This is VASARA kimono rental store in front of Kyoto Station.

TV programs and dramas themed around the Shinsengumi continue to fascinate modern people throughout the ages. They were also a group of master swordsmen, and among them, Okita Souji is said to be the most powerful swordsman. People are very curious about how skilled he was. In this article, we will introduce tourist spots related to the Shinsengumi. Why not try to follow the footsteps of the Shinsengumi and walk around the city of Kyoto in a kimono? You'll definitely feel like you've traveled back in time, and it will be more exciting than your usual historical exploration.

 

●Around Kyoto Station: This area is home to Nishi Honganji Temple, which was used as the Shinsengumi's largest barracks.

[Nishi Honganji Temple]

The relocation of the barracks to Nishi Honganji Temple was met with opposition from both within the unit and the public.

It is a symbol of the Shinsengumi, who defined an era, and the drum tower remains today.

Kai Shimada, a long-time member of the corps, served as a night guard during the Meiji period.

 

[Kadoya]

This is an ageya (what we would call a traditional Japanese restaurant today) that was used by the Shinsengumi. Before the first chief of the Shinsengumi, Kamo Serizawa, was assassinated at his barracks, he held a banquet here to get his group drunk. You can still see the sword marks there.

 

[Site of the Aburanokoji Incident]

Itō Koshitarō, who joined the group as a staff officer and later left to become a member of the Goryoeji and plot the downfall of the Shinsengumi, and Tōdō Heisuke, a comrade from their days at Shieikan who left the Shinsengumi out of loyalty to his mentor Ito, also lost their lives here.

 

●Sanjo area - Nijo Castle

[Former Ikedaya site]

The site of the Ikedaya Incident, which made the name of the Shinsengumi known to the world. It is now an izakaya with the same name, and has a wide variety of Shinsengumi-related menu items.

 

[Sanjo Bridge]

This bridge is the site of the Sanjo Seifu Incident and has sword wounds said to have been made during the Ikedaya Incident. It is also the place where the head of the executed chief, Kondo Isami, was displayed.

 

[Nijo Castle]

This is a place where he accompanied the Shogun as his bodyguard, and where he also visited as a guard after the Meiji Restoration.

 

●Around Mibu: This area was the Shinsengumi's base in Kyoto.

[Mibu Temple]

Located close to the Yagi residence, which was used as a barracks, there are stories of the First Division's captain Souji Okita practicing here and playing with children here. Within the grounds, there is a statue of Isami Kondo and the graves of the soldiers.

 

[Yagi Residence, former site of Mibu Garrison]

The Shinsengumi's barracks. This is also the place where the first head of the Shinsengumi, Kamo Serizawa, was assassinated, and the sword wounds from that time are still visible today.

 

[Shinsengumi Barracks and Former Maekawa Residence]

The same Shinsengumi barracks as the Yagi residence. It is also where the leader, Keisuke Yamanami, committed seppuku, and the room there still stands to this day.

 

What did you think? The Shinsengumi raged through the short time of the end of the Edo period like a gale. Why not think back to their single-mindedness and their pursuit of dreams along with the good old Japanese atmosphere? All of these places are easily accessible from Kyoto Station, so if you are thinking of going for a stroll in a kimono, please come to VASARA Kimono Rental.