When someone is wearing kimono and hakama - two items essential to any samurai venturing outside his own home during the Edo period - there’s not actually a whole lot you see of the body.
It’s not like modern clothes where you can tell someone has a nice butt in jeans or sculpted abs under a fitted T-shirt.
So, I have this picture of great-grandma (who was, at the time, obviously a young woman), either peeking through the fence or looking over the fence from the second story of her home or perhaps her property’s store house (if either of these existed), to catch a glimpse of her Shinsengumi neighbors with their clothes off.
Which makes this whole BL-neighbor-fiction tale even more hilarious.
… also, I’m kinda wondering what gave her the idea to ship Hijikata with Okita in the first place.
What are you two doing in the Shinsengumi camp that is inspiring this woman?
You can’t just casually mention this and not give us more information.
…
The original Twitter posts are from 2015 and were made by user anosasaoka. They were then shared on Togetter in 2015, and the story was last updated there in 2018. Livedoor News (in the screenshot) is reproducing the Togetter post, which they linked at the bottom.
Going through anosasaoka’s Twitter posts and comments, here’s what I gathered:
Anosasaoka’s teacher found what appeared to be the diary (diaries?) of their great-grandmother in the family’s home. That family home is located next to a site the Shinsengumi used during the Bakumatsu.
The teacher took the diaries to someone who specializes in old documents to have them evaluated, and learned that they are not so much historical documents as they are erotic fiction, specifically Hijikata x Okita and Hijikata x great-grandma herself.
Anosasaoka also said in the comments that her teacher was already over 60 years old and that the teacher’s great-grandfather was a retainer who fought with the Shinsengumi during the Boshin War. That means great-grandma wasn’t just writing erotic fiction, she was writing about people she had seen herself.
Great-grandma also mentioned that Hijikata was very handsome - so handsome, in fact, that your heart might stop if your eyes meet his, even from a distance - and that Soji’s body was beautiful and slender, but that he didn’t have a handsome face.
…
That all said, we don’t know if any of this is true because there are no images of the diaries or their contents.
We do know Anosasaoka doesn’t normally publish any Shinsengumi content. Her blog is mostly about cats, and she also draws and makes videos. So there’s not really any reason for her to lie about the diaries.
“Japanese dogs are very quiet, lying in the middle of the road without barking. Even when we approach, they remain as before, so we always have to avoid them so as not to trample them to death.” From Schliemann’s Travels, Qing Empire (China) and Japan
Near Yokohama, taken by Wilhelm J. Burger, circa 1869, with a sleeping dog on the far right.
Robert Friedrich Blum in 1893, Illustration from “An Artist in Japan” contributed to Scribner’s Magazine, Street Scene in Tokyo
A dog lying in front of the Great Buddha in Kamakura, circa 1904
A dog participating in a procession of monks riding rickshaws, circa 1900
“Illustration of the February Hatsuuma Inari Festival” from the March 1889 issue of “Fuzoku Gaho”
Photographed by Arnold Genthe, 1908
“The rickshaw men ran to avoid dogs and cats no differently from the way they avoided children playing on the street. To men of virtue, they were all small creatures that should be cherished.” From Watanabe Kyoji, Vestiges of a Passing World, Chapter 12, Living Things and Cosmos
I accomplished my long-time dream of visiting Mibu-dera today! The Shinsengumi lived there for a couple of years in their early days ^-^ We couldn’t take any photos inside, but here are just a few of the photos from the day (please excuse my subpar photography lol):
Although we couldn’t take photos inside, I want to mention that the inner part of the main temple was absolutely gorgeous. It was ornately decorated and houses a Buddhist statue that dates back to the Heian period.
In a room on the side of the temple you can see Hijikata and Kondo’s swords, as well as some of their letters. My kanji is limited and I couldn’t take out my phone for translation help, so I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I ended up asking some of the other museum patrons to explain things to me in more simple Japanese. Thankfully, people were really nice and I was able to learn a lot more thanks to them :)
I ended up buying a goshuincho and a bag from the gift shop. For those who don’t know, a goshuincho allows you to collect signatures from the various shrines you visit. The signatures serve as wonderful souvenirs to show where you’ve visited. Today alone I ended up collecting three signatures between Mibu dera, an enmusbi shrine, and then the Go’o shrine near the Imperial Palace.
