This film is part of the jidaigeki (period drama) genre, and it is also a chanbara (sword-fighting) film.
This film is set at the beginning of the Meiji Period in Japan. While this was the start of the reign of a new emperor, it also signalled the end of the Edo Period in Japan, along with aspects synonymous with Japanese culture, such as the Bushido Code and the Age of the Samurai. The story of the Shinsengumi is itself an allegory for this tumultuous shift in Japan.
Toshirô Mifune both produced and starred in this film.
The two swords which the samurai of the Shinsengumi are seen carrying throughout the film are a katana and a tanto. Katanas were usually longer curved swords used for duelling and combat, while the shorter tantos were long daggers often used in committing seppuku.
The round hats often seen worn by characters throughout the film were known as 'takegasa'. This was a traditional travel hat.