Daiga Drama Battle of Toba- Fushimi
This Daiga drama was produced by Toho company LTD. Takakura Ken was the main character of this drama. This was Takakura Ken’s most famous Daiga drama he performed. We would like to present this Daiga drama to hold a memorial ceremony for his death. He acted the emperor of Japan, Mutsuhito. This drama talked about one of the civil war at the beginning of Meiji Restoration in 1868. This is the Battle of Toba-Fushimi on January 27th. This battle lasted for four days and it is this battle which decided the fate of Japanese emperor and Tokugawa Shogunate. What will happened to them? Who will win and being recorded in history? Who will lost and being forgotten gradually? Thank you for watching this Daiga Drama of Battle of Toba-Fushimi!
Satsuma Banner
Aizu Banner(Tokugawa troops)
Battle of Toba-Fushimi causes by the resentful people to Tokugawa Shougun, which are people support Emperor Mutsuhito. There are also people resent to the Opened Door Policy in Japan. The people who support and allied with Emperor Mutsuhito are Satsuma and Chosu. Although the emperor was ruling the country, Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu still remained his political power, but as a puppet. Chosu and Satsuma wasn’t happy about it. Also, the consultative assembly like the decision that Tokugawa still involved in the politics a little bit but with the court, which could rule directly. A man called Saigo Takaori forced the assembly members to confiscate Tokugawa’s property and land. Although, Yoshinobu agreed at first, he denied it and he decided to attack Kyoto from his Osaka Castle. Chosu and Satsuma would like to get rid of Tokugawa Shogunate forever and they would like modernized and unified ruling system.
For Tokugawa’s troops, there are about 14000 men, which is mixture of traditional Japanese samurai and ninety four modernized canons. The Emperor army has six thousand men and got five hundred eighty three canons with well organized rifle companies. Both of them bought one Gatling gun from United States. The Shogun and emperor troops met near Toba and then Fushimi. The Shogun’s troops were refused to enter the city and then they moved to Yodo castle. The emperor’s forces attacked the Shogun’s forces around midnight. They had a fiercer fighting the next day. In the third day of battle, the daimyo of Yodo Castle refused to let Tokugawa troops to enter. The Tokugawa had to retreat and retreat. At the fourth day, the Sat-Cho troops from emperor got a agreement from the dishonesty men originally allied with Tokugawa but now changed side to Sat-Cho’s troops. The Tokugawa troops finally retreated to Osaka and they were defeated.
Satsuma Samurai at Bakumatsu perios
Chosu Kiheitai troops