I worked hard touring Mibu dera, so of course I had to treat myself to some Shinsengumi ice cream afterward haha.
As you can see, the ice cream is blue and white, and the little cookie has Makoto inscribed onto it! The ice cream flavor was simple and milky, and the cookie had a pleasant almond taste. It was really refreshing and I recommend it! The shop is called Dandara Coffee and it’s right next door to the temple.
I still intend to go to the Yagi house and various other Shinsengumi spots around Kyoto, but luckily I’ll be studying here until May so I’ve got time! If you have any recommended spots in Kyoto or the surrounding areas (Shinsengumi-related or otherwise), I would love to hear them :D
(Text omitted) I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you, including your dear father, for your bravery. I am very pleased to hear of your older brother Kenjiro’s marriage proposal and move to the Ichigaya area.
Next, I have been recruiting volunteers to repay the nation with loyalty without regard for my own life, and have been entrusted with the affairs of bureaucrats. I’ve had too many worries on my mind and I have been unexpectedly very ill. Last February, Higo-no-kami-dono asked me to visit a hot spring, so I did. After just 7 or 8 days, a courier suddenly arrived with news of Higo-no-kami-dono’s change of position, so overnight I returned to Kyoto at a distance of 50 blocks and 16 ri [16 hour walk]. At the same time, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your concern. For the time being, I can only offer my best wishes.
Now, I sometimes recall that last year when I was in Fuchu, we visited brothels and indulged in raunchy games. In that regard, people no longer play around with the ladies these days. Male sexuality is popular frequently throughout the headquarters. I would like to mention this to you upon my return to my home province. That is all.
Commentary
In the main text (omitted), he writes that he was disappointed in the Shinsengumi’s position and its role, and that he considered disbanding the group, but was consoled, and so on. [T/N: This was before Ikedaya]
In the postscript, in addition to congratulating the Nakajima family on their happy event, he wrote that he had fallen ill due to hard work and went to a hot spring for treatment, as recommended by Katamori, but after about a week, Katamori informs him that he was to be reassigned to a different position. It is written that he returned to Kyoto, sick and beaten.
He then fondly remembers how they used to indulge in “raunchy games” together at a brothel in Fuchu, and tells them that these days there is no such thing as playing with women at all, and that “danshoku” (male sexuality) is prevalent within the Shinsengumi.
Instead of interpreting it as Kondo complaining about the prevalence of male sexuality, doesn’t it sound like he’s actually trying to convince Nakajima to go for male prostitutes together next time?
“I know we used to play around with women, but no one does that anymore. Here at the Shinsengumi HQ, we do male love all the time. Just something I wanted you to know before I visit you ;)” 😂
I’ve been thinking about another interpretation of that paragraph. Could that be Kondo coming out to his friend?
For the lines:
さて、先年府中宿おいて御同様はじめ、楼に登り、妄戯仕る事時々思い出し申し候。ついては、当節婦人と戯れ候事いささかもこれ無し。 Now, I sometimes recall that last year when I was in Fuchu, we visited brothels and indulged in raunchy games. In that regard, people no longer play around with the ladies these days.
Since the second sentence doesn’t have a subject particle as far as I can tell, is it possible to translate it as “I no longer play around with the ladies these days” instead of “people”? Because if it was “people”, it wouldn’t be factually correct. The women at Shimabara had plenty of customers at that time.
If we interpret it this way, it would change the meaning of the entire paragraph. He would be bringing up (or possibly exaggerating) the prevalence of male sexuality as justification to make it sound more acceptable that he’s no longer interested in visiting the brothel like last time.
It wouldn’t necessarily mean Kondo was gay since he could have just preferred more serious relationships with women instead of playing around. But he probably wouldn’t mention male sexuality as an explanation unless he was also interested in men.
It would finally make sense why he found it so important to “mention this before returning home”. Maybe the “male sexuality is popular” line wasn’t his main point.
(Text omitted) I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you, including your dear father, for your bravery. I am very pleased to hear of your older brother Kenjiro’s marriage proposal and move to the Ichigaya area.
