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PERSON
Serizawa Kamo
Serizawa Kamo
First Commander of the Shinsengumi
1826-1863 · 享年 37歳
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生
生涯
A master of the Shinto Munen-ryu swordsmanship from Hitachi Province. When the shogunate recruited the Roshi-gumi in 1863, Serizawa joined Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo for the march to Kyoto. Leading the contingent of Mito-domain ronin, he was appointed co-commander alongside the Shieikan faction. Known for his fierce temperament and violent behavior, his repeated disturbances in Kyoto became a serious problem. He committed several assaults, including the Bungo-Hashimotoya Incident and the wrestler-slashing incident, disrupting Shinsengumi discipline. On the night of September 18, 1863, he was assassinated in his bedroom at the Yagi residence by assassins including Kondo and Hijikata, reportedly with the approval of the Aizu domain. His mistress Koume was also killed. Following Serizawa's death, Kondo Isami became the undisputed leader of the Shinsengumi.
人
Personality
Powerful and bold, but with a violent streak and a drinking problem. He held loyalist beliefs shaped by Mito-school thought, yet his brutal conduct undermined the organization's cohesion.
義
Historical Significance
As the Shinsengumi's first commander he helped lay the organization's foundation, yet his assassination became the turning point for establishing the Kondo-Hijikata leadership. He remains a symbol of Bakumatsu intrigue, appearing in countless novels and dramas.
話
Famous Anecdotes
其 一
The Shinsengumi Purge — Serizawa Kamo's Assassination and the Purification of the Organization
Serizawa Kamo became the first commander of the Miburoshigumi (precursor to the Shinsengumi) when it was formed in 1863. However, his violent behavior—extorting merchants, assaulting uninvolved people, and drunken misconduct—became a serious problem, and on September 18, 1863, he was assassinated at the Yagi residence by Kondo Isami, Hijikata Toshizo, and others. Serizawa's purge transformed the Shinsengumi into an organization dominated by the Kondo faction, which then developed into the effective force behind the Ikedaya Incident and subsequent achievements. Serizawa Kamo became the first 'victim' of the Shinsengumi and is repeatedly depicted in later novels, films, and manga.
事
Related Historical Events
1863
Assassination of Serizawa Kamo
On the night of September 18, 1863, Serizawa Kamo, co-commander of the early Shinsengumi, was assassinated at the Yagi residence in Mibu, Kyoto. A powerful warrior from the Mito domain, Serizawa had co-led the organization alongside Kondo Isami, but his violent behavior and drunken rampages had caused repeated problems. That night, after drinking heavily, he was ambushed in bed by assassins including Kondo and Hijikata. His mistress Koume and fellow corps member Hirayama Goro were also killed. The assassination is said to have been carried out with the tacit approval of the Aizu domain. After Serizawa's death, Kondo Isami took sole command and, in the dual-leadership system with Hijikata Toshizo, drove the modernization and disciplinary tightening of the corps. The event is inscribed in Bakumatsu history as emblematic of the Shinsengumi's internal power struggles.
Serizawa Kamo was assassinated in his bedroom at the Yagi residence. His turbulent life was condensed into barely a year of Shinsengumi activity, symbolizing the chaos and power struggle of the corps's founding period.
地
Related Places — 1
史
Yagi-tei (Yagi Residence)
京都府
Serizawa Kamo resided in the inner rooms of the Yagi residence. On the night of September 18, 1863, after drinking himself to sleep, he was assassinated by agents including Kondo and Hijikata. This site became the place of Serizawa's final hours.
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