Saitō Hajime

Saitō Hajime as Fujita Goro , the only image that is ascribed to him with a relatively high degree of certainty

Saitō Hajime ( Japanese斎 藤 一; * February 18, 1844 in Edo , Musashi Province ; † September 28, 1915 ) was the leader of the third corps of Shinsengumi , a police unit stationed in Kyoto . He was one of the few members of the troupe who survived the fighting in the final stages of the shogunate period . He stands on the same level as the first leader of the force, Okita Sōji, and his successor Nagakura Shinpachi .

origin

There are different opinions among experts about its origin. His father was believed to be a foot soldier named Yūsuke . His mother is said to have come from a farming family in Kawagoe . His maiden name is said to have been Yamaguchi Hajime and he is said to have had an older brother and an older sister. "Hajime Saitō" is just one of many names that he had worn in his life.

Shinsengumi

Historians also disagree on the question of how he came to Shinsengumi. According to one claim, he went to Kyoto in 1862 after killing a Hatamoto in Edo (possibly unintentionally) . From then on he probably used the surname Saitō .

During his time with the Shinsengumi, he was considered a closed and aloof person. His tasks included activities such as those carried out by a military secret service today , namely to identify possible enemy operations in their own ranks and to monitor secret service and other activities of the enemy. He also investigated the Itō case and killed some corrupt members of the Shinsengumi.

Before joining the Guard, he had mastered a number of sword fighting techniques, the Mugai ryu , Itto-ryu , Mizoguchi ha Itto Ryu, and Tennen Rishin Ryu . His most outstanding sword technique, however, was the left-handed Hirazuki , which had been developed by the strategist and vice-commander of the troops, Hijikata Toshizō . Saitō had a reputation for being a strong and merciless fighter, and he has been compared to the strongest swordsman of the Shinsengumi, Okita Sōji.

In the Boshin War (1868/69) he became the commander of the Aizu Shinsengumi , as the previous commander, Hijikata Toshizō, was injured. He commanded his troops under the name Yamaguchi Jirō , which he had been using since the end of 1867.

Next life

After the Shinsengumi ended, he changed his name to Fujita Goro and held a higher position in the police force. He was still allowed to carry a sword. Hajime Saitō married in 1874 Takagi Tokyo , the eldest daughter of Takagi Kojuro , an Inspector General ( O metsuke ). With her he had two sons, Tsutomu and Tsuyoshi . He also adopted Tatsuo , a boy from his wife's family.

Saitō Hajime's tomb

Saitō was an alcoholic throughout his life . Among other things, alcohol consumption is given as a cause of death. He died of a stomach ulcer at the age of 71. So he reached a relatively old age, since the average life expectancy of a Japanese was less than 50 years, even in civilian professions. Unlike Nagakura Shinpachi , he did not provide any information about his life or his duties with the Shinsengumi until his death.

There are no images that clearly depict Saitō Hajime. There is a drawing that is actually supposed to be based on the appearance of his son. The photo in this article is supposed to show him under the name Fujita Goro . The detail is taken from a photo of the police unit and due to the exclusion of all known persons depicted, a person who cannot be clearly identified remains who is assumed to represent Saitō.

In fiction

Manga and Anime

The story of Shinsengumi and thus also that of Hajime Saitō was recorded by some mangaka and designed as a manga . He is shown as Fujita Goro in the comic strip Kenshin by Watsuki Nobuhiro in his role as a police officer. However, the type of representation has little to do with the Saitō man. Its technique is based on the original technique, otherwise fictitious. In Nanae Chronos manga Peace Maker Kurogane by Hajime Saitō appears as a member of the Shinsengumi. His portrayal is very different from that in Kenshin , but is just as fictional. For example, visionary abilities are ascribed to him. Other manga in which Saitō appears are Kaze Hikaru , Getsumei Seiki , Burai and Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan .

Other

In the 2003 film The Last Sword Is Drawn ( Mibu gishi den ), Saitō is played by Kōichi Satō . He also appears in the video game Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi .

Web links

• Saitō Hajime ( Memento from June 9th 2006 in the Internet Archive ) - Detailed English page about Hajime Saitō with many pictures
• Takagi Tokyo - Information on Tokyo Takagi