The Meiji Restoration (明治維新), also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, and/or Renewal, of 1867-1868 has been described as being “relatively bloodless” by many people. It has also been described as a smooth, aimest, and bloodless transfer of power; but in reality there was civil war for at least several months.[1] I aim to prove that the Meiji Restoration was in fact not as bloodless as so many people believe.
The Meiji Restoration was a revolution in which a chain of events led to Japan toppling the Shogunate rule, and ‘restoring’ the Imperial rule of the Emperor. This revolution transformed Japan from a feudal state into a modern state, and also put an end to the samurai form of government that had lasted from the end of the 13th century.[2] Opposition to Tokugawa rule had been growing for a long time, however the push for this ‘restoration’ began when Matthew Calbraith Perry and others from 1853 onwards, exposed the weaknesses of the Tokugawa shogunate and triggered national unrest amongst the citizens of Japan.[3]
During the time of this restoration there was a civil war known as the Boshin War (戊辰戦争) or the ‘War of the Year of the Dragon’, which was fought from 1868 to 1869. This war was fought between the Tokugawa shogunate and those who were seeking to return political power to the imperial court.[4] When Emperor Meiji ascended the throne after Emperor Komei passed away in December of 1866, he granted Satsuma and Choshu permission to overthrow the Tokugawa Bakufu. Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the shogun, resigned his post that same day in order to avoid an open clash; however, he secretly gathered his armies in Osaka. There were many battles between the Tokugawa and Imperialists including: the battle of Toba-Fushimi, the battle of Koshu-Katsunuma, the surrender of Edo, the battle of Utsunomiya castle, the battle of Ueno, the battle of Hokuetsu, the battle of Aizu, and the battle of Hakodate.[5]
The battle of Toba-Fushimi started on 27 January 1868 near Koeda bridge in Toba. The battle lasted for four days, ending in a defeat for the Tokugawa shogunate. The Shogunal army outnumbered the Satsuma-Choshu army 3:1 and was also reinforced by Shinsengumi regulars. The majority of the Shogunal army were armed with pikes and swords, whereas the Satsuma-Choshu army was modernized with rifles and a few gatling guns. These would be the first shots in the Boshin War. Many of the shogunate’s men were killed en masse due to their archaic attyre; it is unknown exactly how many casualties there were.[6]
The battle of Koshu-Katsunuma followed the battle of Toba-Fushimi on 29 March 1868. The imperial army met the Shogunal forces who were outnumbered, this time 10:1. The Bakufu and Shinsengumi had a total of about 179 casualties, and later lost their leader Kondo who narrowly escaped and attempted to flee back to Aizu; he was beheaded by the new government, which demoralized the Tokugawa supporters even more. This event contributed to the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle.[7]
The battle of Utsunomiya castle occurred in May of 1868. Before the battle for Ustunomiya castle, roughly 60 men were killed or injured, in the Bakufu and Shinsengumi as they tried to take Mibu castle which currently held Imperial troops. Due to the Bakufu’s attack on Imperial forces at Mibu castle, the Imperial forces launched a counter-attack on the Bakufu troops which resulted in them taking the castle in the same day.[8]
The battle of Ueno occurred in July of 1868 (May by the lunar calendar). Many former Bakufu retainers disagreed with the decision made by Tokugawa Yoshinobu and Katsu Kaishu when Edo castle was handed over to Imperial troops peacefully. So, they formed a group called the Shogitai and gathered at Kan’ei-ji temple. Half of the Shogitai fled before the actual battle however, and the rest were destroyed in a day.[9]
The battle of Hokuetsu was where the Imperial army was intent on taking Niigata harbor in order to facilitate the supply of weapons and troops in the campain against the two main revolts; Aizu and Shonai. Imperial troops suffered heavy casualties on land, especially due to the enemies use of gatling guns; however, the attacking side also suffered serious losses. This battle ended the last resistance to the new Meiji government on the Sea of Japan coast of Honshu. The next key battle in the Boshin War was that of Aizu.[10]
