坂本龍馬

Sakamoto Ryōma, the Bakumatsu-era visionary who brokered the Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance and helped bring about the restoration of imperial rule, played a decisive role in Japan's modernization. Born a low-ranking samurai of Tosa domain, Ryōma trained in the Hokushin Ittō-ryū and was a skilled swordsman in his own right. His most famous sword was Mutsu-no-Kami Yoshiyuki, made by the Tosa smith Yoshiyuki. This blade was at his side when he was assassinated at the Ōmiya inn in Kyoto, making it an enduring symbol of his life and legacy. Ryōma was also one of the first Japanese to carry a Smith & Wesson revolver, embracing modern firearms alongside his traditional sword. This image — a samurai bearing both sword and pistol — perfectly encapsulates the Bakumatsu era, where tradition and revolution collided. For Ryōma, the sword was at once the soul of the samurai and a bridge to a new age.