Distrust to the Tokugawa

Before 1854, Japan had a strict policy of isolationism, Japan refused to trade with most foreign countries. However, In 1854, the U.S. Navy captain led an expedition that forced Japan to trade with other countries. This started rapid Westernization. The unfair treaties that followed angered many Japanese people. As a result, the Tokugawa government faced growing opposition, which turned into a radical movement pushing for change.

Emperor Kōmei opposed foreign influence and broke tradition by getting involved in politics. He strongly protested the treaties and tried to influence the next shogun. In 1863, he ordered foreigners to be expelled, sparking attacks on them and the shogunate. In fact, English trader Charles Lennox Richardson was assassinated. The British demanded 100,000 British pounds from the tokugawa and 25,000 from satsuma domain. However the Satsuma domain refused to pay.

In 1863 ~ 1864, foreign powers struck back, with Britain bombing Kagoshima and a multinational force attacking Shimonoseki. Meanwhile, Chōshū fighters and rōnin tried to seize Kyoto but were defeated by shogunate forces. The shogunate then launched a campaign against Chōshū, forcing their surrender without fighting. However, Tokugawa rule weakened as daimyōs started ignoring their authority.

The 2 sides divide

Distrust toward the Tokugawa led many to believe that a change in leadership was necessary for Japan to modernize and secure its place in the world. Many saw the Shogunate as an outdated and ineffective system standing in the way of progress. This led to the Boshin War

This conflict had two sides: the Imperial forces, backed by Satsuma, Chōshū, and Tosa, who wanted to restore the emperor's power, modernize Japan, and centralize control. The Tokugawa loyalists, including the Northern Coalition, opposed this, aiming to defend the Shogunate, resist imperial rule, and maintain the feudal system.

The Boshin War

The Boshin War was not one-sided at the start. The Tokugawa forces, with a numerical advantage and some French-trained units, initially had the upper hand. Their navy won a small victory at Awa Bay, and foreign diplomats briefly recognized the shogunate. However, at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in early 1868, the outnumbered Imperial forces, armed with modern weapons, gained legitimacy when the Emperor’s banner was raised. Defections from key daimyōs and Yoshinobu’s retreat from Osaka weakened the shogunate, leading to Edo’s surrender in May.

The Meiji period officially began after the Imperial forces defeated the Tokugawa Shogunate's loyalists and captured Edo (Tokyo) in 1868. Although the war continued until 1869 with final resistance in Hokkaidō, the Meiji Restoration was symbolized by the fall of Edo and the restoration of imperial rule under Emperor Meiji. The transition to the Meiji period marked the end of Tokugawa rule and the beginning of significant modernization efforts across Japan.