Sagawa Kanbei

Sagawa Kanbei (佐川 官兵衛, Sagawa Kanbe'e), also known as Sagawa Naoki (1831–1877), was a military figure of the Aizu Domain at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was also a police officer during the Meiji era before he was killed at the Siege of Kumamoto Castle in 1877.[1]

Sagawa Kanbei
佐川官兵衛
Nickname(s)Kikanbei
Born(1831-10-10)October 10, 1831
Aizu Domain, Tokugawa shogunate
DiedMarch 18, 1877(1877-03-18) (aged 45)
Higo Province, Japan
Buried
Oita Prefecture Gokoku Shrine
Allegiance Aizu Domain
 Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service1862 – 1868
1874 – 1877
RankFirst Inspector
Battles/warsBoshin War

Satsuma Rebellion

Biography

Bakumatsu era

He was born the son of Naomichi Sagawa, a samurai of the Aizu Domain. In 1862, he followed the feudal lord, Matsudaira Katamori, and served as a head of the school before serving as a school magistrate.[2]

When the Boshin War broke out in January 1868, Kanbei served the Aizu Domain and participated in the Battle of Toba–Fushimi. His service during the battle earned him the nickname of Kikanbei.[2] After the battle, he returned to Aizu and went to participate in the Battle of Hokuetsu, but when the war situation became unfavorable, he left the front with the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei clans and returned to Aizu.[2] In the Battle of Aizu on August 29, he led about 1,000 elites and was appointed commander of the castle's counter-attack force. However, he was drunk with the sake he received from his feudal lord the night before the attack, and was defeated late in the sortie, which was still early in the Battle of Chomeiji. He was redeemed in the Battle of Zaimoku-Cho (Sumiyoshi Kawara) on September 5, when he led a small number of soldiers and defeated the new Imperial Japanese Army and secured food for Aizuwakamatsu Castle.[2] After the end of the Boshin War, he was detained in Tokyo with other feudal lords.

Meiji Era

When the former Aizu domain was revived as the Tonami Domain, he moved to Gonohe, Aomori Prefecture. After the abolition of the han system, he served at the Metropolitan Police Department in 1874 after Chief Kawaji Toshiyoshi praised him for his service during the Boshin War, and was appointed as the First Grand Inspector.[2] In the Satsuma Rebellion, he served as the first platoon leader of the Bungoguchi No. 1 Police Corps from the beginning of the war.[3] In Aso District, Kumamoto, he was killed when he was shot while engaged in hand to hand combat during the Siege of Kumamoto Castle.[2] He died at the age of 45. He was buried at Oita Prefecture Gokoku Shrine and Chofuku-ji Temple in Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture.

Legacy

Several monuments in Minamiaso, Kumamoto are dedicated to Kanbei.[4]

References
  1. A record of the great generals of the early modern age Volume 1（Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1934) pp.173
  2. "佐川官兵衛: アイドルは人数より歴史が大事だ！". ameblo.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  3. Former Work 3rd Brigade Staff Department Edition "Seinan Battle Nissoku" (Meiji 17) 344 pieces
  4. Furusato Terakoya No.45 "Onikanbei" - Kumamoto Prefecture tourism site

Bibliography
  • Aizu Historical Meeting All about the Aizu War New People Visiting Company, 1980
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