Tani Mantaro (谷万太郎)
Mantaro TANI (1835 - June 30, 1886) was a member of the Shinsengumi (a special force that guarded Kyoto during the end of Tokugawa Shogunate). His childhood name was Mankichi. Sanjuro TANI was his older brother and Shuhei TANI was his younger brother.
Biography
He was born in Matsuyama, Bicchu Province, as the second son of Sanjiro-Tomoyuki TANI, who was a feudal retainer of Matsuyama Domain of Bicchu Province (Hatabugyo [flag magistrate], with a stipend of 120-koku crop yield and a yakuryo [executive allowance] of 20-koku). He started learning martial arts from his father, Sanjiro, since his infancy. Around October 1856, the Tani family extinguished due to a certain scandal.
After the family name was forfeited, he left his home town with his older brother, Sanjuro. He became a guest freeloader of Higonojo-Fumihiro IWATA, who was the jii (a doctor for the Emperor and the Imperial family) for the Nakayama family, a family of high court noble, and later he took his daughter Sue to wife and opened a dojo (training hall for martial arts) in Horie-cho, Osakaminami.
Around 1863, he joined the Shinsengumi. In the Ikedaya Incident, he belonged to Hijikata-tai (the squad lead by Toshizo HIJIKATA) and received a financial incentive of 20-ryo (old currency unit). After the organizational shuffle in January 1965, he was assigned to Nibangumi-tai (the second squad). In the Zenzaiya Incident in Osaka, he killed Teikichi ORI, in cooperation with his older brother Sanjuro, Juro ABE and others. While he was in Osaka, he held the position of the leader of quarters, however, as he often acted individually, it seems that he left the Shinsengumi after the death of his brother Sanjuro, although his enrolment until that period is confirmed.
After the Meiji Restoration, he continued running the dojo in Osaka. During the Seinan War, he acted for a while as the provisional head of Batto-tai (suicide squad, literally called drawn sword squad) recommended by Governor of Osaka Prefecture, Noboru WATANABE.
Afterwards, he failed running the dojo, and he spent the rest of his life as Yojinbo (the bodyguard) of a merchant family
Later, he divorced his wife Sue and lived together without getting married with his lover, Tami YOSHIMURA.
In 1886, he died of esophageal cancer in Osaka. He was 51. His grave s located at Honden-ji Temple in Kita Ward, Osaka City.
Biography
Juro ABE was his discipline when he was running the dojo.
After the Meiji Period, he was associated with Yasunoshin SHINOHARA.
He was a skilled hand of the sojutsu (spearmanship) of Taneda-ryu school and the kenjutsu (swordplay) of Chokushin-ryu.