Changes

Not long after arriving in Kyoto, Kiyokawa made his intentions regarding his sonno joi plans for the Roshigumi clear. This did not come as a surprise to some senior Bakufu officials, who long regarded Kiyokawa as a dangerous subversive. Anxious to get Kiyokawa and his men out of the explosive situation in Kyoto, orders were arranged telling Kiyokawa to bring the Roshigumi back to Edo to partake in the military preparations for expelling the foreigners. However, 18 of the Roshigumi refused to return to Edo and petitioned Matsudaira Katamori to stay in Kyoto in order to complete their original mission of protecting the Shogun.  

Not long after arriving in Kyoto, Kiyokawa made his intentions regarding his sonno joi plans for the Roshigumi clear. This did not come as a surprise to some senior Bakufu officials, who long regarded Kiyokawa as a dangerous subversive. Anxious to get Kiyokawa and his men out of the explosive situation in Kyoto, orders were arranged telling Kiyokawa to bring the Roshigumi back to Edo to partake in the military preparations for expelling the foreigners. However, 18 of the Roshigumi refused to return to Edo and petitioned Matsudaira Katamori to stay in Kyoto in order to complete their original mission of protecting the Shogun.  

These eighteen ex-Roshigumi members were hence named the Mibugumi, after the village of Mibu on the outskirts of Kyoto where they were headquartered.  Matsudaira Katamori, after careful evaluation of the political scene in Kyoto, felt it was needed to change the scope of the Mibugumi’s mission from one of protecting the Shogun to one of patrolling the streets of Kyoto and restoring order in the name of the Bakufu. To reflect the change in mission, the Mibugumi, on August 18, 1863, were named the Shinsengumi— “Newly Selected Corps”.

These eighteen ex-Roshigumi members were hence named the Mibugumi, after the village of Mibu on the outskirts of Kyoto where they were headquartered.  Matsudaira Katamori, after careful evaluation of the political scene in Kyoto, felt it was needed to change the scope of the Mibugumi’s mission from one of protecting the Shogun to one of patrolling the streets of Kyoto and restoring order in the name of the Bakufu. To reflect the change in mission, on August 18, 1863, the Mibugumi were re-named the Shinsengumi— “Newly Selected Corps”.

==Shinsengumi==

==Shinsengumi==