Enomoto the true last Samurai No.6

The Times and Life of Takeaki Enomoto

Part 2. The Last Days of the Bakufu

４．How the Bakufu collapses after the First Unequal Treaties
　(1853-1860)

The days before the Bakufu's collapse
December 1867: Saigo* and Okubo* collude with a Kugyo (the most
powerful man attached to the Imperial Court), Tomomi Iwakura*,
and surround the court with their forces. Then they announce
the following things with the Imperial assent.
① Demote the Shogun, Yoshinobu, to a feudal lord.
② Keep out people who support conciliation between the
imperial court and the shogunate from the Imperial Court
(Especially the Tosa domain).
③ Set up a new government with their own party.
Choshu confederates with Owari(Nagoya), Echigo(Niigata), Tosa
(Kochi) and Geishu (Hiroshima)and look forward to the official
announcement of restoration of imperial power on December 8th.
Yoshinobu has heard about the announcement by 6th from
Matsudaira Okura Daisuke* and Goto Shojiro* ,and he decides to
accept it.
Matsudaira Katamori* knows the series of moves and feels strong
resentment toward the party pushing for overthrowing of the
Tokugawa Shogunate. Still, he orders the Shogunate forces not
to take hasty action.
December 8: The Imperial Court forgives Choshu and gives their
official rank to people of 7 kyo (Lords)such as Iwakura* and
the others. Also the Imperial Courts allows
Choshu's forces to enter Kyoto. Iwakura is forgiven as well and
is ordered to join the House of Councilors. Iwakura hands "
Strategy for the restoration of the Imperial power", which he
has prepared before, to the Emperor.
December 9: The Emperor declares the restoration of the
Imperial power. The declaration is based on the strategy
Iwakura suggested.

All prior official ranks of the Imperial Court are abolished
and it is decided that politics would be done by 1 Sosai
(president), 10 Gijyo (high ranked officials) and 20 Sanyo (low
ranked officials). Yoshinobu is not included in those.
These positions are nominated as follows;
・Sosai:Arisugawanomiya Taruhito*(only one person)
・Gijyo: including Ninnajinomiya Yoshiaki*, Matsudaira
Shungaku*, Yamanouchi Youdo*
・Sanyo:including Iwakura Tomomi
On the afternoon of the same day, suddenly, the forces of
Satsuma, Tosa, Owari and Echizen take control of the Imperial
palace's gates. At the same time forces of Aizu and Kuwana are
screened out and domains that support reconciliation between
the Imperial court and the Shogunate are banned to enter the
imperial palace. That means the imperial palace is occupied by
revolutionaries.

Kogosyo-kaigi (a Meeting held at the Imperial Palace):
At night, the officials, the kugyo and the domain heads
(Matsudaira Katamoti, Yamanouchi Yodo and Matsudaira Shungaku
etc.) gather at the imperial palace.
Matsudaira Katamori accuses that the restoration was Satsuma's
conspiracy. However Iwakura refutes that Emperor Meiji is the
ideal Emperor and Katamori had to hold back without being able
to say any words. Furthermore at this meeting, it is required
that Yoshinobu should show his practical accomplishment by
declining the government post and retroceding his territory.
The request spawns a heated discussion. Saigo does not like to
have discussions and says "Tell Iwakura that I have to go with
the last resort."
Iwakura also thinks that he has to kill Katamori even in front
of the Emperor. " Goto senses Saigo and Iwakura's thoughts and
whispers to Yodo "It's better to compromise before you get
killed." Yodo says that he will never compromise. However he
gets exhausted after a while and stops speaking in loud voice.
Around that time, the meeting has over. It is already near
midnight when it finishes after 7 hours of discussion.
A possible reason why Yodo becomes quiet is hat he likes sake
very much and he has been drunk after drinking at the dinner.
As a result, it is agreed that Yoshinobu would decline the
government post and retrocede his territory.
Participants of the meeting: In addition to Sosai, Gijyo and
Sanyo , the representatives of each great domains are as
follows;
The Satsuma domain: including Okubo, Saigo (total 3)
The Tosa domain: including Goto Shojiro*(total 2)
The Echizen domain: Total 2
The Owari domain: Total 3
The Hiroshima domain: Total 2
In total, 43 persons are participating.

December 10: Katamori meets Yoshinobu and tells what they
discussed at the meeting the day before.
Yoshinobu's reaction:
① Yoshinobu accepts the Imperial order to resign as Shogun.
② About declination of the government post and retrocession
of his territory: He will demote himself by one rank. But he
says he cannot return all of his territory, 400 grain screen,
because half of it is his real earnings. So he responds the
Imperial Court that he would discuss retrocession of his
territory with his councilor and respond a few days later.
People around the Shogun and the Emperor feel that they are in
volatile situation.
December 13: Yoshinobu goes down to the Castle of Osaka with
forces of the Aizu and the Kuwana domains, fearing the worst
case.
"The head of the Tosa domain acts as arbitrator and suggests
the Imperial court that they should stop fighting with the
Shogunate and have a meeting with them. Then they should call
off the high alert of the Imperial Court.
"The Imperial Court accepts the suggestion and calls off the
high alert.
"Yoshinobu dedicates 50,000 ryo (unit of Japanese currency
at that time) to help the Imperial Court's financial crisis.
He shows allegiance to the Emperor by the dedication.