Imai Yujiro (今井祐次郎)
Yujiro IMAI (1843? - January 29, 1868?) was a rank-and-file member of the Shinsengumi. His name was also written using a different kanji character for "Yu", and the name "Yuzaburo IMAI" was also used.
Career
According to Kai SHIMADA, Yujiro IMAI came from Shinano Province.
He enlisted in the Shinsengumi on May 21, 1865, when Toshizo HIJIKATA, Kashitaro ITO, and others came to Edo looking for recruits. He joined the Seventh Corps and went to Kyoto. He was 22 years old at the time. He was an excellent swordsman (Yoshisuke KONDO's letters).
On October 20, 1866, he fought in the Sanjo Seisatsu Incident.
On July 11, 1867, when the Shinsengumi was employed by the Shogunate, his rank was a rank-and-file soldier.
In January 1868, he took part in the Battle of Toba and Fushimi, and he allegedly died in battle in Yodo Domain (according to Jingoro YOKOKURA) or died on the battleship 'Fujiyama' while withdrawing to Edo (according to entry in "the list of war dead of the Eastern Camp in the Boshin War" in Gokomiya-jinja Shrine, where the name is written with a different kanji for Yu). He was also witnessed in the Kyoya Chubei sailors inn at Hakkenya Funatsukiba (Hakkenya Landing) after the Battle of Toba and Fushimi (according to Yoshisuke KONDO's letters).
His name is engraved on the Shinsengumi member's tomb in Itabashi Ward in Tokyo.
According to the Story of Mikizo OISHI, who was an elder brother of his fellow Shinsengumi member, Kuwajiro OISHI, Yujiro IMAI was involved in the death of Mikizo OISHI (But as Mikizo was actually a younger brother of Kuwajiro, this story is most likely fiction).