The
Boshin War was a short dramatic chapter in Japanese history where the ancient
old Tokugawa Shogunate, or at least, its clan and allies, fought for its dignity against imperial restoration and abolition of their privileges and
wealth. Explore this conflict that decided Japan’s destiny.
The Beginning of the
War
Resignation of Yoshinobu
The
Boshin War began from a proposal sent by the Daimyo of Tosa, Yamauchi
Toyoshige, through his adviser and emissary Goto Shojiro. The proposal asked
the Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, to step down in heading state affairs in favor
of the Emperor. In addition, Goto convinced Yoshinobu of heading a council of
great Daimyos that would rule side by side with the Emperor. And lastly,
resigning for imperial restoration and leadership of the council would allow
Yoshinobu to retain Tokugawa power, influence, and prestige.
Yoshinobu
considered the plan for many reasons, embedding from personal to political
considerations. Personally, the idea of imperial restoration came from his
childhood, especially being the son of Tokugawa Nariaki, a great supporter of the
idea. He also owed his advancement to Kyoto in 1862, when emissaries from the
imperial court gave him another chance in politics and offered him an
influential post.
On
the other hand, he viewed the old system of the Bakufu as antiquated and unfit
for reforms. He viewed a new leadership or government as a chance to reform
Japan for the future. He also saw the dual government as precarious giving an impression
of disunity that aggressive foreign imperialist powers might take advantage to establish
a sphere of influence or worse, an invasion.
Much
to these considerations, on November 19, 1867, Tokugawa Yoshinobu sent his
resignation to Kyoto, ending two hundred years of Tokugawa rule, and about a
millennium history of Shoguns.
Vying for Influence in Kyoto
With
the resignation of Yoshinobu came the question of imperial rule and who would
help and assist them. For centuries, the Emperor and the Court had no
experience in state administration and some daimyos sympathetic to Yoshinobu
memorialized Kyoto to consider the late Shogun for a position to assist in
ruling the country. However, those who wanted the fall of the Tokugawa Clan
resisted.
Daimyos
allied to the late Shogun recommended the Court to accept Yoshinobu’s advices
and help in running state affairs. The regent of the minor Emperor Mutsuhito,
Nijo Nariyuki, an ally of Yoshinobu, suggested to create a council of great
Daimyos to be headed by the former Shogun. Such movement for the retention of
power and wealth of the Tokugawa clan greatly alarmed tozama Daimyos, especially the Satcho
alliance.
Iwakura Tomomi |
The
two allied domains joined forces with anti-Tokugawa nobles in the court, like
Iwakura Tomomi, who assisted Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi in influencing
the Emperor. Other than influence, samurais from the two domain plotted a coup of
the Kyoto imperial palace. On December 28, they informed Goto of their planned
takeover of the Palace; and, on the following day, Iwakura enlisted the
assistance of the Owari, Tosa, Aki, and Echizen Daimyos for the coup. Echizen’s
Matsudaira Keiei, a known close associate and colleague of Yoshinobu, and
Tokugawa Yoshikatsu found it best to join the coalition, viewing imperial
restoration as a better path towards unity than maintain the status quo.
Rising tensions
On
January 3, 1898, on the urging of anti-Tokugawa nobles and lords, the Imperial Court
ordered the removal of Aizu troops from their duty of guarding the palace
gates. Following this, combined forces of Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa, Hiroshima
(Aki), Owari, and Echizen entered Kyoto. The Court followed with a decree
abolishing the Shogunate, hence declaring an imperial restoration and an end of centuries of bakufu, as well as the regency, being handled by Yoshinobu’s ally.
On
January 5, 1868, the Court restored the former status of the Mori Clan of the
Choshu Domain and their noble allies. The act
infuriated Yoshinobu and his supporters. The restoration led Yoshinobu to think
his position in Kyoto as precarious and retreated back to Osaka and the safety
of its castle.
Yoshinobu’s
retreat to Osaka made the situation more strained than ever. Foreign representatives
sensed trouble and barred their citizens from selling arms and ammunition to
any involved parties. On January 19, a Yoshinobu supporters attacked the
residence of the Satsuma Lord in Edo, where a number of its ronins lived. By
that time, any amity between Yoshinobu and Shimazu Saboro had ended completely.
Few
days after the incident, Lord Tokugawa Yoshikatsu and Matsudaira Keiei arrived
in Osaka as envoys of the imperial court and mediators to secure peace and cooperation. They
offered Yoshinobu to submit to the Emperor and return to Kyoto where he would
be given a respectable position. Moreover, the two informed Yoshinobu that he
must come to Kyoto with little escort to avoid any armed conflicts.
For
Yoshinobu’s supporters, Lord Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu and Matsudaira Saadaki
of Kuwana warned the late Shogun of threats to his life once he returned to Kyoto with
little to no escort. Both Lords offered the late Shogun the support of 10,000
samurais to accompany him.
At
this point, confusion prevailed as whether Yoshinobu agreed to the massive
escort or not. But for sure, combined forces of Aizu and Kuwana domain left
ahead of Yoshinobu on January 26, 1868. The clear military movement of huge
number of troops immediately alerted Kyoto, to which it quickly responded by sending Satsuma and
Choshu forces to the two nearby Kyoto suburbs of Toba and Fushimi to intercept the incoming Shogunal army of supporters.
According
to the Kinse Shiriaku, the Bakufu Forces stood at around 30,000 men while the
combined Satsuma and Choshu forces that made up the imperial army stood at around
6,500. Both sides had modern weaponry, including artillery. Ijichi Shoji of the
Satsuma contingent, and Yamada Ichinojo of the Choshu contingent blocked the
roads in Toba and Fushimi leading to Kyoto.
