30 Mar 2014

Searching for Ryoma 4: Ryoma's Tomb

Ryoma Sakamoto rests in peace hand in hand with friends

Oleh Takako Sakamoto

Community writer

Statues of Ryoma Sakamoto and his best friend and comrade, Shintaro Nakaoka, in Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku Shrine

Tomb of Ryoma Sakamoto and his best friend, Shintaro Nakaoka. They were samurai from Tosa (present-day Kochi), tried to reform Japan, and were assassinated together on the night of December 10, 1867, a month before Meiji Restoration took place, at Omiya inn in Kyoto. He was 31 years old

Wooden post explaining the assassination of Ryoma Sakamoto and his friend, Shintaro Nakaoka, two heroes of Japan at the end of Edo period

The gate of Ryoma's graveyard. It looks a little bit desolate

Wooden post explaining the 'Ikedaya Incident' which was an armed encounter between masterless samurai (ronin) formally employed by the Chōshū and Tosa clans (han), and the Shinsengumi, the Tokugawa Shogunate's special police force in Kyoto on July 8, 1864 at the Ikedaya Inn in Kyoto. Many revolutionary samurai who died for the Meiji Restoration are buried in this cemetery

Tomb stone of Kogoro Katsura(later Takayoshi Kido) in this cemetary. His tomb stone is much bigger and dignified than Ryoma's, since he survived the revolution and became a statesman of Meiji government.

Tomb stone of Ikumatsu, the wife of Kogoro Katsura. A popular Geisha who became the wife of a Meiji statesman. She was famous for her intelligence, beauty and dedication to her husband. When her husband was attacked by Tokugawa's police force, she hid him in a small closet and duped the police force with her ready wit

Wooden sign explaining the graveyard of Kogoro Katsura, Ryoma's friend and one of the leading revolutionaries who became a Meiji statesman later, and his wife Ikumatsu, who was a Geisha and supported him throughout his turbulent revolutionary life. They are buried together in this cemetery

Ryoma Sakamoto, one of the most beloved historical heroes in Japanese history, was assassinated at the age of 31 at the Ōmiya inn in Kyoto on the night of December 10, 1867, a month before the Meiji Restoration took place. Coincidentally, he was killed on his birthday. Assassins were said to be from a pro-Tokugawa Shogunate group, but the true assassins have never been proven.

Ryoma was buried with his best friend and the revolutionary comrade, Shintaro Nakaoka (who was assassinated with Ryoma on the night) in the cemetery inside Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku Shrine in Kyoto. In this cemetery, many samurai who died supporting the Meiji Restoration (1868), a turbulent era in Japan's history, rest in peace. For access information please refer to my other article, Searching for Ryoma Sakamoto.