Niimi Nishiki

Niimi Nishiki or Shinmi Nishiki ( Japanese 新 見 錦 ; * 1836 in Mito ; † October 19, 1863 in Kyoto ) was one of three commanders, later vice-commander of Shinsengumi , a Japanese police unit of the Bakumatsu period (1853–1867 ) who patrolled Kyoto.

Historical situation

The continuous opening of Japan that began with the arrival of Matthew Perry in the 1860s caused much controversy among the population. As a result, various military movements emerged that sparked great unrest in the country. Some fought for the opening of Japan and the associated maintenance of power of the Tokugawa shogunate . Others made themselves felt, for example, with the slogan Sonnō-jōi and demanded that power be returned to the Tennō , the Japanese emperor, and thus voted against Western countries.

The Rōshigumi was a fighting force recruited by the Shōgun to ensure peace and order in Kyoto. But many of the fighters were more inclined to the emperor and so most were sent to Edo (today's Tokyo ), where they could cause little unrest. The later members of the Shinsengumi were among those who remained in Kyoto.

biography

Niimi was born in Han Mito (now Ibaraki Prefecture ). He became a member of the Rōshigumi and belonged to the faction of the commander Serizawa Kamo after a separation within the group between Serizawa and the second commander, Kondō Isami , became noticeable. When the leader of the Rōshigumi, Kiyokawa Hachirō wanted to let the troops fight for those who were loyal to the emperor, Niimi stayed in Kyoto and was one of the 13 founding members of the Shinsengumi.

Originally he was next to Serizawa and Kondo also commander, but was later downgraded to the position of vice-commander. Since he was an important member of the Serizawa faction who wanted to disband the Kondō followers, he was probably forced by Hijikata Toshizō and Yamanami Keisuke on October 19, 1863 (September 10, according to the lunar calendar) to commit seppuku (ritual suicide).

There is also the theory that he was killed by a Samurai from Mito after allegedly killing a Shinsengumi member, but that is unlikely.

Although he took the name Niimi Nishiki, his real name remains unknown. But he must have been educated because his name plays with pronunciation.

There is speculation that he may have been a spy from Chōshū and that he had close ties to Sonnō-jōi groups in Mito and Tosa , who, unlike Shinsengumi, support the emperor .