Institution

Shinsengumi

1863–1869 · 19th century

The Shinsengumi was a special police force of masterless samurai formed in Kyoto in 1863 to protect the shogunate's representatives. Under the protection of Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu and led by Kondō Isami and Hijikata Toshizō, it hunted down pro-imperial radicals, most famously in the Ikedaya incident of 1864. It fought for the shogunate in the Boshin War until its last members surrendered in 1869.

Shinsengumi
Image: Washiucho · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Aizu Domain

See also

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