Person

Hijikata Toshizō

1835–1869 · 19th century · Also known as Hijikata Toshizo

Hijikata Toshizō was a Japanese swordsman and vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, the special police force that defended the shogunate in Kyoto in the 1860s. He fought on through the Boshin War and joined the Republic of Ezo in Hokkaido. He was killed during the Battle of Hakodate in June 1869 and became a popular hero of novels and drama.

Hijikata Toshizō
Image: Tamoto Kenzō · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Republic of Ezo

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Hijikata Toshizō. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/hijikata-toshizo
MLA
“Hijikata Toshizō.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/hijikata-toshizo. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Hijikata Toshizō.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/hijikata-toshizo.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Hijikata Toshizō’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/hijikata-toshizo (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