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Battles, incidents, and historical events related to Japanese swords
7 events
January 27–30, 1868 (3rd–6th day, 1st month, Keiō 4)
In January 1868, the opening battle of the Boshin War pitted Satsuma-Chōshū forces against the Tokugawa shogunate army. The imperial coalition's modern weaponry overwhelmed the shogunate troops; Tokugawa Yoshinobu fled to Edo. The battle marked the final twilight of the samurai age and signaled the transition from blade to rifle in Japanese warfare.
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June 7 – late August, Keiō 2 (July–August 1866)
In 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate mobilized over thirty domains to suppress Chōshū after the domain's forces had entered Kyoto at Kinmon (1864). However, Chōshū's newly reorganized militia forces under Takasugi Shinsaku — and backed covertly by Satsuma following Sakamoto Ryōma's mediation — defeated the shogunate armies on all four fronts. The shogunate's military weakness was exposed, setting the stage for the Taisei Hōkan (return of governing power) and the Meiji Restoration.
August 20, 1864 (19th day, 7th month, Genji 1)
In July 1864, Chōshū domain warriors stormed the Hamaguri-gomon Gate of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, triggering the Kinmon Incident. The resulting fires destroyed much of Kyoto (the 'Dondonyake'), Chōshū was branded an imperial enemy, and the Shinsengumi participated in the suppression. This violent collision of political factions marked the definitive militarization of Bakumatsu politics.
August–September 1868 (Keiō 4)
The climactic siege of Aizu domain in August–September 1868, part of the Boshin War. The defense of Tsuruga Castle (Aizu-Wakamatsu) and the tragedy of the Byakkotai youth corps became enduring symbols of samurai loyalty at the end of the feudal era.
July 4, 1868 (Keiō 4, 5th month, 15th day)
On May 15, 1868, the Shōgitai — former Tokugawa loyalists entrenched at Kan'eiji temple on Ueno hill — were crushed by imperial forces in a single day. The battle was the first urban combat of the Boshin War in Edo and ended organized Tokugawa resistance in the city.
May–September 1868 (Keiō 4)
From May to September 1868 (Keiō 4), Nagaoka Domain of Echigo participated in the Boshin War as a member of the Ōuetsu Alliance, fighting against Imperial government forces. Domain elder Kawai Tsugusuke deployed Gatling cannons to devastate the government forces, conducting fierce operations that earned him the title 'the last samurai.'
July 8, 1864 (5th day, 6th month, Genji 1)
In June 1864, the Shinsengumi burst into the Ikedaya inn in Kyoto, attacking a secret gathering of loyalist activists. The raid by Kondō Isami, Okita Sōji, and Hijikata Toshizō became the most famous sword-fighting event of the Bakumatsu era.