Shiba Ryosaku (斯波良作)
Ryousaku Shiba (date of birth unknown, 1840 - date of death unknown) was a member of the shinsengumi. He was also known as Ryosaku SHIBA 司馬良作 (written with different characters), Ryouzou SHIBA 斯波良蔵, and Yuzou SHIBA 斯波雄蔵. He was a regimental soldier, and a master of literature.
According to Kai SHIMADA, he was from Sendai Domain in Mutsu Province.
On May 21, 1865, he left for Edo along with Toshizo HIJIKATA, Kashitaro ITO, Hajime SAITO and Heisuke TODO, and they applied to enlist when recruitment efforts were underway. He was 25 years of age.
Although the date is not known, he is said to have made application to board a ship bound for another country, which was accepted and he left the shinsengumi; nothing more is known about what became of him.
Other names
He appended Master of Literature when he signed his name as Ryosaku Shiba or Ryozou Shiba, and there are documents with either of those signatures.
When he enlisted in 1865, he signed his name as Soldier No. 9 on the enlistment register.
According to the account given by Kanefumi NISHIMURA in "Mibu Roshi Shimatsuki", his name appears on a register of persons who travelled abroad on a ship.
Ryosaku Shiba and Ennosuke SHIBA
On the registry of soldiers who enlisted in 1865, the name Ennosuke Shiba appears alongside the name Rosuka Shiba as having enlisted.
It is thought that 'Yuzo Shiba', whose name only remains as a master of literature, was one of these two people; however, because the name Ennosuke appears many times on other records and there is no evidence that he changed his name, it is assumed that Ryousaku Shiba and Yuzo Shiba were one and the same person.
As their family name is the same and they enlisted at the same time, it is thought that they were from the same place, and that they were one year apart in age (Ennosuke was 26 years old when he joined Shinsengumi); both names are considered to be of brothers or some type of close relation, in consideration of the fact that Yuzou, who became a master of literature, probably had work as a scholar, and Yoshisuke KONDO said that Ennosuke was a Buddhist monk so both they were educated.