Serizawa Kamo - Death

Death

On October 19 (lunar calendar September 10), Niimi Nishiki, who was a sub-captain of the Shinsengumi, was ordered to commit seppuku by Hijikata and Yamanami. Most likely, this was the beginning of the plan by the Kondo sect to get rid of Serizawa and his group. When Serizawa, Hirayama, and Hirama found out about the involuntary seppuku, they were unable to retaliate because in August they had started recruiting many of their members to side with Kondo. Noguchi Kenji, who was a fukuchou jokin and a member of Serizawa's group, was not in Mibu village at this time of the assassination. But there is a possibility that Niimi was forced seppuku by a Mito samurai for the murder of a Mibu Roushigumi member and Kondo's group was not involved with his death. Therefore, Serizawa's group may have not known about Kondo's assassination plans.

On October 30 (lunar calendar September 18; however there is debate that it could have happened 2 days before that), all of the Mibu Roushigumi had a drinking party at which was a plan to assassinate Serizawa. Serizawa was then assassinated along with Oume, a woman who was sleeping with him, and also Hirayama. Hirama, the sole survivor in Serizawa's group, managed to flee back to Mito where he reported Serizawa Kamo's death to his family. The assassination was carried out under Matsudaira Katamori's order. A few months later, on February 4, 1864 (lunar calendar December 27, 1863), Noguchi was ordered to commit seppuku by the Shinsengumi.