The battle of Aizu was fought around October – November of 1868. After a month of siege, Aizu agreed to surrender. According to Ichiji Masaharu’s journal about Shirakawaguchi, the death toll of the Bakufu loyalists was 700, and the Imperialists was 10. Many samurai and Aizu han retainers also committed seppuku, a form of suicide. Many also died during the siege on Aizu-Wakamatsu castle. When Aizu finally offered it’s unconditional surrender, the samurai population was sent away to prisoner of war camps, and the Aizu domain ceased to exist as it once had.[11]
The battle of Hakodate was the last stage of the Boshin War. In Japanese, it is also known as the Battle of Goryokaku (五稜郭の戦い). It is estimated that the casualties and losses of the battle of Hakodate are as follows: Imperial losses; 770 casulaties, one ship sunk and another one destroyed. Bakufu losses are 1300 killed, 400 wounded, 1300 captured, two ships sunk, three ships captured, and another three ships lost. This battle marked the end of the old feudal regime in Japan, and also marked the end of armed resistance to the new Meiji government. France was also involved in this battle, with Jules Brunet as their head of command or leader.[12]
Even though it has been said that the modernisation of Japan began with the Meiji restoration, it actually started well before that; when Western medicine and books were being introduced into the country. The Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration would not be the last revolt against the government however. Also, even though this revolution was in the name of restoring power to the Emperor it in fact simply moved political power from the Tokugawa shogun to a small group of nobles and samurai from the Satsuma Province and the Choshu Province.
Over time, the Meiji Restoration has been romanticised by people who view it as a ‘bloodless revolution’, despite the number of casualties. Thousands upon thousands of people died for the modernisation of Japan, and others who tried to preserve the Tokugawa Bakufu and the feudal system. Instead of this restoration or revolution being ‘bloodless’ it is in fact just as bloody and laced with death as any other revolution that has happened before it. People died for their cause, destroyed castles, committed ritual suicide, or were tried and killed by the newly formed government. The Boshin War testifies to the advanced state of modernisation already achieved in Japan merely fourteen years after its opening to the Western world. But the Meiji Restoration was not as bloodless as many would like to think.
Restoration is the the act of restoring to a former or original condition. Revolution is to overthrow one government and replace it with another. Can one really have a revolution, of such massive scale, without spilling blood? The Meiji Restoration certainly spilt blood, and a lot of it. I believe that this revolution has been romanticised far too much, and the gravity of how many people that died has been down-played. It may not be as large as other revolutions or so blatantly violent, but it is certainly not relatively bloodless.
[1] TheCorner.org, ‘Meiji Restoration’, 2000-2007. Online at <http://www.thecorner.org/hist/japan/meiji1.htm>
[2] Public Information Bureau, ‘Facts About Japan’, 1977.
[3] Simon Cozens, ‘Meiji Restoration’, viewed 2008. Online at < http://compsoc.net/~gemini/simons/historyweb/meiji-resto.html>
[4] Wikipedia, ‘Boshin War’, 2008. Online at < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boshin_War>
[5] SamuraiWiki, ‘Boshin War’, 2007. Online at < http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Boshin_War>
[6] Wikipedia, ‘Battle of Toba-Fushimi’, 2008. Online at < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Toba-Fushimi>
[7] Wikipedia, ‘Battle of Koshu-Katsunuma’, 2008. Online at < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kōshū-Katsunuma>
[8] NationMaster, ‘Battle of Utsunomiya Castle’, 2003-5. Online at < http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Battle-of-Utsunomiya-Castle>
[9] SamuraiWiki, ‘Battle of Ueno’, 2008. Online at < http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Battle_of_Ueno>
[10] NationMaster, ‘Battle of Kokuetsu’, 2003-5. Online at < http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Battle-of-Hokuetsu>
[11] SamuraiWiki, ‘Battle of Aizu’, 2008. Online at < http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Battle_of_Aizu>
[12] PowerSet, ‘Hakodate, Hokkaido’, viewed on 31 Aug 2008. Online at < http://www.powerset.com/explore/semhtml/Hakodate,_Hokkaidō?query=Battle+of+Hakodate>
