…or blue asbestos!
Activated charcoal would make a real mess and wouldn’t dissolve away like tossed salt.
Then we need to fight fire with fire. We would need to fight this evil with some other evil aerosol that binds it. Maybe forceful exhaled breathing with high moist working as an aerosol canon that nucleate on the asbesthos fibers.
I see what you did there; asbestos/fire with fire
Let’s just stick to salt!
Gyakuto, there were also the Mimawarigumi. Have you ever heard of those corpsmen? They were a samurai police force like Shinsengumi, but unlike the Shinsengumi they were all bonafide samurai and were not peasants who became samurai. Many were higher ranking retainers and were not ronin!Why are you interested in this, Stuarto?
I became interested in these people known as ‘Hitokiri’ or man cutters/man slayers, particularly Okado Izo, who were employed by the Shinsengumi to assassinate those they didn’t appreciate. They were, apparently, very skilled swordsman but were not left psychologically untouched by what they did. I find these ‘executioners’, morbidly fascinating. This book, and the very weird film ‘Izo’, seem the only English-language resources on the subject.
Thanks to you, I’m moving it to the top of my reading pile!
If you can get your hands on the NHK Taiga drama called ‘Ryomaden’ you’ll find it really entertaining. 48 hours of history which made a big impression upon me.
Current read: After reading Samurai Assassins I really wanted to know more details about the life of Ryoma.
I assume they were Imperialist? I’ll have to see if I can get more information on them.
The Shinsengumi did seem to have a significant, unruly quarter who got them a distasteful reputation. I never really thought that might be due to them not being steeped in Confucian/Bushido as the samurai were….
Poor bloke. He really was a treasure amongst men…These were also the guys who supposedly assassinated Sakamoto Ryoma
Amazon suggests this is a novel. Is that the case?
Current read: After reading Samurai Assassins I really wanted to know more details about the life of Ryoma.
The Mimawarigumi served the shogun like the Shinsengumi. Both groups fell under the authority of the Aizu daimyo who was protector of Kyoto during the time. Yes, the Shinsengumi had some unruly members. The first commander was killed by other members (including Hijikata) because he was a violent drunk who brought shame to the Shinsengumi. I will have to watch that drama!I assume they were Imperialist? I’ll have to see if I can get more information on them.
The Shinsengumi did seem to have a significant, unruly quarter who got them a distasteful reputation. I never really thought that might be due to them not being steeped in Confucian/Bushido as the samurai were….
Poor bloke. He really was a treasure amongst men…
You might enjoy this video a dramatisation of the life of Shinsengumi commander Hijikata Toshizo. I gave it a 10/10 for a samurai drama.
It is listed as a biographical novel, so there may be some fictional elements to it. I haven't dived into it just yet.
‘Ryomaden’ drama series is well worth watching, but it’s quite expensive
My wife and I will have to visit this next time we are in Japan. She is from Osaka, so not a far distance from Kyoto!
He wear derby shoes
What’s it called? ‘Age of the Samurai’? I’d be loathed to start a Netflix subscription again (99% rubbish) , but this might be worth it…
How many pages? Let me know what you thought about it.
