Yamazaki Susumu (山崎蒸)
Susumu YAMAZAKI (around 1833, date of birth unknown - February 6, 1868) was a Shoshi shirabeyaku ken kansatsu of Shinsengumi (Shinsengumi's organizational post for investigating the movement of opponents and keeping the members of Shinsengumi under control). He hailed from Osaka in Settsu Province (another theory is that he hailed from Yamashiro Province).
He was the son of a doctor or a drug wholesaler, and he learned first aid from Ryojun MATSUMOTO, who was engaged in the treatment of the members of Shinsengumi. According to a book written by Ryojun MATSUMOTO, Yamazaki said, with a smile, that "I am a doctor of Shinsengumi."
Shinsengumi
Around 1864, he started to be engaged in investigating the movement of members as well as collecting the information. When the Ikedaya Incident occurred in July, he, as a Shoshi shirabeyaku ken kansatsu of Shinsengumi, searched for, along with Kai SHIMADA, the retainers of Choshu domain and radical members of Sonjo-ha (a group advocating reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners) and succeeded in locating Masuya, the residence of Shuntaro FURUTAKA, one of the radical members. Masuya was the place where influential activists, including Teizo MIYABE etc., held secret meetings. It seems that he located Masuya by shadowing Miyabe's servant Chuzo. Thanks to the above, Shinsengumi successfully blocked the plans of Sonjo-ha to set fire on the palace and to bring the Emperor to Choshu. Although other members of Shinsengumi were given rewards for this achievement, Yamazaki's name was not on the list. Therefore, some people assert that the above story is a fiction created by Kan SHIMOZAWA and Ryotaro SHIBA. In the diary of Kai SHIMADA who received a reward, however, Yamazaki was listed as a member who went searching. He is said to have excelled in bojutsu (art of using a stick as a weapon) of Katori school, but some people believe that what he actually used was a nagamaki (a long sword).
It seems that he knew well about Osaka, and he often brought leading members to Osaka as a guide. He also knew well about rich merchants in Osaka. It seems that he was found useful in Shinsengumi. In the subsequent important battles such as the Kinmon Incident, the first conquest of Choshu and the second conquest of Choshu, he showed his ability in collecting information on the progress and situations of a battle and provided accurate information to Isami KONDO and the Aizu domain.
He learned medicine from Ryojun MATSUMOTO and worked also as a doctor of Shinsengumi. Working as a doctor, he made his colleagues laugh by saying "I am a doctor of Shinsengumi."
In February 1968, he was seriously wounded in the battle of Toba-Fushimi. On February 6th, he died from high fever on a ship called Fujisan (warship) while retreating to Edo. It is believed that he was buried at sea off the coast of Kishu. It is said, at that time, Isami KONDO shed tears and said to Toshizo HIJIKATA, "Yamazaki was a good guy. He is happy with being seen off by so many people." Thereafter, he is said to deeply bow to the captain and express his thanks. However, no description concerning Yamazaki's death and water burial is seen in the notes written by Shinpachi NAGAKURA and Kai SHIMADA who may have been on the same ship.
One theory is that he was shot to death in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi and was buried on land. As seen from the above, his death is covered in mystery with various views.
Kondo seems to have trusted and loved Yamazaki. At the water burial held on the ship, Kondo is said to go out of the bed to be dressed up and read his message of condolences, although he was also shot and heavily wounded in the shoulder.
Some people assert that he was a cousin (brother in law) of Ringoro YAMAZAKI (Shinjiro HAYASHI), a member of Shinsengumi, and that he should have a wife based on the family tree of Ringoro's family, but it is not certain whether he actually had a blood relation with Ringoro in the first place. He was deemed as a cousin of Shintaro HAYASHI in a book written by Kan SHIMOZAWA, but Shimozawa might have been confused with Shinjiro HAYASHI.
(There is this description in this book that Shintaro HAYASHI told about the water burial of Susumu YAMAZAKI in the late Meiji era, but the truth is that he had already died at that time.)
Further, there is a view that the name of Ringoro YAMAZAKI's father and that of Susumu YAMAZAKI's father were the same, but they were not the same person.
In Ryotaro SHIBA's novel "Shinsengumi Keppuroku," he was depicted as a descendant of Shogen OKUNO, who dropped out of Ako Roshi (lordless samurai of Ako domain), but it is a fiction.
Diary
A diary named "Yamazaki Susumu Torishirabe Nikki" was found in 2004. It seems to be a kind of memos recording the list of the Shinsengumi members as well as the events in Keio era, and its decipherment work is currently under way. It was exhibited at Furusato Museum in Hino City for the first time at the end of the year.