Mochigumi (持組)

Mochigumi was an organization in the Edo bakufu. Mochigumi literally means troops for carrying the arrows (weapons) and matchlock guns of a shogun, but in practice they were arrow and musket troops under shogun's direct orders.

Mochigumi was composed of firearms unit and shooting arrows unit. Although the number of unit varied according to the times, mochigumi was composed of 4 firearms units and 3 shooting arrows units in 1632. Each unit included 10 yoriki (police sergeants) and 50 doshin (police constables) led by the commander of each unit.

[Original Japanese]