Why does Sakamoto Ryoma, who has never been to Hokkaido before, have a memorial hall in Hakodate?

Why does Sakamoto Ryoma, who has never been to Hokkaido before, have a memorial hall in Hakodate?

In Hakodate, there is the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Hall. Sakamoto Ryoma was a Japanese samurai, a shishi and influential figure of the Bakumatsu, and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo period.

I was confused, Sakamoto Ryoma was born in Shikoku and died in Kyoto, what does it have to do with Hokkaido? I looked up Wikipedia and couldn’t find the answer, so I paid 800 yen 💴 to go to the memorial hall to find out.

Sakamoto Ryoma’s initial engagement in the colonization of Hokkaido, then known as Ezo, began in early June of 1864. He had planned to embark on this venture with the ronin from Kyoto and Settsu aboard the Bakufu ship, the Kurofune, but abandoned the idea. This was due to North Kitazoe and Mochizuki Kameyata, who were believed to be discussing the Hokkaido settlement with Ryoma, getting involved in the Ikedaya Incident. Ryoma, not wanting to cause trouble for his mentor, Katsu Kaishu, decided to withdraw.

Shortly after this decision, unfortunately, just as Ryoma had anticipated, Katsu was summoned back to Edo, and the naval training school in Kobe was shut down. After establishing the Kaientai, with the help of Satsuma domain and Komatsu Tatewaki, he bought a Western-style ship named Wild Wave to journey to Hokkaido. However, on May 2, 1866, the ship sank in a storm at Gotō Salt Store Cape, leading to the tragic death of 12 members of the society.

In the aftermath, an attempt with the “Iroha-maru”, borrowed from the Ōzu domain, did not materialize as the ship sank after colliding with the Kishu domain ship “Myōkō-maru” on April 23, 1867. The last attempt was made with the Western sailing ship “Daigyokumaru”, purchased under the guarantee of the Satsuma domain. However, the ship became inoperable due to payment issues. Shortly thereafter, Ryoma was assassinated at the Omiya in Kyoto, alongside Nakaoka Shintaro, without fulfilling his long-cherished dream of colonizing Hokkaido, a surely regrettable ending.

In a letter dated February 14, 1867, to Kawada Sahyōe, a Tottori domain samurai, Ryoma wrote, “When we meet again, I have an interesting story to tell about our adventure towards the north,” revealing his intent to invite Kawada to join his Hokkaido settlement plan. The ship he had already borrowed for this plan was likely the “Iroha-maru” from the Ōzu domain. In another letter written to Hayashi Kenzo shortly before his death on November 10, 1867, Ryoma confessed his embarrassment over the failure to purchase the Daigyokumaru, which was supposed to be prepared for the Hokkaido colonization plan.

Until his last moments, Ryoma never lost his passion for Hokkaido colonization, a testament to his deeply ingrained dream.