I’ve completed Part 1 of the planned three parts. It begins with the origin of the Tennen Rishin style of martial arts, which Kondō Isami taught at his dojo in Edo, before he and seven of his top students enlisted in the Rōshigumi (“Rōshi Corps”) early in 1863, to travel to Kyoto.

Part I introduces Kondō and the other original members of the Shinsengumi, explores their mind-set, and chronicles their deeds and actions during their first six months in Kyoto, culminating with the official naming of the corps shortly after the coup in the Eighth Month (“Coup of 8/18”).

If my first book about the Shinsengumi painted an overall picture of its rise and fall, I anticipate that this next book — which I expect will be about three times longer — will be the definitive history in English.

It’s a daunting task! Thank you to my readers for your interest and kind support.

“Think big! Create! Persevere!”

[The famous painting of Kondō Isami, modeled after one of his photographs, is on a postcard I purchased at the Kojima Museum in Machida, Tokyo, years ago.]

In the Preface to Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai I wrote:

“The greatest hardship I faced was not the heavy responsibility of adhering to historical and cultural fact. Rather, it was fathoming the depths of the heart and soul of a genius who had lived and died in a culture completely foreign to my own, nearly a full century before my birth.”

The same applies as I write this next book on the Shinsengumi.

I’ve been researching and writing about Matsudaira Katamori, protector of Kyoto (Kyoto Shugoshoku), the high official charged with overseeing the Shinsengumi.

I woke up early this morning with my head swimming with new ideas. I spent the rest of the day organizing my thoughts and writing them down.

Just another day in this laborious project.

My first book about the Shinengumi is here.