The Boshin War (1868)

In December 1866, Emperor Komei, an ardent supporter of the Bakufu government, passed away, and the Emperor Meiji ascended to the throne. November 8 the next year, Emperor Meiji granted Satsuma and Choshu a permission to overthrow the Bakufu. The Shogun, Tokagawa Yoshinobu, accepted the not-so-violent alternative of his resigning the post of Shogun the same day, so as to avoid open clashes. However, Yoshinobu secretly gathered his armies in Osaka, biding his time. (Please see section on Sakamoto Ryoma for more information on what happened shortly before the Restoration.)

On January 3, 1868, the Emperor announced the Restoration of Power (Ouseifukko), declaring the end of the Bakufu government and the setting up of a new government. On January 8 and 10, Yoshinobu claimed that the Restoration as 'illegal' and void, and attacked Kyoto from Osaka. The first war took place in Toba and Fushimi near Kyoto on 27 January, and the Bakufu army which numbered 1,5000 lost completely to the 5000-strong Satsuma-Choshu army. After the defeat, Yoshinobu escaped to Edo.

By February, Saigo Takamori had become the leader of the Ishin army, and he led the army northwards and eastwards to bring any disobedient clans to heel. It was during this period when the Sekihotai was sent ahead of the Ishin army (refer to section on Sagara Souzou). Edo surrendered without conditions in May 1868 after Saigo's famous negotiation with Katsu Kaishuu, the representative of the Bakufu. Edo was renamed Tokyo in October 1868. This marked the official start of the Meiji era. The seat of government was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in March 1869.

After Yoshinobu's surrender, most of the clans to the west of the Kinki area gave their support to the new government as well. However, some clans, the most defiant of them being Aizu, continued to battle the Ishin army. Aizu was crashed mercilessly on 22 September 1868, after one whole month of resistance since August 23. The people of Aizu gave their undying support to the Shogunate, to the extent that there was even a special troop consisting of all female members, who used the naginatas as their main weapon. However, they all fought in vain in the face of the new technologies used by the Ishin army (eg cannons, rifles and other firearms). The Byakkoutai, or the White Tiger Corps, which consisted of young Aizu warriors, committed mass seppuku as they saw Aizu burned down. Their graves can still be found on Iimori-yama near Aizu.

Around the same time, Enomoto Takeaki, a former Bakufu navy official, escaped to Hokkaido with the Bakufu navy. He set up a temporary government in Hakodate, hoping to break free from the new government and continue to battle it. The new government soon crushed it with the help from local peasants in 27 June 1869.

Following is a table summarising some events during the Boshin War, which included the wars in Toba, Fushimi, Ueno and Aizu.