Nakamura Goro (中村五郎)
Goro NAKAMURA (1849 - July 15, 1867), from the Utsunomiya Domain, Shimotsuke Province, was a member of the Shinsengumi. He trained swordplay in Hokushin-Ittoryu style. His imina (personal name) was Masatsune.
In May 1865, he applied for recruitment of Shinsengumi members by Toshizo HIJIKATA, Kashitaro ITO and Hajime SAITO, and joined the Shinsengumi at the age of 17. He went into Kyoto on May 10th in the same year.
When the Shinsengumi's promotion to Shogun's retainer was determined in July 1867, he decided to break away from the Shinsengumi with other members including Shimenosuke SANO, Tsukasa IBARAKI and Juro TOMIKAWA who had strongly believed the idea of Sonno Joi (reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners), and asked them to join Goryo-eji (guards of Imperial mausoleums) formed by Ito who also separated from the Shinsengumi, however his request was turned down. Nakamura who had nowhere to go visited the residence of Kyoto shugoshoku (Military governor of Kyoto) of the Aizu Domain to plead for his withdrawal from the Shinsengumi, however, things didn't go well and he committed suicide there. He died at the age of 19.