The Twenty Byakkotai of Iimoriyama, Aizu

Brief History of the Byakkotai

Sites Related to the Byakkotai

Scene at the Time of the Byakkotai Suicide. In the Boshin War, the Aizu retainers formed four units—Eizo, Seiryu, Genbu, and Byakko—and fought, but were defeated. At that time the boy Byakkotai, aged 15 to 17, worshiped the burning castle and took their own lives on Iimoriyama. Names of the nineteen: Toshihiko Ito (16), Katsusaburo Yanase (17), Genkichi Suzuki (17), Kotaro Nishikawa (17), Gisaburo Shinoda (17), Orinosuke Aruga (16), Kiyomi Tsugawa (16), Genshiro Mase (17), Sutezo Tsuda (17), Wasuke Ishida (17), Tozaburo Adachi (17), Takeharu Yanase (16), Yuji Nagase (16), Teijiro Ito (15), Shintaro Ikegami (16), Koma Shiro Nomura (17), Yasohachi Hayashi (16), Mototaro Ibuka (16), Toranosuke Ishiyama (16).

Scene at the Time of the Byakkotai Suicide. Graves of the Iimoriyama Byakkotai who died in the Boshin War of 1868. Located halfway up Iimoriyama, these are the graves of the Byakkotai. When the Aizu Domain resisted the government army in the Boshin War, boys from 15 to 17 belonged to the Byakkotai and fought with all their strength, but could not prevail. The nineteen who held out to the end climbed Iimoriyama, worshiped the burning castle, and took their own lives—a place that radiated the final glory of the feudal age.

Kiyomi Tsugawa, 16. Tsugawa's father was Seihachi Takahashi; as a child he was adopted by Seibei Tsugawa. At ten he entered the domain school Nisshinkan. In the Boshin War he joined the Byakkotai, fought bravely at Tonokuchi-hara, and took his own life on Iimoriyama. Genshiro Mase, 17. Mase's father was Shinbei and the family stipend was 400 koku. He entered the domain school Nisshinkan at ten, advanced to lecturer at sixteen, joined the Byakkotai in the Boshin War, took his own life on Iimoriyama, and fulfilled his duty as a retainer.

Toranosuke Ishiyama, 16. Ishiyama's father was Kazuma Itsu; as a child he was raised by Yaemon Ishiyama. He was richly endowed with a natural memory and is said to have recited the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu around the age of five or six. In the Boshin War he became a member of the second unit and, after fighting hard, cut his belly. Wasuke Ishida, 16. Ishida's father was Ryugen, a physician attending the domain lord. At ten he entered the domain school Nisshinkan, and for his academic excellence he received awards from the lord many times. In the Boshin War he joined the Byakkotai and died by cutting his belly on Iimoriyama.

Katsutaro Nishikawa, 16. Nishikawa's father was Hannosuke, with a stipend of 300 koku, living in Nino-cho. He accompanied the lord and defended Takizawa. The unit split in two, one part facing the enemy and one defending Takizawa; but all were exhausted and could fight no longer, so the nineteen agreed to die and cut their bellies together. Genkichi Suzuki, 17. Suzuki's father was Genpo, with a stipend of 120 koku, living in Nagacho outside the castle. At ten he entered the domain school Nisshinkan and studied both letters and arms; he was skilled in martial arts, practicing the Hozoin school of spearmanship and the Shinten school of swordsmanship. In the Boshin War he was enrolled in the Byakkotai and fought bravely, but without success; he retreated to Iimoriyama and finally took his own life.

Gisaburo Shinoda, 17. Shinoda's father was Hyogo, with a stipend of 200 koku, living in Yonedai Nino-cho inside the castle. He was sincere and always kept his promises. In the Boshin War he was enrolled in the Byakkotai; saying that his corpse would lie on the plain, he fought at Tonokuchi-hara, and when his strength was exhausted he retreated to Iimoriyama and indeed cut his belly at the age of seventeen. Shintaro Ikegami, 16. Ikegami's father was Yohei, with a certain stipend, living in Oumaya-machi outside the castle. In the Boshin War he was appointed a yoriai half-unit leader and posted to Agehagichi. There he joined the Byakkotai, fought at Tonokuchi-hara without success, climbed Iimoriyama with the others, and cut his belly.

