain Harada Sanosuke was one of his favorite historical figures. If he were to create a new manga about the Shinsengumi, he would definitely make the charismatic Harada Sanosuke or Shimada Kai the main character. The character Sagara Sanosuke in Rurouni Kenshin was based on this historical figure. Both share bold personalities, quick tempers, and a tendency to resolve matters through force. They also have an extraordinary will to survive in the face of danger. In his youth, Harada Sanosuke was impetuous and once attempted seppuku in front of others just to prove his courage — miraculously surviving. Some records even claim he survived the Battle of Ueno and later moved to Manchuria, becoming a bandit leader — though this theory remains highly questionable. This sense of someone who’s “died and come back” is reflected in Rurouni Kenshin, where Sanosuke faces Anji in repeated, intense battles — refusing to stay down, no matter how many times he’s defeated.

Excerpt from the manga of Rurouni Kenshin

Apart from the Edo Muketsu Kaijō, the manga has included historical interpretation of both Kioizaka Incident and Ikedaya Incident. So how would Shishio, with the entire Meiji government as his enemy, exact his revenge? As a former Ishin loyalist, he chose to repeat history by attempting to seize power. He employed tactics used by the Chōshū Domain during the Bakumatsu: assassinating high-ranking officials, importing Western weapons, and instigating civil unrest. The manga includes various historical events, such as the assassination of Meiji Restoration architect Okubo Toshimichi — the Kioizaka Incident. In 1878, Okubo was ambushed on his way to work in Kioicho and cut down by a group of six samurai led by Shimada Ichiro. Shimada, like many other disillusioned samurai, was deeply resentful of the new government — angry about the rejection of the Seikanron (debate on invading Korea), Saigo Takamori’s defeat in the Satsuma Rebellion, and his forced suicide. The Seikanron was proposed by Saigo to provide samurai with new roles and restore their honor, but it was dismissed by the government led by Okubo. As a result, Saigo resigned and returned to Kagoshima, leading to the Satsuma Rebellion. In the manga, Shishio orders Seta Sojiro to assassinate Okubo as the prelude to his vendetta.

To trigger civil unrest, Shishio also plots to revive the Bakumatsu-era plan to burn Kyoto to the ground. This was a real strategy once attempted by the Chōshū Domain — and the historical event that made the Shinsengumi famous: the Ikedaya Incident. Historians agree that this Shinsengumi raid extended the lifespan of the crumbling Tokugawa regime by several years. In 1864, Chōshū samurai had planned to set Kyoto ablaze on June 20 and use the chaos to kidnap Emperor Kōmei, thus seizing political control. Thanks to intelligence gathered by the Shinsengumi’s internal inspectors, the arrest of suspect Furutaka Shuntarō by Unit 5 Captain Takeda Kanryūsai, and brutal interrogation by Hijikata Toshizō, the Shinsengumi uncovered the plot. After scouring inns throughout Gion, they found the conspirators hiding in the Ikedaya Inn and launched a fierce battle, ultimately thwarting the rebellion. Even more than a century later, the Ikedaya Incident remains a widely discussed episode and is featured in nearly every Shinsengumi-related TV drama or film. Among manga outside of the Shinsengumi genre, Rurouni Kenshin stands as a representative work referencing this event. As a side note: Takeda Kanryūsai, the historical Unit 5 captain involved in the real Ikedaya Incident, is not the same person as the fictional “death merchant” Takeda Kanryū in the Tokyo arc of Rurouni Kenshin, who trafficked weapons and opium. Their personalities and backstories differ entirely — likely just a naming homage. Similarly, “Tani Jūsaburō” of the Ministry of the Army in the manga shares a name resemblance with Tani Sanjūrō, captain of the Shinsengumi’s Unit 7 — again, probably coincidence.

Nobuhiro Watsuki has always wanted to set another new chapter in Hokkaido. At the early Meiji years, Hokkaido was still in the process of development, primarily inhabited by the indigenous Ainu population, whose language and culture were vastly different from those of the mainland. This allows a much higher degree of creativity for new stories.

The Hokkaido Arc began serialization in Jump SQ in September 2017, but due to legal implication faced by Nobuhiro Watsuki at the end of the same year, the series' publication fell behind and its popularity dwindled. Apart from the return of Seta Sōjirō, who was active in the Kyoto Arc and later wandered north, the Hokkaido Arc also introduces Nagakura Shinpachi, the former second unit captain of the Shinsengumi. The Hokkaido Arc is set in the 18th year of Meiji period. In actual historical context, Nagakura Shinpachi served as a swordsmanship instructor at the Hakodate Prison from the 15th year of Meiji period, which is quite consistent with the timeline. It is believed that readers still look forward to the serialization and development of the Hokkaido Arc. The Hekkei Monument as briefly mentioned in the manga is located in Hakodate, Hokkaido. On 15 May 1869, the former shogunate forces surrendered at the Goryokaku, marking the end of the Boshin War. At that time, the new government passed down order that the soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the former shogunate were not to be buried and their bodies were to be abandoned on the streets. The surrendered soldiers buried their fallen comrades with Ōtori Keisuke inscribing the words on Hekkei Monument. From the Meiji Restoration to the present day, it has been a place visited by many supporters of the Bakumatsu or former shogunate forces to pay their respects.

Nobuhiro Watsuki, who has openly expressed his deep admiration for the Shinsengumi, once mentioned in the “Jikan Jūnen” interview that he had hoped to create a manga series focused entirely on the Shinsengumi. Although this project has yet to materialize, he has subtly infused Rurouni Kenshin with numerous Shinsengumi elements. Compared to standard historical narratives, the fresh and creative storytelling of Rurouni Kenshin, laced with the spirit and flavor of the Shinsengumi, is undoubtedly far more engaging.