Originally, he claimed it was formed for protecting the Tokugawa shōgun in Kyoto and preparing for military action against Western countries.

[2] Kondō Isami, Hijikata Toshizō, Okita Sōji, Inoue Genzaburō, Tōdō Heisuke, Harada Sanosuke, Nagakura Shinpachi.

Serizawa Kamo, Niimi Nishiki, Nakazawa Koto, Hirayama Gorou, Hirama Juusuke, and Noguchi Kengi were all among the members of the Rōshigumi.

However, nineteen members, mainly from the Mito clan dissented and stayed behind, including Kondō and Serizawa, and formed the Mibu Rōshigumi (壬生浪士組).

[3] In response, a Tokugawa official made spies out of former Rōshigumi members Tomouchi Yoshio and Iesato Jiro, forced them to stay in Kyoto, and to join Serizawa and Kondo's group in order to keep an eye on them.