Serizawa Kamo was a samurai known for being the original lead commander of the Shinsengumi. He trained in and received a licence in the Shindō Munen-ryū.
Background
Kamo Serizawa was born on September 2, 1826 in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. "Kamo" means goose or duck in Japanese which was an odd name to call oneself at the time. His full name was Serizawa Kamo Taira no Mitsumoto (Serizawa - family name, Kamo - given name, Taira - family clan name, Mitsumoto - formal given name). Kamo was born as the youngest son and his childhood name was Genta. He had two older brothers and an older sister. He was educated with the Sonnō jōi ideals (meaning revere the Tenno (emperor) and expel the foreigners) and swordsmanship since childhood at Kodoukan which was a state school in Mito. Mito is a sub-branch of the Tokugawa family and it was considered the motherland of the Sonnō Jōi ideology and was a center of support for the Tennō and the Imperial court, which helped fuel the Revolution.
Career
He was an antiforeign Loyalist who respected Nariaki Tokugawa, the Loyalist daimyo of Mito, he was a master of swordsmanship of the Shinto Munen School.
When the Shogunate recruited strong samurai, Kamo applied and was made the leader of a band which he called Roshigumi, or Band of Masterless Samurai. It was made up largely of rogues. When Shogun Iemochi proceeded to Kyoto to pay respects to the Court, Kamo's band also went there.
In Kyoto, upon learning that Shobe Yamatoya, a rich merchant, had amassed a fortune through dishonest means, he went to see the merchant and asked for money. Upon his request being refused, Kamo and his comrades attacked his house, destroyed his warehouse and burned piles of raw silk which were in the warehouse or threw them into the river. Because he and his band continued to perpetrate such actions, they were resented by Kyoto citizens.
He was assassinated by unidentified persons one night in September, 1863. Some people believed that Kamo was killed by Isami.
Politics
He was an idealist who held very strong pro-Imperial court beliefs and took the Sonno-joi beliefs very seriously while at the same time siding with the Tokugawa regime.
Personality
On one hand, Serizawa was quite bold and fearless and on the other hand, he was extremely selfish and had a terribly short temper so he started fights often. If he was in a bad mood he would get violent, especially when he was drinking, and he was a heavy drinker.
A less well-known fact is that Serizawa was good at drawing and showed his drawings to children.
Physical Characteristics:
Although no portrait of Kamo remains, it is said he was a large man with very pale skin and small eyes.
Connections
He married the daughter of the Kimura family, so his name was changed to Kimura Keiji.