My article, Kyoto Samurai, is now up on Chris Rowthorn’s Inside Kyoto website. For this piece I took a tour of sites around Kyoto associated with legendary samurai of the Bakumatsu era, like Sakamoto RyÅma and the Shinsengumi. I must say, once I got into this topic I found it quite fascinating, and I even started watching that old NHK Shinsengumi! drama series!
![The Shinsengumi as depicted at the modern day Ikedaya restaurant.](https://www.deepkyoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/shinsengumi.jpg)
The Bakumatsu was a time of profound turmoil and change that saw the end of the old feudal Shogunate, and the start of a new modern era with the Meiji Restoration. During this time, some swordsmen fought for tradition and others for change. Among them Sakamoto RyÅma was a lone wolf figure, working behind the scenes to realise his vision of a modern Japan. When I visited his grave and saw other visitors pray at his tomb I felt profoundly moved by the high esteem in which he is held even now among modern Japanese.
![Sakamoto_RyÅma - image Public Domain](https://www.deepkyoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Sakamoto_RyÅma-public-domain-wikipedia.jpg)
One major site of interest that isn’t mentioned in the article is the Teradaya in Fushimi. This was the location of Sakamoto RyÅma’s famous escape from a Shinsengumi attack, and today it is a museum dedicated to his memory. It seemed better to include that site though, in a more general article on Fushimi, so look out for that one in the coming months.
Here is the link: Kyoto Samurai!
See also: Toka Ebisu on Inside Kyoto