Noguchi Kenji — Survived the Night, Made to Die Three Months Later

One man came through the night Serizawa was killed. Three months later he was made to cut his belly. Noguchi Kenji. Nobody wrote down why.

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Who Was Noguchi Kenji?

Noguchi was an assistant vice-commander of the Shinsengumi.

Born in 1843, a man of the Mito domain. He studied Shintō Munen-ryū at the Yurimoto Shōzō school in Edo and earned a certificate — full transmission, by one account. A fellow student there was Nagakura Shinpachi, later a senior man in the corps.

On 4 February 1864 he committed seppuku, aged twenty-one by the old inclusive count.

Noguchi Kenji and the Mito Faction

He joined the Rōshigumi in February 1863 and went up to Kyoto. He opposed the return to Edo, stayed, and took part in the founding of the Mibu Rōshi that March.

Being from Mito, he counted as one of the Mito — or Serizawa — faction, alongside Serizawa Kamo, Niimi Nishiki, Hirama Jusuke and Hirayama Goro.

He was made an assistant vice-commander, a senior post in the founding structure.

Noguchi moved with Serizawa, and is held to have taken part in the brawl with the Osaka sumo wrestlers that Serizawa provoked. He also turned out during the coup of 18 August.

Why Noguchi Kenji Survived

In October 1863 the Shieikan faction assassinated Serizawa and Hirayama, and Hirama fled.

Noguchi had stayed behind at the Sumiya that night and was not there.

Niimi had already been made to commit seppuku, so the Mito faction was effectively finished.

Noguchi alone came through the attack and remained in the corps as one of its senior men. Setting aside Hirama, who ran, he was the only Serizawa-faction officer still inside.

Why he was left alone is unknown. Shimozawa Kan's Kamogawa Monogatari has him chosen as one of Serizawa's assassins, and letting Hirama escape — but Shimozawa invents heavily and this cannot be taken as fact.

Noguchi Kenji's Seppuku

On 27 December of that year by the old calendar, Noguchi was suddenly ordered to cut his belly.

Ando Hayataro acted as his second.

The cause is not established.

Yagi Gennojō, in later testimony, thought he had been made to take the blame for something trivial. Another account has him caught up in a lawsuit involving Mito rōnin who had passed themselves off as members of the corps.

He was twenty or twenty-one.

With that, all five of the Mito men were disposed of — Serizawa and Hirayama cut down, Niimi and Noguchi made to open their bellies, Hirama gone. Less than a year after its founding, the Shinsengumi was Kondo Isami's organisation.

An organisation that could make a senior officer die over something trivial was finished being built at that point.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Noguchi Kenji?

An assistant vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. A man of the Mito domain, he was one of the senior figures in the Mito faction around Serizawa Kamo.

Why was Noguchi Kenji made to commit seppuku?

It is not established. Yagi Gennojō believed he had been made to take the blame for something trivial; another account involves a lawsuit concerning Mito rōnin impersonating members of the corps.

Why did Noguchi Kenji survive the night Serizawa was killed?

Because he had stayed behind at the Sumiya. He remained a senior member of the corps afterwards, only to be ordered to die three months later.

How old was Noguchi Kenji when he died?

Twenty-one by the old inclusive count, on 4 February 1864.

Noguchi Kenji Timeline

For the rest of the Mito faction see Serizawa Kamo, Niimi Nishiki, Hirayama Goro and Hirama Jusuke; for the roster, the Shinsengumi members; for the corps, the Shinsengumi.