Katsusaburo Yanase, 17. Yanase's father was Gengo, with a stipend of 300 koku, living in Nino-cho inside the castle. At eleven he entered the domain school Nisshinkan and studied letters and arms; he excelled in archery, horsemanship, and swordsmanship, and trained under Hatakeyama and Numama. Mototaro Ibuka, 16. Ibuka's father was Morinosuke, with a stipend of 300 koku. He loved literature and at thirteen advanced to the domain lecture school; he was very brave. At sixteen he faced the enemy at Tonokuchi-hara, fought without success, and took his own life.

Teijiro Ito, 17. Ito's father was Tatsunosuke, and because the family lived near Mr. Yamamoto, the domain gunnery instructor, he naturally learned the art. At the Tonokuchi-hara sortie he asked his father for the Kanemitsu sword and fought bravely. Sutezo Tsuda, 17. Tsuda's father was Hanzo, living at the Aizu domain residence in Shiba. He loved martial arts and literature from childhood. When the Boshin War broke out he returned to Aizu, was enrolled in the Byakkotai, fought but without success, climbed Iimoriyama, and took his own life splendidly.

Toshihiko Ito, 17. Ito's father was Shinsaku, living by the moat in Kawara-machi. As the western army pressed ever closer to Aizu, he joined the Byakkotai, fought at Tonokuchi-hara without success, climbed Iimoriyama, worshiped the castle, and took his own life. Yuji Nagase, 16. Nagase's father was Takenosuke, with a stipend of 18 koku and a three-person allowance, living in Hanahata outside the castle. In the Boshin War he followed Lord Katamori, joined the Byakkotai, fought at Tonokuchi-hara without success, and cut his belly on Iimoriyama.

Yasohachi Hayashi, 16. Hayashi's father was Chuzo, with a stipend of 10 koku and a two-person allowance, living in Shinmachi Sanbancho outside the castle. Appointed to a teaching post at the domain school, his father believed that to educate others' children one must first educate one's own, and raised him with care. In the Boshin War he joined the Byakkotai, fought at Tonokuchi-hara, was defeated, retreated with the others to Iimoriyama, looked toward Tsuruga Castle, believed it had fallen, and took his own life. Takeharu Yanase, 16. Yanase's father was Hisato, with a stipend of 150 koku, living in Hon San-no-cho inside the castle. He entered the domain school Nisshinkan and studied letters and arms; he loved archery above all and was also a skilled swimmer. One day, when crossing the Okawa Bridge, he saw an old woman fall into the water and dove in to save her. Later he joined the Byakkotai, fought at Tonokuchi-hara without success, and took his own life on Iimoriyama.

Sadakichi Iinuma (later revived). When the Byakkotai, defeated, retreated to Iimoriyama and took their own lives, someone discovered the scene and found one boy still barely breathing. First aid was given immediately, and he revived; he later served as a section chief in the Ministry of Communications and is now deceased. Orinosuke Aruga, 16. Aruga's father was Gonzaemon. He studied letters and arms at the domain school Nisshinkan and was especially skilled in martial arts; it is said that he wielded a naginata at the age of nine. He became a member of the Byakkotai's second unit, fought bravely, retreated to Iimoriyama, and took his own life.

Koma Shiro Nomura, 17. Nomura's father was Seihachi, with a stipend of 130 koku, living in Nino-cho inside the castle. As he grew he entered the domain school Nisshinkan and studied both letters and arms; spearmanship was his greatest strength. In the Boshin War he became a Byakkotai and fought bravely, but was overwhelmed by superior numbers and took his own life on Iimoriyama. Tozaburo Adachi, 17. Adachi's father was Sukeuemon Onoda, with a stipend of 300 koku; he was later adopted into the Adachi family and entered the domain school Nisshinkan at eleven. In the Boshin War he fought bravely at Tonokuchi-hara, but when fortune turned against them he cut his belly.