Okada Izō facts for kids

Okada Izō (岡田 以蔵, February 14, 1838 – May 11, 1865) was a famous Japanese samurai from the late Edo period. He was known as one of the "four most notable assassins" of the Bakumatsu period, a time of big changes in Japan. Izō was a member of the Tosa Kinnoto [ja] (Tosa Imperialism party), a group in his home region, Tosa Domain, that supported the Emperor. He worked in Kyoto as an assassin, often with Tanaka Shinbei, under the leadership of Takechi Hanpeita.

His personal name was Yoshifuru.

Okada Izō's Story

Early Life and Training

Okada Izō was born in 1838 in Iwamura, a part of the Tosa Domain. He was the oldest son of Okada Yoshihira, a country samurai. Izō had a younger brother, Okada Keikichi, who also joined the Tosa Kinnoto.

Izō first taught himself how to use a sword. Later, he became a student of Takechi Hanpeita and learned the Nakanishi-ha Ittō-ryū style of sword fighting. In 1856, Izō traveled to Edo (now Tokyo) with Takechi to study another sword fighting style called Kyōshin Meichi-ryū. He returned to Tosa the next year.

A Skilled Swordsman

In 1860, Izō continued his martial arts training in the Chūgoku and Kyushu regions with Takechi. Because Izō's family might have struggled with travel costs, Takechi arranged for him to stay with a feudal lord in Bungo province. There, Izō learned the Jikishi-ryu style of kendo.

Around May 1861, he went to Edo again and came back to Tosa in April 1862. That same year, he joined the Tosa Kinnoto, a group organized by Takechi that supported the Sonnō jōi movement. This movement wanted to "Revere the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians" (meaning, foreigners).

His Role as an Assassin

Okada Izō became known for carrying out assassinations. He targeted government officials and others who were seen as against the Emperor's cause. These killings were called "Heaven's punishment" (Tenchū) by Takechi. Izō became known as 'Hitokiri Izō' (meaning 'man-slayer Izō') and was feared, just like his fellow assassin, Tanaka Shinbei.

Later, Izō worked as a bodyguard. In 1863, Sakamoto Ryōma helped Izō get a job with Katsu Kaishu, an important official. Once, three assassins attacked Kaishu, but Izō bravely fought them off. Katsu was so impressed that he then asked Izō to protect Nakahama Manjirō, a famous Japanese translator. When they visited a Western-style grave, four attackers tried to ambush Manjirō. Izō sensed them, told Manjirō to stay safe behind the gravestone, and fought off the attackers.

Later Life and Capture

After a major political event in August 1863, the Tosa Kinnoto group lost its power. Around June 1864, Izō was captured by officials and sent back to his hometown of Tosa.

However, in 1865, he was involved in another assassination, this time of Yoshida Tōyō, a powerful leader in Tosa. Because of this, many of his comrades in the Tosa Kinnoto were arrested. Izō was put through harsh questioning. Some people feared that Izō might reveal their secrets, but Takechi stopped a plan to poison him. Izō endured the questioning and eventually confessed. He was executed on May 11, 1865.

His final poem was: 'My mind that served for you came to nothing, and will only clear up after you've gone.'

His grave is in the family burial ground near Azo Station in Kōchi City, Kōchi Prefecture. He was buried under his personal name, Okada Yoshifuru. There are no known photographs of the real Izō.

Okada Izō in Popular Culture

Okada Izō's story has been told in many films, manga, and video games.

• Films: He is the main character in films like Hideo Gosha's Hitokiri (1969), where he was played by Shintaro Katsu, and Takashi Miike's Izo (2004), where he was played by Kazuya Nakayama. He also appeared in the NHK Taiga drama Ryōmaden (2009), played by Takeru Sato.
• Manga:
  • Nobuhiro Watsuki based the character Kurogasa Udō Jin-e in his series Rurouni Kenshin on Izō.
  • Hideaki Sorachi based Nizo Okada in his work Gintama on Izō.
  • Masami Kurumada, who wrote Saint Seiya, added a character named Capricorn Izō, inspired by Okada.
  • The manga Assassin by Hiroshi Hirata is based on the same story as the film Hitokiri.
• Video Games:
  • In Way of the Samurai 4, the character Kogure might be inspired by Izō.
  • Okada appeared in Kengo, a game about nine legendary swordsmen. In the game, his full name is Okada Izō Nobutoshi, and he uses a strong Goken style of swordsmanship.
  • He is a character in the 2014 video game Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! and its 2023 remake.
  • In 2018, he appeared in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order as an Assassin-class Servant.
  • Okada appears as a character in the 2024 video game Rise of the Rōnin.