The , also known as and , took place in May and July 1868, when the Japanese capital of Edo (modern

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

), controlled by the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, fell to forces favorable to the restoration of

Emperor Meiji , posthumously honored as , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the List of emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ...

during the

Boshin War The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a coalition seeking to seize political power in the name of the Impe ...

Saigō Takamori Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...

, leading the victorious imperial forces north and east through Japan, had won the

Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma The took place between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle followed the Battle of Toba–Fushimi on 29 March 1868 (Gregorian calendar). Prelude After defeating the forces of the Tokugawa shogu ...

in the approaches to the capital. He was eventually able to surround Edo in May 1868.Kornicki, Peter F. (1998). ''Meiji Japan'', p. 96. Katsu Kaishū, the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

''s Army Minister, negotiated the surrender, which was unconditional.Perkins, Dorothy. (1997). ; Marius Jansen. (1995). Some groups continued to resist after this formal surrender but were defeated in the

Battle of Ueno The was a battle of the Boshin War, which occurred on July 4, 1868 (''Meiji 1, 15th day of the 5th month''), between the troops of the Shōgitai under Shibusawa Seiichirō and Amano Hachirō, and Imperial "Kangun" troops. Prelude Though the Sh� ...

in northeastern Tokyo, on 4 July 1868. The city was fully under control in July 1868. During that time,

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Kazoku, Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned his position as shogun in late 1867, while ai ...

had been under voluntary confinement at

Kan'ei-ji (also spelled Kan'eiji or Kaneiji) is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1625 during the Kan'ei era by Tenkai, in an attempt to emulate the powerful religious center Enryaku-ji, in Kyoto. The main object of worship is .Nihon ...

temple. On 3 September 1868, the city was renamed

("Eastern capital"), and the Meiji Emperor moved his capital to Tokyo, electing residence in

Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established th ...

, today's Imperial Palace. A small monument has been erected at the location of the surrender meeting between Saigō Takamori and Katsu Kaishū, at Minato-ku, Shiba 5-33-1.

Cultural depictions

The Fall of Edo was depicted in various films and television series: ;Film *''Edojō Sōzeme'' (1930, dir. Seika Shiba) *'' Edo Saigo no Hi'' (1941, dir. Hiroshi Inagaki) *''Dai Tokyo Tanjō Ōedo no Kane'' (1958, dir. Tatsuyasu Ōsone) ;Television drama *

Taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...

**''San Shimai'' (1967), 5th taiga drama **''Katsu Kaishū'' (1974), 12th taiga drama **''Tobu ga Gotoku'' (1990), 28th taiga drama **''Tokugawa Yoshinobu'' (1998); 37th taiga drama **'' Atsuhime'' (2008); 47th taiga drama **'' Segodon'' (2018); 57th taiga drama *Other **''

Ōoku The was historically the harem, women's quarters of Edo Castle, the section where the women connected to the reigning resided. Similar areas in the castles of powerful , such as the Satsuma Domain, were also referred to by this term. During ...

'' (2003)

Notes

References

* Jansen, Marius B. (2000). ''The Making of Modern Japan''. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 44090600
* Kornicki, Peter. (1998). ''Meiji Japan: Political, Economic and Social History, 1868–1912''. London: Routledge. ; ; ; ;
OCLC 470242993
* Perkins, Dorothy. (1997). ''Japan Goes to War: a Chronology of Japanese Military Expansion from the Meiji Era to the Attack on Pearl Harbor (1868–1941)''. Upland, Pennsylvania: Diane
OCLC 638765414
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edo 1868 Battles of the Boshin War 1868 in Japan Conflicts in 1868 July 1868 Military history of Tokyo 19th century in Tokyo Fall