Kyoto and Ryoma

[FuRinKaZan]

I'm currently an exchange student at Kyoto University but I pass by a number of Sakamoto Ryoma sites along my daily commute, one of them being the location of his famous murder. I read quite a bit of Japanese history though I must admit that for all that I have read on the Bakumatsu period, I end up still being confused because of the intricate nature of the period. (my area of focus is Japanese literature as well as East Asian International Relations)I know quite a bit on Japan from 1868 up, but the Bakumatsu period has always held a special interest for me. I was wondering what other Sakomoto Ryoma locations as well as Bakumatsu related places are nearby Kyoto and worth travelling to see? As Japanese university really does not give much in the way of "work" as American college does, I have a lot of extra time on my hands which I would like to use towards seeing more Japanese historical places of interest.

On a side note, I am watching the enjoyable though clearly quasi-historical taiga drama "龍馬伝." After doing some more reading on the background of Ryoma, I was confused as to where it says in the history books that Hanpeichi and Ryoma were childhood friends. I thought in reality they only met up as young adults. Did I miss something?
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行く川の流れは絶えずしてしかも元の水にあらず。淀みに浮かぶうたかたはかつ消えかつ結びて、久しからず留まりたる例なし。この世の中にある人とすみかとまたかくの如し。

[Obenjo Kusanosuke]

You may want to check out the shrine to Ryoma that is known as the Terada-ya in Fushimi. Although the building is not an original (they tried to pass it off as the original until recently--google the SA and you will find threads about it). Also, on my Flickr site, I have pictures of many Bakumatsu historical sites in the Kyoto area. Try these sets.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rekishinotabi/sets/72157619410415125/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rekishinotabi/sets/72157617225854269/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rekishinotabi/sets/72157616034869565/

Also, if you can read Japanese, most of the bookstores in Kyoto are selling guides to the Bakumatsu and Ryoma related sites around the city. You can't really go wrong with picking one up.
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Heee heee! Shita iro! Shita iro! Here comes his lordship, Baka Tono!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rekishinotabi

[lordameth]

FurinKazan, I'm totally envious of you. I just spent the summer in Kyoto, and wish I could go back, spend more time there.

I imagine you're familiar with the statue of Ryôma & Nakaoka Shintarô in Maruyama Kôen (behind Yasaka Shrine)?

There are also a lot of markers for bakumatsu-related sites along Kiyamachi and Kawaramachi near Ôike, Sanjô, and Shijô streets. If you can read Japanese, you can find and recognize the stone markers for, for example, the Tosa mansion (土佐藩邸跡)... When I was looking for the Chôshû one, I asked at the Kyoto Hotel Okura (on the corner of Kawaramachi-Ôike), and they had a map of the area with all the Ryoma-related sites marked on it, which they gave me. So that's definitely a start.

Here's a very similar map I found and photographed.

Good luck!
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My blog on Japanese art & history: http://chaari.wordpress.com

紫水晶殿 - The Amethyst Lord

[Dash101]

The posts above have really nailed, I think, the most useful of things. There are quite a few package tours of Kyoto vis-a-vis Sakamoto Ryoma. If you have time, it may be of interest to you to have a guided tour around Kyoto that will bring you around to many places connected to Ryoma.

Here's one: http://www.nakastravel.com/2010-12-sakamoto-ryoma/2010-12-sakamoto-ryoma-itinerary.pdf

You can search on this site as well as there are a few posts I think on the subject.

[lordameth]

Anyone interested in Ryôma (and who isn't!?) and who happens to be in Hawaii, they're apparently having an event on October 11 at the Honolulu Convention Center to discuss Ryôma and why he's interesting or relevant or popular or something like that.

Speakers include descendants of the Sakamoto (as in Ryôma) and Katsu (as in Kaishû) families, and a scholar specializing in John Manjirô.

I couldn't find the poster available online (I got it as an email attachment), so I've reposted it here:

http://chaari.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/sakamoto-ryoma-flyer.pdf
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My blog on Japanese art & history: http://chaari.wordpress.com

紫水晶殿 - The Amethyst Lord

[ltdomer98]

[Tornadoes28]

That would be interesting to go to, especially to hear about John Manjiro. Too bad I'm not in Hawaii.

By the way, where's Dash been? Haven't seen him around for a long time.
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[kitsuno]

[kitsuno]

The Hawaii Film Festival is also coming up, and I've found at least one movie that I'm raring to see, Katsuhito Ishii, the director of Sharkskin Man and Peach hip girl, "Smuggler".

http://bit.ly/rdI31C

Katsuhito Ishii (TASTE OF TEA, FUNKY FOREST) takes on the yakuza genre full-throttle in SMUGGLER, a high voltage, eye-popping adaptation of the popular manga SUMAGURU by Shohei Manabe. When loser wannabe actor Ryusuke (Satoshi Tsumabuki, VILLON’S WIFE) happens upon a rigged pachinko machine he gets more than he bargained for. Suddenly in debt to the yakuza, he is forced to join a crew of ‘smugglers’ led by tough guy Joe (Masatoshi Nagase, KAASAN: MOM’S LIFE, THE HIDDEN BLADE), transporting ‘goods’ for a hitman clean-up squad.

But when two vicious hitmen (Masanobu Ando, SEEDIQ BALE, BATTLE ROYALE and Ryushin Tei) take out a yakuza boss for the Chinese mafia, Ryusuke finds himself caught up in a cat and mouse game where anything goes, and suddenly the hunter becomes the hunted. This is one wild ride that will have you on the edge of your seat all the way through. And with a truly star-studded cast, this film sports some of hottest young actors in Japan including the beautiful Hikari Mitsushima (SAWAKO DECIDES, LOVE EXPOSURE) as yakuza wife number one.
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[kitsuno]

Oooh, Tak Sakaguchi's "Deadball" is also playing. I'll be seeing at least two movies then:

http://bit.ly/piTq5u

Oh hey, The Last Ronin is also playing. I suppose I could take one for the team and watch it...

http://bit.ly/n8cfs2

The Last Ronin

It was supposed to be over. Forty-seven ronin (masterless samurai) had shocked Japan by avenging their lord’s death in a daring raid, and then committing ritual suicide. Sixteen years have passed since that fateful event. Unknown to the world, Magoza (Koji Yakusho) is the ronin who betrayed his comrades on the eve of the attack by simply disappearing. Disguised as an antique dealer, he now lives deep in a bamboo forest, protecting a secret. Fellow comrade Kichie (Koichi Sato) stumbles on him by chance. Kichie was also unable to die an honourable death – he too had received secret orders to stay alive.
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[shikisoku]

Please visit Ryozen museum first.
http://www.ryozen-museum.or.jp/

Then go to the grave yard in front of the museum.
http://www.gokoku.or.jp/
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