Goryo Eji (御陵衛士, Imperial Mausoleum Guards) was an organization that protected the tomb of Emperor Komei (Gotsukinwa Higashiyama Mausoleum).
History
On March 10, 1867 (April 14, 1867), Itō Kashitarō left the Shinsengumi due to ideological differences, and recruited like-minded people from the Shinsengumi to form the group. The initial reason for leaving was that he had been appointed to guard the tomb of Emperor Komei through the mediation of Kanzen, the elder of Kaikoji Temple, a subtemple of Sennyuji Temple, and therefore wanted to investigate the movements of the Satsuma and Chōshū clans. They first set up their headquarters at Choenji Temple (some say it was Zenryuji Temple) east of Gojo Bridge.
Based on the principles of Ichiwa Doshin (the nation of Japan being of one mind and in harmony), national military service, and a great opening of the country to great power, he carried out unique political activities with the aim of creating a government centered on the Imperial Court (kugyo) through official government.
His comrades included his younger brother Suzuki Mikisaburō, Shinohara Yasunoshin, Tōdō Heisuke, Hattori Takeo, Keuchi Arinosuke, Toyama Yabe, Abe Juro, Utsumi Jiro, Kano Washio, Nakanishi Noboru, Hashimoto Minasuke, Kiyoshi Kiyohara, Arai Tadao, and Saitō Hajime (Saitō was also said to be a spy for the Shinsengumi), a total of 15 people.
Ten others, including Ibaraki Tsukasa, Sano Shichigosannosuke, Tomikawa Juro and Nakamura Goro, also tried to join later, but when they went to the Aizu clan residence to make their petition, four of them died (there are various theories about the cause of death), and the remaining six were expelled. This was because there was an agreement between the Goryo-Eji and the Shinsengumi that prohibited members from traveling back and forth between them, and those who deserted the Shinsengumi to join the Goryo-Eji without knowing this ended up with nowhere to go (those who deserted the Shinsengumi were required by law to be brought back to the barracks and commit seppuku). Separately, Takeda Kanryūsai, who had lost his place in the group after Ibaraki and the others committed seppuku, was also refused to join the Eji (it is said that Kanryūsai was the one who encouraged Ibaraki and the others to desert in the first place).
In June, Itō became affiliated with Toda Tadashi, the magistrate of the Imperial tombs, and moved from Choen-ji Temple to Gesshin-in, a subtemple of Kodai-ji Temple in Higashiyama, where he hung up a sign reading "Imperial Tomb Guardian". It is generally believed that he became close to the Satsuma Domain, but there are other theories (see below).
Since he had parted ways with the Shinsengumi over their support for the Bakufu and despite their loyalty to the emperor, he would always sleep with his sword in his arms, fearing an attack from the Shinsengumi. However, recent research has suggested that even though Goryo Eji were against the Bakufu, their actions were gradual, and that their ideology was close to that of Matsudaira Shungaku (the Aizu Domain leader) and others, and there is a theory that they kept a certain distance from the Satsuma Domain.
On November 18 (December 13), Itō, Tōdō, Hattori, and Monai were killed in the Aburanokōji Incident. The remaining members fled to the Satsuma Domain residence. This resulted in the disbandment of the Goryo-Eji. The surviving members of the Goryo-Eji subsequently joined the Sekihōtai as the 2nd Unit (led by Itō's younger brother Suzuki Mikisaburō).[1]
Anime
The Shinsengumi ambush and murder Itou
From all the members of Goryo Eji only Kashitarou Itou and a few unnamed followers ever appear in the anime. According to the plot, Itou learns that Sannan, who was claimed to be dead for over half a year, turns out to be alive, and it breaks his trust towards the Shinsengumi prompting him to leave. He takes a few members of the Shinsengumi that join his own followers, including Heisuke, his former student, who does not wish to protect the shōgun and realizes that his own ideals no longer match the Shinsengumi's. Saitou, to everyone's surprise, also joins Itou, but it is later revealed that he was a spy who overheard Itou's plans to assassinate Kondou.
When Hijikata orders to murder Itou instead, Chizuru manages to arrive just in time to stop Heisuke from joining the fight and protecting Itou, thus saving his life, but the group is later surrounded by Satsuma, Chōshū and the demons, and Heisuke ends up gravely wounded with no other way but to become a Rasetsu which is seen as similar to dying, and that is also how the anime plot tries to stick to the version that is correct according to the real human history, where Heisuke also died during the Aburanokōji Incident.
Games
In the games, apart from Itou himself, the players also encounter his arrogant younger brother Saburou Miki, who later joins him and helps form Goryo Eji. The plot is similar to the anime and mostly sticks to the real history, with Heisuke dying in most game routes while protecting Itou alongside other Goryo Eji members.
Goryo Eji members were also known to be responsible for accusing Harada of assassinating Ryouma Sakamoto right before it is revealed that Itou planned to attack and kill Kondou.