Chasing Saburōsuke: The Other Last Samurai — Episode 56
三郎助を追う 〜もうひとりのラストサムライ〜 第56回 文・写真 藤野浩章
Episode 56, written and photographed by Hiroaki Fujino, covers political turmoil in late Edo-period Kyoto involving Satsuma, Chōshū, and Tokugawa Iemochi.
The piece, part of a series following a figure named Saburōsuke, describes escalating unrest in the Bakumatsu period: Satsuma is accused of provoking violence while avoiding responsibility for the Namamugi Incident, Chōshū is disrupting the imperial court, and Kyoto is swept by the storm of sonnō jōi sentiment. In this chaotic context, Tokugawa Iemochi is compelled to travel to Kyoto, further complicating the political situation.