Some of us have heard "tenchu" (heaven's punishment) from manga such
as Rurouni Kenshin. It was the campaign through which supporters of
the shogunate were "punished" (by murder), and by which the "glorious"
Meiji "order" was brought into being. However, the victims of this
campaign of "heaven's punishment" were by no means all "corrupt
officials."
On the 18th of the 4th month of Genji 1 (23 May 1864), one such murder
occurred. This was during the buildup to Ikedaya.
Now who was killed in this attack? Was it some corrupt tax official? A
repressive police inspector? A government stool pigeon?
None of the above.
Some of you may know of Prince Nakagawa-no-miya Asahiko, one of
Satsuma and Aizu's supporters at the court during this time. He's also
in Barbara Sheridan's Bakumatsu/Shinsengumi novel "Mirror, Mirror."
These victims were the mother and young child of Prince Asahiko's
chief steward.
One cannot help but wonder...what guilt do an old woman and a young
child have in national politics? Maybe it's just my opinion, but to
answer "guilt by association" is simply irresponsible.
Here's another "tenchu" victim who died because of "guilt by
association": on the 6th of the 5th month (June 9, 1864), an artist by
the name of Reizei Tamechika, who served another pro-Shogunate noble,
was assassinated by Oraku Gentaro-- the man later protected by
Kawakami Gensai (this act on Gensai's part was what condemned him to
death). Reizei had known his life was in danger, and had fled to
various places around the Kamigata (Kyoto-Osaka) area before Oraku got
him. Reizei was not only killed, his head was also displayed in a
prominent place for passers-by to see.
Think of these events, if you would: an old woman, child, and an
artist, connected to people with the "wrong" sympathies-- hunted down
like animals and murdered in cold blood.
The Shinsengumi were fully aware of these events. Put yourselves in
their place, raiding an inn full of arsonists (Ikedaya). However, also
keep in mind that Shinsengumi was conceived and intended to do "dirty"
work. They interrogated, even tortured people for information. The
leadup to Ikedaya alone saw at least 5 or 6 Choshu men brutally
tortured before Furutaka Shuntaro's infamous beat-down. Shinsengumi,
as we know, also assassinated people at times. They also had their
fair share of cruel men, swindlers, and murderers.
In closing, I'd like to leave you with a piece of Reizei Tamechika's
art. Remember, this is the innocent man whose head was a blood-stained
symbol of "heaven's punishment":
http://www.kakejikutaiko.com/e/e2/0605/0605-2b.jpg
-M.
SOURCES:
*Hoshi Ryoichi, "Bakumatsu no Aizu-han." (Tokyo: Chuokoron-shinsha,
2001), p. 95.
*Oishi Manabu, "Shinsengumi: Saigo no Bushi no Jitsuzo." (Tokyo:
Chuokoron-shinsha, 2004), pp. 101-102.
*
http://comic.freespace.jp/hokko/nen.htm
*
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawakami_Gensai