Next, I have been recruiting volunteers to repay the nation with loyalty without regard for my own life, and have been entrusted with the affairs of bureaucrats. I’ve had too many worries on my mind and I have been unexpectedly very ill. Last February, Higo-no-kami-dono asked me to visit a hot spring, so I did. After just 7 or 8 days, a courier suddenly arrived with news of Higo-no-kami-dono’s change of position, so overnight I returned to Kyoto at a distance of 50 blocks and 16 ri [16 hour walk]. At the same time, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your concern. For the time being, I can only offer my best wishes.
Now, I sometimes recall that last year when I was in Fuchu, we visited brothels and indulged in raunchy games. In that regard, people no longer play around with the ladies these days. Male sexuality is popular frequently throughout the headquarters. I would like to mention this to you upon my return to my home province. That is all.
Commentary
In the main text (omitted), he writes that he was disappointed in the Shinsengumi’s position and its role, and that he considered disbanding the group, but was consoled, and so on. [T/N: This was before Ikedaya]
In the postscript, in addition to congratulating the Nakajima family on their happy event, he wrote that he had fallen ill due to hard work and went to a hot spring for treatment, as recommended by Katamori, but after about a week, Katamori informs him that he was to be reassigned to a different position. It is written that he returned to Kyoto, sick and beaten.
He then fondly remembers how they used to indulge in “raunchy games” together at a brothel in Fuchu, and tells them that these days there is no such thing as playing with women at all, and that “danshoku” (male sexuality) is prevalent within the Shinsengumi.
Instead of interpreting it as Kondo complaining about the prevalence of male sexuality, doesn’t it sound like he’s actually trying to convince Nakajima to go for male prostitutes together next time?
“I know we used to play around with women, but no one does that anymore. Here at the Shinsengumi HQ, we do male love all the time. Just something I wanted you to know before I visit you ;)” 😂
A new anime about the Shinsengumi was recently announced. Looking forward to it!
Here are some character profiles from the official site:
Saito Hajime
He’s the same age as Nio (the protagonist) and was recruited by Kondo to join the Miburo. He’s skilled in swordsmanship and good at iaido. He is obsessed with “strength” due to his past experiences.
Hijikata Toshizo
He’s the person who brought Nio into the Miburo because he felt they were similar. Like Nio, he is straightforward in his desire to “make the world a better place”.
Okita Souji
A kind person who always has a smile on his face. A swordsman who simply wants to fight with the strong.
It’s based on a manga with the same name. The first few chapters are available online. There are only 2 chapters with English translations on Mangadex, but chapters 1-9 with Vietnamese translations are available at: vlogtruyen5 dot com/ao-no-miburo/chapter-9-61cd751bab4d7a24ac7c1332.html
An easy way to date photos from the end of the Edo period: if there’s a rickshaw in the photo, it was taken during or after 1869, so it’s not an Edo period photo.
Because that’s the year the jinrikisha was invented in Japan, and it spread very rapidly from there: some 200,000 were in use across the Japan by 1896 and export to other Asian countries had begun in 1874.
I don’t think the question is random or stupid; no need to apologize for your curiosity!
That said, unfortunately I don’t have a clear yes or no answer for you.
I can tell you that I don’t remember reading any mentions of tattoos among Shinsengumi members. I think a tattoo would have been uncommon enough in the group that people would have noted it in writing or perhaps mentioned it during interviews.
I do have a more general article about tattoos at the end of the Edo period here.
Tattooing was increasing in popularity in the 1800s, enough so for a magazine to complain about all these people covering their skin with ink, but also enough that the government passed a series of laws on the matter.
Looking at photos from the end of the Edo period and early Meiji period, tattoos seem to mostly have been a trend with townsmen - merchants, artisans, firefighters, couriers, palanquin carriers, and so on - but there are some references of small tattoos among courtesans and (supposedly) samurai.
It would have been a really rare occurrence for a samurai to have a tattoo, although the text quoted in that other post suggests that temporary tattoos, painted on for special occasions, was an alternative option. That seems to have been a fairly brief fad, perhaps already outdated by the 1860s, however.
ALT
