Hijikata Toshizō
Hijikata was the vice-commander of Shinsengumi. As seen from the above pictures, his public image as “a handsome man” was rather consistent through the history. In “The Two Brave Men”, a memoir dedicated to Kondo and Hijikata, written by Shinseigumi’s landlord’s son and published in Meiji Year 7, Hijikata was depicted as “an actor-like, quiet, beautiful man whose emotions were hard to detect.”
Known as the Demon Vice-Commander, Hijikata devised severe Code of Conduct which strictly prohibited “violating the Code of the Samurai,” “quitting the corps,” “raising money for selfish purposes,” “taking it upon oneself to make accusations,” and “fighting for personal reasons.”[1] As a grass-root swordsman hailed from peasant households, Hijikata’s strictness displayed his firm belief of “Hagakure”’s Way of Warrior and steel resolution to obey the most stoic traditions of the warrior class. This pro-bushido altitude has won favor of people both in Bakufu and in current society. His loyalty was also highlighted and elevated after his death at war. After Kondo surrendered to the Imperial Loyalist Army and was executed on May 17, 1868, Hijikata led the Shinsengumi in their final battles against New Government. Knowing that he was fighting a battle that was doomed to fail, he said, “I am not going to battle to win. With the Tokugawa government about to collapse, it would be a disgrace if no one is willing to go down with it. That is why I must go. I will fight the best battle of my life to die for the country”[1] He left behind a heart-moving poem:
Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo, My spirit guards my lord in the east.
Good-looking, loyal, stoic, talented in strategies…these characteristics which aligning well with traditional Japanese aesthetics have made Hijikata a more popular figure than Kondo in films, television, and manga and anime, ranging from historical drama to comedy and romance.