A) Using one of the GenAI tools offered by the University that we discuss in class to create a 2-page essay and picture related to a historical figure/event.
- Historical Figure: Hijikata Toshizō (Captain of the Shinsengumi, Kyoto Secret Police during the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and Boshin War)
AI Essay (Gemini):
Prompt: “write me a 2 page essay on Hijikata Toshizō”
The Lone Wolf of the Shinsengumi: Hijikata Toshizō
History often remembers the victors, but in the case of the Bakumatsu period—the turbulent final years of the Tokugawa Shogunate—the most enduring icon is perhaps its most famous loser. Hijikata Toshizō, the “Demon Vice-Commander” of the Shinsengumi, represents the ultimate embodiment of bushido: a man who clung to his principles even as the world he knew burned to the ground.
From Medicine Seller to “Demon”
Born in 1835 in what is now Western Tokyo, Hijikata was not born into the elite samurai class. He spent his youth as a traveling medicine salesman, peddling his family’s “Ishida Sanyaku” (a bone-setting ointment). However, his heart belonged to the sword. He trained in Tennen Rishin-ryū alongside Kondō Isami, the man who would become his lifelong brother-in-arms.
When the Shogunate called for warriors to protect Kyoto against pro-Imperial rebels in 1863, Hijikata and Kondō formed the Shinsengumi (“New Chosen Group”). While Kondō was the public face and moral center, Hijikata was the iron fist.
The Architect of Order
Hijikata earned his nickname, “The Demon,” through his uncompromising enforcement of the Kyoku-chū Hatto, the Shinsengumi code of conduct. The rules were simple:
- Follow the bushido code.
- No desertion.
- No private fundraising.
- No private litigation.
- No engaging in private battles.
The penalty for breaking any of these was seppuku (ritual suicide). Hijikata understood that a group of ronin and commoners could only survive against elite samurai if they were more disciplined, more loyal, and more ruthless than their enemies. His leadership was instrumental during the Ikedaya Incident of 1864, where the Shinsengumi prevented the burning of Kyoto, cementing their legacy as the Shogun’s premier police force.
The Modernization of a Traditionalist
As the Boshin War (1868–1869) broke out, the Shogunate forces found themselves outgunned by the Western-backed Imperial army. After the fall of Edo and the execution of Kondō Isami, many expected Hijikata to follow his friend into death. Instead, he underwent a fascinating transformation.
Recognizing that traditional swordsmanship could not defeat Gatling guns and modern artillery, Hijikata discarded his kimono for a Western-style officer’s uniform and boots. He cut his hair short and mastered modern military tactics. He led Shogunate remnants north to Hokkaido, where they established the Republic of Ezo, the first attempt at a democracy in Japan.
“I am not going to battle to win. With the Shogunate about to collapse, it would be a disgrace if no one went down with it. That is why I must go. I will fight the best battle of my life to die for the country.” — Attributed to Hijikata Toshizō
The Last Stand at Hakodate
In May 1869, the Imperial forces besieged the Goryōkaku fort in Hakodate. Hijikata, knowing the end was near, refused to surrender. On June 20, 1869, he was killed in action while leading his troops from horseback against a barrage of gunfire. He was 34 years old.
Legacy: Why He Matters Today
Hijikata Toshizō remains a titan of Japanese pop culture, appearing in countless films, anime (like Gintama and Golden Kamuy), and novels. His appeal lies in his purity of purpose.
He lived in an era of “switching sides” for political survival, yet he remained loyal to a dying cause. He was a man of the old world who successfully mastered the tools of the new world, not to save himself, but to honor his vow. In the end, Hijikata wasn’t just a soldier; he was a poet of the sword who proved that even if a cause is lost, the dignity with which one fights for it is immortal.
B) Then use a scan of a manuscript page from the ADH Course site on the Fredericksburg National Cemetery and ask an AI Platform — Google Gemini or one of the tools offered by the University that we discuss in class.
- Written Page 1, Fredericksburg National Cemetery Register
AI Transcription (Gemini):
Prompt: “transcribe this, source: Written Page 1, Fredericksburg National Cemetery Register”
RECORD BOOK of
$3.50 cts.
rev Stamp.
This deed made the 5th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty eight between Douglas H. Gordon and Ann Eliza Gordon his wife of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland parties of the first part, and the United States of America party of the second part; Witnesseth: that, for and in consideration of the sum of three thousand and one dollars and twenty five cents ($3001.25) to be paid in cash by the party of the party of the second part to the said Douglas H. Gordon, upon the signing, sealing and delivery of these presents, the said Douglas H. Gordon and Ann Eliza his wife do grant, with General warranty in fee simple, to the said United States of America, all that tract of land situate lying and being in the county of Spotsylvania, and state of Virginia, near to the town of Fredericksburg, containing by a recent survey twelve and five thousandths acres (12 005/1000 acres) and more particularly described by courses and distances as follows to wit; Beginning at a point about one mile from the Rappahannock River, on the west line of the Spotsylvania Court House Road, and running S. 14° 9′ E. a distance of three hundred and twenty one feet (321 ft.); thence run S. 12° 30′ W. a distance of four hundred and ninety two feet; thence run S. 36° 5′ W. a distance of thirty four and one half (34 1/2) feet; thence N. 78° 8′ W. a distance of two hundred and forty six (246) feet; thence run N. 66° 48′ W. a distance of two hundred and ninety (290) feet; thence run S. 27° 25′ W. a distance of two hundred and three (203) feet; thence run N. 16° 40′ W. a distance of one hundred and three and two tenths (103 2/10) feet; thence run S. 47° 5′ W. a distance of one hundred and eleven and six tenths (111 6/10) feet; thence run N. 13° 55′ W. a distance of fifty (50) feet; thence run N. 6° 55′ E. a distance of two hundred and thirty five feet; thence run N. 86° 0′ E. a distance of seven hundred and eighty (780) feet to the place of beginning and enclosing the said twelve and five thousandths acres, (12.005) being the same tract of land, over,
Essay Reflection:
I personally find AI art to be an affront to human creativity and think that any use for which it can be argued could easily be done and paid for by a human artist, stimulating the economy and preserving human creativity rather than the cheap, artificial route. The picture generated during the search for the historical figure Hijikata Toshizō was a historical photograph, not a newly generated one. Out of curiosity, I asked it to generate one from itself and the essay it had just written, and it produced an image that did not at all reflect the historical one it had previously provided. As for the essay itself, the information was generally correct, although with some flourishes, it did convey his life story, including one correctly attested quote and one that may be a bit more dubious. It has tell tale phrasing that marks it out as AI as well as it being asked for an essay and providing the information in a non-essay format (bullet points, headings, etc.)
Transcription Reflection:
Google’s Gemini AI platform easily transcribed the page, including the latitude and longitude coordinates. It’s punctuation I am not confident in, as it ends on a strange straggler, and one cannot be too confident in its perfect reading without checking the original themselves. I believe this applies here as well.
