ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the commemoration as soldiers and consumption as pop culture icons of the Shinsengumi (a group of samurai loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate, active 1863-1869) at two festivals in 2019 – in Hino city, from where many members hailed, and Hakodate city, where they made their last stand. The chapter considers the processes by which ‘traitors’ against the cause of the Meiji Restoration have been eulogized in these cities. The management of the festivals since 2019 during the pandemic indicate that however important the festivals are as commercial events, for organizers the heritage meanings of these festivals remain paramount.
