(Voice actor) Mr.Chris Koprowski

In Hachioji city, Tokyo, there is a place called Sennincho. The name comes from people who were appointed as doshin (police) of this area by the Tokugawa clan in Edo period. There were supposedly a 1000 doshins, so the doshins of Hachioji are called Hachioji Sennin Doshin (“sennin” means “one thousand people” in Japanese). As the Sennin Doshin lived in the area, the place became known as Sennincho. The doshins’ position was gokenin, and they were low-ranking among samurais. The fuchi (salary) that they received from the Tokugawa clan wasn’t enough, so the doshins would work the fields themselves and made their living. However, Hachioji Sennin Doshin had the pride that they were the direct vassals of the Tokugawa shogun and in addition to their work as doshin, they kept studying and training their sword skills. From Hachioji Sennin Doshin, came the major players of Shinsengumi, who risked their lives for the Tokugawa clan towards the end of Edo period. The role of Hachioji Sennin Doshin was to defend and secure Hachioji, the border of Kai (now Yamanashi prefecture) and Musashi (now Tokyo and Saitama prefecture). Eventually, as Kai became a territory of the Tokugawa clan, the necessity for border security faded. But, since the Tokugawa clan knew the loyalty and valor of Hachioji Sennin Doshin, they appointed them with an important role: the security of Nikko Tosho-gu. Nikko Tosho-gu is a shrine in Nikko, Shimotsukeno (now Tochigi prefecture). Nikko Tosho-gu is a shrine that enshrines Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder of the Tokugawa regime. Ieyasu Tokugawa said in his last words to enshrine him in Nikko. Ieyasu Tokugawa thought that by enshrining himself to Nikko, which is northeast from Edo, the so-called demon’s gate, that he could protect the town of Edo and maintain a peaceful world. Therefore, the Tokugawa regime built Nikko Tosho-gu as a prestigious shrine. Also, by heavily securing the place routinely, tried to protect it from being destroyed. The Tokugawa regime thought that they could entrust that role to Hachioji Sennin Doshin. The role of protecting the shrine that enshrines Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder of the Tokugawa regime, was the utmost honor for Hachioji Sennin Doshin, who were very loyal in serving the Tokugawa clan. Hachioji Sennin Doshin fulfilled the role with pride. However, the times changed. The Tokugawa regime lost to the anti-Tokugawa forces who were trying to establish a regime with the new Emperor at the center. The samurais who refused to acknowledge that the Tokugawa regime lost gathered to Nikko, and considered fighting against the anti-Tokugawa forces. If a war broke out, Nikko Tosho-gu would not remain unscathed. At this moment, what did Hachioji Sennin Doshin do? This is the story of the samurais who risked their lives to protect Nikko Tosho-gu, which later became a World Heritage.