Byakkotai Tribute

BYAKKOTAI.NET

When people say "Byakkotai" they are usually referring to the small group of teenagers who took their own lives on Mt. Iimori in AIZU. However, not all Byakkotai committed suicide or died.

Around this very time of March or April in 1868 (the Boshin War), a fighting force comprising of hundreds of very young samurai of Aizu was already formed in preparation of the invasion by the kangun or Imperial Troops. The 16-17 year old young men were intended to be a "reserve force" (Shiba 45). However, it seems to have been the case that 15 year olds did enter the force through deception. The story of the Byakkotai has been narrated in many ways such as pop-culture, movies, novels, even crossover manga with the Shinsengumi. The lack of a detailed historical narrative of the Byakkotai points to there symbolic significance. They became more than just boys who misread a situation and made extreme decisions.

The End of Aizu's Future
The value of male children in Japanese (Pan-asian) culture is well known. Children really were raised by the community. Extended family members, close friends, and the many teachers at the domain school (Nisshinkan) were all authority figures who were allowed to shape and discipline these young men. The Byakkotai were part of the very last generation to complete or experience a traditional samurai education. They were not just sons of certain families but sons of the entire domain. Their deaths stood for the end of the domain's future as a feudal entity. They stood at the border of childhood and samuraihood (indeed many of them were considered to be full adults already) and their potential as individuals remain unfulfilled.

You may learn more about the Byakkotai here
http://www.shinsengumihq.com/byakkotaiinfo.htm

The music is from Hans Zimmer OST "LAST SAMURAI"

Special Thanks to "Hirotada Tokugawa" for providing his voice and writing talent to this project.

Shiba, Goro. (edited by Ishimitsu Mahito) Remembering Aizu: The Testament of Shiba Goro
Hawai'i: University of Hawai'i Press, 1999.
ISBN: 0824821572

Related Video:
THE LAST SAMURAI WOMEN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaiA3Rs4IN8

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• aizu
• aizu-wakamatsu
• byakkotai
• yamap
• samurai
• Japan
• Aizu
• Fukushima
• warrior
• katana

[rasmus1166]

Why was Sadakichi Linuma allowed to live?

The story missed telling me that.

[secretarytocapt3]

Iinuma did try to kill himself by stabbing his neck but failed. He was rescued by passerbys who found him and the rest of the bodies.

[PO64336Whiskey]

Thank you for the video and the history lesson. What a great example of strength in ones beliefs. What happened to the survivor? and why was he the only one not to suicide?

[secretarytocapt3]

Sadakichi Iinuma, the survivor, stabbed himself in the throat and did not die...he was found by people and they tended to his wounds and saved his life. He did not discuss the mass suicide for many years but in the end his remains were placed near the graves of his friends. Thanks for watching.

[doga5]

The battle of Aizu was really horrible.

Not only Byakkotai, but also women and children and even elderlies formed units and fought against Satsuma and Choshu troops.

After the war, some of Aizu samurai and their families moved to California and became the earliest Japanese immigrants.

(Lord Matsudaira had an German adviser John Henry Schnell. He navigated them to the US)

[secretarytocapt3]

Dear doga5, everything you said is 100% accurate we posted some info here: http://www.shinsengumihq.com/f­acts.htm thanks for posting a comment!

[peacefulworld7japan]

I am Japanese, and one of my ancestor was the member of Byakkotai who commited "Seppuku" on Iimori mountain飯盛山.

I annually visit Aizu to pay respect my ancester.

I wish Tokugawa won in Boshin war.

[paulz1800]

Sad that the best ways of life from all over the world slowly died out in time. touching!

[Tekirai]

@peacefulworld7japan *jaw drops* that....that...that is amazing!! * just starting reading up on the boshin war and im confused to high heaven between the choshu and satsuma goups cuz its like they wanted the same things for japan idk i have to look into it more*

[PinkuJessy]

I watched the japanese Drama with Yamashita Tomohisa "Byakkotai" and wanted to know about the history of them more.

Thank you a lot for sharing this video and informations with us!

Japanese History is really interesting..I really admire how loyal they were and how modest and yet proud their minds where.They had so much self-discipline!

But it also gives me a very sad feeling if I think about their ends and how the leaders used that loyalty.I still dont understand the whole seppuku stuff!

[LucasLucemon]

Wait was the Byakkotai part of the Tokugawa Shogunate, or the Imperial Army?

[rasmus1166]

exactly! How do you surviwe that? thats what I ment...

[nutchan0731]

Aizu ppl were discriminated after war .

some were sent northern parts on Japan.

[tonieboo0013]

I just finished the two part, 4 hour mini-series 'Byakkotai' that TV Asahi aired in 2oo7 and was wondering if it was an acurate re-telling of what happened to those soldiers in Aizu.

It's really heartbreaking to think that these soldiers, no, young boys who were literally my age died so tragically.

[rasmus1166]

No disrespect ment, but can you NOT kill yourself by cutting your own throat? To me, thats seems impossible.