Shieikan, also known as Shiei Hall in localization, is the dōjō located in Edo that belonged to Shuusuke Kondou, the adoptive father of Isami Kondou. After Shuusuke retired in 1861, Isami inherited the dōjō and continued practicing the Tennen Rishin style along with Toshizou Hijikata, Souji Okita, Genzaburou Inoue and Keisuke Sannan.
Shieikan is the place where all the main Shinsengumi members from Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan initially met.
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History
Shieikan was founded in 1839 by Shusuke Kondou (1792-1867), the third generation of Tennen Rishin-ryu, who later changed his name to Shuusei Kondou, retired, and handed over the leadership to his adoptive son Isami Kondou, who became the fourth generation of Tennen Rishin-ryu and inherited a special sword called Yamashironokami Fujiwara Kunikiyo. After Isami and others became the retainers of the Bakufu and left for Kyoto to form the Rōshigumi, Hikogorō Satō and Yasujirō Terao took care of the dōjō which existed until 1867.
About the name
The name "Shieikan" for the dōjō where the Shinsengumi trained is not historically well-documented, and its origin remains somewhat unclear. The basis for the name is primarily found in the commentary by Kojima Shikanosuke in the "Ryōyūshi-den," a document written in 1873 by Kondō Shūsai. In this text, the name "試衛館" (Shieikan) is mentioned, but there are no records from the Edo period that confirm this specific name for the training grounds.
One theory suggests that the name may have been a misinterpretation or mistake, and there are speculations that it might have been intended to be "誠衛館" (Seieikan) instead. This theory is based on the fact that the Shinsengumi's flag bore the character "誠" (Makoto).
Additionally, Ōishi Manabu, in his book "Shinsengumi: The True Image of the 'Last Samurai,'" mentions that historical records only refer to the name "試衛場" (Shieba), and the name "Shieikan" cannot be confirmed in historical sources.
Location
Shieikan Ruins Memorial Pillar located at 25 Ichigaya Yanagicho
The Shieikan was located in the Koyamachi residence in Edo, at Ichigaya (present-day 25 Ichigaya Yanagicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo), which belonged to the Koyama clan under the jurisdiction of the magistrate responsible for construction and was the territory of the Tokugawa shogunate's head carpenter. It also served as the residence of the Kondou family. In the diary of Satou Hikogorou for the first year of Man'en (1860), it is mentioned that at the same location, a training hall (for the martial art of Shindo Munen-ryu kenjutsu) conducted practice matches.
The Koyamachi residence in Ichigaya was a lively commercial district where the Koyama clan rented land received from the Bakufu to townspeople. Within this commercial district, there is a tradition in the Tabata family, descendants of Yamadaya Gonbei, who was Kondou Shusuke's guarantor, that the Shieikan was located behind a storehouse owned by Yamadaya Gonbei, within the same vicinity.
According to one account, the Shieikan is said to have been located at the current address of 1 Koyamachi, Ichigaya (right next to Ichigaya Yanagicho). However, it has been confirmed that during the Bunka era to the Meiji 10s, a physician named Yoshino Motojun had been operating a medical school called "Kaishunjuku" at that location.
In March of 2004 (Heisei 16), based on the theory that associates Ichigaya Yanagicho 25 with the Koyamachi residence, the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education erected a monument within that property. However, the exact location within number 25 concerning the Shieikan, along with its name, remains a subject for future research.