Life
Early life Ito was born on December 3, 1834 (lunar calendar), corresponding to January 1, 1835, in Hitachi Province as the eldest son of Suzuki Senemon Tadaaki, a low-ranking samurai of the Shishiku Domain. His childhood name was Okura. After his father retired following a dispute with senior retainers, Okura inherited the family headship. However, previously undisclosed debts were later revealed, leading to the extinction of the family line and the family's expulsion from the domain. Okura traveled to Mito to study, where he learned swordsmanship in the Shinto Munen-ryu style under Kaneko Kenshiro and studied Mitogaku, adopting strong imperial loyalist views. After the family's expulsion, his father opened a private school in Takahama village, and Okura assisted as an instructor. Later, Okura entered the Hokushin Itto-ryu dojo of Ito Seiichiro in Fukagawa, Edo. Recognized for his talent, he was taken in as a son-in-law and adopted, thereafter calling himself Ito Okura. Records from 1864 indicate that he was a retainer of Toda Ginjiro of the Mito Domain. His wife was named Mitsu, and he had a daughter named Ei. Disciples living at the dojo included Utsumi Jiro and Kanazawa Yarijiro. Shinsengumi In October 1864, through the mediation of fellow student Todo Heisuke, Ito joined the Shinsengumi. In November, he traveled to Kyoto with his younger brother Suzuki Mikisaburo, close associates such as Shinohara Taisuke and Kano Washio, and disciples including Utsumi Jiro and Nakanishi Noboru. From this time, he adopted the name Ito Kashitaro, derived from the zodiac year kinoe-ne (kasshi) in which he went to Kyoto. He was appointed strategist and literary instructor. Handsome and eloquent, Ito gained considerable popularity within the Shinsengumi. However, ideological differences emerged. While both sides supported expelling foreigners, the Shinsengumi remained loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate, whereas Ito increasingly advocated imperial restoration, creating irreconcilable tension. Goryo Eji On March 20, 1867 (April 24, 1867), under the pretext of investigating Satsuma Domain activities and guarding imperial tombs, Ito left the Shinsengumi and formed the Goryo Eji with fourteen followers. Establishing their base at Tsukushin-in of Kodaiji in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, the group was also known as the Kodaiji faction. Ito refused requests from disgraced former Shinsengumi members such as Takeda Kanryusai to join the group. Around this time, he also used the name Ito Settsu. Assassination On November 18, 1867 (December 13, 1867), three days after the Omiya Incident, Ito was invited by Kondo Isami and entertained at a mistress's residence. After being heavily intoxicated, he was ambushed and assassinated at the gate of Honkoku-ji on Aburanokoji Street by Shinsengumi members led by Oishi Kuwajiro. This incident is known as the Aburanokoji Incident. He was 34 years old. It is said that Ito shouted “treacherous villains” as he died. His body was left on the street as bait to lure out the Goryo Eji. When his comrades arrived to retrieve the body, they were ambushed, resulting in the deaths of Todo Heisuke and others. Ito's grave is at Kaiko-ji in Higashiyama, Kyoto. In March 1868, his remains were reinterred there from Kōen-ji in Shimogyo Ward. == Notes ==