Tokugawa Shogunate

Lore & Background

The Tokugawa Shogunate's history in Gintama is defined by its surrender to the Amanto. When humanity was attacked by these aliens, the shogun cowardly surrendered after realizing their power, agreeing to an unequal contract. This contract ceded power to the Amanto, placed a ban on carrying swords in public, and allowed the invaders to enter the country. The samurai's swords were confiscated, and the Tokugawa bakufu became a puppet government. The series focuses on an eccentric samurai, Gintoki Sakata, who works as an odd-jobs freelancer, often encountering the Shinsengumi police force, who ally with Gintoki when work involves dangerous criminals. The revolutionary Kotaro Katsura, a former comrade of Gintoki from the Amanto invasion, is friendly toward them despite his terrorist activities against the alien-controlled government. Over time, the major antagonist Shinsuke Takasugi seeks to destroy the shogunate, gaining allies including Kagura's brother Kamui and the elite fighting unit Mimawarigumi to prepare for his large-scale coup d'état.

In Their Own Story

The wind at Edo Castle carried the scent of rain and ozone. A Shinsengumi guard adjusted his white gloves, watching a hovering alien transport ship drift silently above the watchtower. Below, citizens hurried past with umbrellas, glancing nervously between the traditional stone walls and the neon lights flickering in the distance. The Shogun sat unseen within the inner chambers, signing papers that balanced peace treaties against assassination plots. Out here on the ramparts, duty was simply about standing still while history changed around them.

Reader's Guide

The Tokugawa Shogunate is the puppet government in the alternate-history late-Edo period of Gintama. After the Amanto attacked Earth, the shogun cowardly surrendered upon realizing the aliens' power, agreeing to an unequal contract that ceded power to them. This led to a ban on carrying swords in public and allowed the invaders to enter the country, with the samurai's swords confiscated and the shogunate becoming a puppet government. The series focuses on an eccentric samurai, Gintoki Sakata, who works as an odd-jobs freelancer, often encountering the Shinsengumi police force, who ally with Gintoki when work involves dangerous criminals. The revolutionary Kotaro Katsura, a former comrade of Gintoki from the Amanto invasion, is friendly toward them despite his terrorist activities against the alien-controlled government. Over time, the major antagonist Shinsuke Takasugi seeks to destroy the shogunate, gaining allies including Kagura's brother Kamui and the elite fighting unit Mimawarigumi to prepare for his large-scale coup d'état.

Did You Know?

• The shogun cowardly surrendered to the Amanto after realizing their power, agreeing to an unequal contract that ceded power to them.
• The Tokugawa bakufu became a puppet government after the Amanto invasion.
• The shogunate placed a ban on carrying swords in public and allowed the Amanto to enter the country.
• The revolutionary Kotaro Katsura is friendly toward Gintoki despite his terrorist activities against the alien-controlled government.
• Shinsuke Takasugi, a major antagonist, seeks to destroy the shogunate and gains allies including Kagura's brother Kamui and the Mimawarigumi.