Tani Sanjuro (谷三十郎)
Sanjuro TANI (? - May 15, 1866) was the leader of the seventh unit of Shinsengumi (an Edo shogunate police force located in Kyoto) and it is told that he was the grand master of the art of the spearmanship. He was born in the Matsuyama clan in Bicchu. His imina (personal name) was Tomokuni.
Three brothers of Tani
He learned swordsmanship from his father, Sanjiro TANI, during his childhood. It is also told that he was good in spearmanship as well, there might be some confusion with his younger brother, Mantaro TANI. He had served Katsushige ITAKURA, who was the lord of the Matsuyama Domain in Bicchu, but, because of a deplorable event, the Tani family became extinct around 1856 (It is also told that the event is not related to Sanjuro, but to his younger brother, Mantaro TANI. The truth is not known.).
Shinsengumi
He joined Shinsengumi before the Ikedaya Incident, and belonged to the Kondo unit at the time of the Ikedaya Incident.
In January 1865, on the occasion of police work in Osaka, with a team of four including his younger brother, Mantaro, he prevented a plot of attacking and burning Osaka by radical supporters of the doctrine of restoring the Emperor and expelling the barbarians. (Zenzaiya Incident). After that, in the same year, he was elected to the leader of the seventh unit. (On this occasion, the job as grand master of the art of the spearmanship was made a job for his younger brother, Mantaro.
Spearmanship
It is told that the spearmanship of Sanjuro TANI was worth 'one thousand koku,' but, there is the view that his spearmanship was hardly utilized in actual battle and it was mere dojoyari (spearmanship trained only in the training hall).
(Also it is considered that he was confused with his younger brother, Mantaro TANI.)
It is also told that Sanjuro failed in conducting kaishaku (to assist someone in committing harakiri by beheading him) for a member, but this is not reliable because, according to the record, the member committed harakiri only after Sanjuro's death.
Cause of his death
On May 15, 1866, Sanjuro's dead body was found below the stone steps of the Gion-sha Shrine (present Yasaka-jinja Shrine) in Higashiyama.
The cause of his death is recorded as just 'sudden death,' and it is not clear how he died.
There are two views, and one says that he was assassinated, and the other says that he died because of illness.