Aburanokoji Incident (油小路事件)
An incident in which Kashitaro ITO, a staff officer of the Shinsengumi (a group who guarded Kyoto during the end of Tokugawa Shogunate), and others were assassinated. This was the last feud within the Shinsengumi organization.
Assassination of Kashitaro ITO
On April 14, 1867 (March 10 according to the old calendar), a plan by Kashitaro ITO (who broke away from the Shinsengumi and organized the Goryo-eji (guards of Imperial mausoleums, also known as Kodaiji-to) and led a movement to revere the emperor and overthrow the shogunate) to assassinate Isami KONDO (head of the Shinsengumi) together with Satsuma was outed by Hajime SAITO, a spy that was sent from the Shinsengumi.
However, documents left behind by Ito only placed importance on a conversation, and there is no record of him killing anyone, other than during the Aburanokoji Incident, nor are there any records of him trying to assassinate Isami KONDO, which led to the theory that plans for the assassination never existed.
On December 13 of the same year (November 18 according to the old calendar), Isami KONDO asked Ito over to his mistress' home in Shichijo, to discuss a loan and national affairs, and served Ito alcohol. On his way home, Ito was killed by Kuwajiro OISHI in an ambush.
Ito received a fatal wound, but he was able to deliver a blow to his assassin and died calling out "Kanzokubara (traitor)"
Purge of the Goryo-eji
Shinsengumi abandoned Ito's corpse on the streets of Aburanokoji, hiding themselves so that they could kill all the other members of Ito's group who would be coming to collect Ito's body. The seven Goryo Eji members who came to pick up the body were Heisuke TODO, Tainoshin SHINOHARA, Mikisaburo SUZUKI, Takeo HATTORI, Arinosuke MONAI, Michinosuke KANO, and Yahei TOYAMA. Three of them were killed in the ambush; Heisuke TODO, who was an original member of the Shinsengumi and was the former leader of the eighth squad, Takeo HATTORI and Arinosuke MONAI.
Shinpatchi NAGAKURA and Sanosuke HARADA, who had been friends with Todo since they trained together at the Shieikan training hall, tried to save him by letting him get away, but Todo was killed by another member of the Shinsengumi.
It is said that Arinosuke MONAI was cut into pieces, leaving the corpse in a horrifying state.
Takeo HATTORI was famous as being skillful in using two swords at once, and his bloodcurdling presence of fighting alone overwhelmed the men he fought against; however, he was killed by Sanosuke HARADA's spear when his sword broke.
Other members escaped and found shelter in the residence of Satsuma Clan.
Their bodies were left for some time, and later buried at Koenji Temple and reburied at Kaikoji Temple.
Tale told at a later date
One month later on December 18 (old calendar), the remaining Goryo-eji including Shinohara, hid in a private residence along the Fushimi-kaido Road and sniped at Isami KONDO on his way back from Nijo-jo Castle and Kondo's right shoulder was seriously injured. Later, during the Boshin Civil War, Isami KONDO, finding himself in an inferior position, turned himsel in the new government troops under the alias of Yamato OKUBO at Koshigaya; however, his identity was revealed by Michinosuke KANO who had joined the troops, and he was captured and beheaded.