noun
Shinsengumi; Edo-period police and military force
Historical term for a special police force loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate, active in Kyoto during the late Edo period.
新選組は幕末の京都で治安維持にあたった。
The Shinsengumi maintained public order in Kyoto during the late Edo period.
新選組の隊士だった近藤勇は有名な人物だ。
Isami Kondo, who was a member of the Shinsengumi, is a famous figure.
The name 新選組 (Shinsengumi) literally means 'Newly Selected Corps'. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it reflects the group's formation as a newly organized force.