On
January 27, 1868, a messenger from the Bakufu Forces arrived in Fushimi
demanding the removal of the barricade by the “Imperial” Forces. The Imperial Forces
rejected it even to the threat of force by the messengers. Few hours later, as
the Bakufu Forces came near Fushimi, Imperial Forces opened fire with their
artillery. The first battle of the Boshin War began.
War Ravaged
Battle of Toba-Fushimi and the Fall of Osaka
Skirmish in Toba, January 27, 1868 |
On
January 27, 1868, the Battle of Toba-Fushimi began. Choshu and Satsuma forces
planned to prevent the combined forces of Aizu and Kuwana, both supporters of
Yoshinobu, from coming to Kyoto via the two suburbs of Toba and Fushimi.
Commanders of the Choshu and Satsuma forces rejected the demand of the other
side to open up the roads leading to the imperial capital. And as the Aizu and
Kuwana armies approached the suburbs, the artillery of the make shift imperial
army opened fired.
First
skirmishes raged in Fushimi and ended in stalemate. Afterwards, on the night of
the 27th, Satsuma and Choshu spies reported the Bakufu Forces camping and eating
their meals in Toba. Imperial Forces then launched a surprise attack against
this camp, causing huge casualties to the Bakufu Forces. Meanwhile, in Osaka,
Satsuma samurais residing in the home of the Satsuma Daimyo were burned
alive as Yoshinobu supporter’s attack in revenge of Toba and Fushimi.
Map of the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, from History of Japan by Francis Adams |
On
the 29th, Imperial forces pursued the Bakufu Forces in Yodo, causing the
latter’s retreat either back behind barricades held by ally Idzu samurais in
Yamazaki or to the other side of the nearby Yodogawa River in Hashimoto. Kyoto
sent emissaries to the Idzu samurais in Yamazaki to convince them to defect to
their side in the midst of the legitimacy of their cause as well as their
military strength. Idzu defected, opening Yamazaki to Imperial Forces.
As
Yamazaki opened, the Imperial Army also attacked Hashimoto and flushed out the
Bakufu Army. The remaining Bakufu soldiers retreated back to Osaka behind its
formidable castle.
In
Osaka, Yoshinobu decided to leave the port city for the safety of his capital
Edo. On February 1, 1868, the former Shogun boarded the Kaiyo Maru for Edo. Few days later, Imperial Forces marched
into the city and burned the Osaka Castle. The fall of the Osaka Castle and the
victory in Toba-Fushimi uplifted the spirits of the Imperial Lords. Despite
facing numerically superior Shogunal Forces, the Imperial Army succeeded in evicting them in
Osaka. Later on, Emperor Mutsuhito or Meiji visited the port city and reviewed
his troops and ships to show a new vibrant imperial rule.
The
fall of Osaka also marked a change in roles and situation in Japan’s politics.
In February 5, 1868, an imperial decree designated Yoshinobu as a rebel for his
disobedience to the orders of the Emperor and ordered all Lords to contribute
troops to punish the late Shogun. The event marked a shift from the situation
five years ago, when Yoshinobu received an order to chastise the Choshu Domain.
But by then, he became the hunted from the hunter and different Lords led by
the Choshu and Satsuma, supported by his relatives and former allies like
Echizen and Owari, formed a coalition against him.
After
the pronouncement marking Yoshinobu as a renegade, a huge coalition of various
Lords formed up. In addition, the Emperor and his advisors also moved to gain
the recognition of foreign representatives over the change in leadership within
the country. Although not easy and smooth, the Emperor made a pronouncement
that indeed changed Japan’s perception over foreigners.
The
Imperial Court aimed to capture Yoshinobu and his capital of Edo in order to
finish the civil war. Lord Arisgawa Takahito commanded what became the Imperial
Army made by samurais and militias from Satsuma, Aki, Choshu, Todo, Bizen,
Sadowara, Kameyama, Minakuchi, Omura, Oki, Higo, Echizen, Tosa, and Ogaki
Domain. Later on, many more, mostly Tozama Daimyos and from the western parts
of the country joined the Imperial Army. This army stood poise to advance to
Edo and cement the position of Emperor Mutsuhito as the head of Japan.
Foreign Relations
Emperor Meiji with Foreign Representatives during the Boshin War |
Meanwhile,
Emperor Mutsuhito and his court decided to get the recognition of foreign
ministers. On February 8, 1868, Kyoto informed foreign representatives that
Japan, from that day on, would be led by the Emperor and notified them of
Yoshinobu’s status as a rebel. They then invited the representatives to an
unprecedented private audience with the Emperor himself – a turnaround from the Emperor
who ordered to expel foreigner barbarians.
They
designated March 23 as the day of the audience in the imperial capital of Kyoto
itself. The mere invitation of the Emperor led the foreigners to declare at
least their neutrality over the conflict on February 18.
The
Emperor’s audience with the French and the Dutch went well, however, Henry
Parkes, British minister to Japan, faced an attempted assassination by some
disgruntled samurais. The attempted assassination prompted a new edict that
proclaimed the Emperor’s recognition of the treaty and its enforcement as well
as ordering the Japanese people to treat foreigners as guest of his Imperial Majesty.
But by
getting the support or at least their neutrality from the civil war, the Imperial
Forces needed to take on a huge coalition of Tokugawa supporters before
completely establishing an Imperial rule.
Explore also:
Bibliography:
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