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86-613: The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province , the core of the modern city of Kagoshima , located in the south of the island of Kyushu . The Satsuma Domain was ruled for its existence by the Tozama daimyō of the Shimazu clan , who had ruled the Kagoshima area since the 1200s, and covered territory in the provinces of Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga . The Satsuma Domain

172-429: A tenshu or high stone walls. Mount Shiroyama to the rear of the castle was regarded as the redoubt which could be used in case of siege; however, after Tadatsune's death, the mountain was regarded as a sacred area and was placed off-limits. Tadatsune's father, Shimazu Yoshihiro, was adamantly against the construction of Kagoshima Castle due to its indefensible design and its proximity to the coast; however, politically

258-438: A rescript was issued in the emperor's name (but most likely written by court officials). It indicated his intent to be involved in government affairs. And indeed he attended cabinet meetings and innumerable other government functions, though rarely speaking, almost until the day of his death. The successful revolutionaries organized themselves into a Council of State, and subsequently into a system where three main ministers led

344-446: A highly individualistic and forthright person who was no puppet to any group in his government, and although progressive, not 'liberal' or 'democratic'. Yet another group of historians contend he was never a full dictator, but remain divided on whether his personal power was "far closer to the absolutist end". or he merely played a mediating role in the Genrō's decision making. He composed

430-469: A new world power. The Emperor, who was born on 3 November 1852, succeeded to the throne on 3 February 1867, on the suppression of the Shogun dynasty, which had for generations wielded the power which the imperial family held only in name. Mutsuhito has proved the most practical of modern monarchs, for in less than forty years he has brought his country from semi-barbarism to the status of a first class power. Near

516-456: A serious threat to the power of the daimyō , and the peace and order of the domain; the shogunal ban on Christianity was enforced more strictly and brutally in Satsuma, perhaps, than anywhere else in the archipelago. The ban on smuggling, perhaps unsurprisingly, was not so strictly enforced, as the domain gained significantly from trade performed along its shores, some ways away from Nagasaki , where

602-456: A year, and to spend some portion of the year there, away from his domain and his power base. The Shimazu were granted permission to make this journey only once every two years. These exceptions thus allowed Satsuma to gain even more power and wealth relative to the majority of other domains. Though arguably opposed to the shogunate, Satsuma was perhaps one of the strictest domains in enforcing particular policies. Christian missionaries were seen as

688-523: Is impossible to deny that [Emperor Kōmei's] disappearance from the political scene, leaving as his successor a boy of fifteen or sixteen [actually fourteen], was most opportune". In a brief ceremony in Kyoto, the crown prince formally ascended to the throne on 13 February 1867. The new emperor continued his classical education, which did not include matters of politics. In the meantime, the shōgun , Yoshinobu, struggled to maintain power. He repeatedly asked for

774-433: Is not questioned. The Shimazu continually made efforts to emphasize their unique position as the only feudal domain to claim an entire foreign kingdom as its vassal, and engineered repeated increases to their own official Court rank, in the name of maintaining their power and prestige in the eyes of Ryukyu. In 1871, however, Emperor Meiji abolished the han system , and the following year informed King Shō Tai that he

860-613: The burakumin ended. However, these classes continue to suffer discrimination in Japan to the present time. The 1889 constitution created a new parliament , although it had no real power. Power had passed from the Tokugawa into the hands of those daimyōs and other samurai who had led the Restoration. Japan was thus controlled by the Genrō , an oligarchy which comprised the most powerful men of

946-526: The Battle of Toba–Fushimi 1868. The shōgun, defeated, escaped to Edo. Saigo Takamori then led his troops to Edo, where Tenshō-in was instrumental in the bloodless surrender of Edo castle . The Boshin War continued until the last of the shogunate forces were defeated in 1869. The Meiji government , which was established in the aftermath of these events, was largely dominated by politicians from Satsuma and Chōshū. Though

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1032-593: The Boshin War , in which samurai (mostly from the Chōshū and Satsuma Domains ) defeated the shogunate and restored power in his name. Documents issued during his reign include the Charter Oath of 1868, Meiji Constitution of 1889, Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors of 1882, and Imperial Rescript on Education of 1890, in which he was advised by a group of oligarchs known as the genrō . Other major events include

1118-570: The Humanity Declaration as support for the imposed changes in Japanese government following World War II. For the first time since early childhood, he left the Imperial precincts in Kyoto in mid-May to take command of the forces pursuing the remnants of the bakufu armies. Traveling in slow stages due to through roads being lined with crowds, he took three days to travel from Kyoto to Osaka. There

1204-520: The Meiji era . At the time of Mutsuhito's birth, Japan was a feudal and pre-industrial country dominated by the isolationist Tokugawa shogunate and the daimyō subject to it, who ruled over Japan's 270 decentralized domains . The opening of Japan to the West from 1854 fueled domestic demands for modernization, and when Mutsuhito became emperor after the death of his father Emperor Kōmei in 1867, it triggered

1290-731: The Namamugi Incident . The Satsuma Domain formed the Satchō Alliance with the rival Chōshū Domain during the Meiji Restoration and became instrumental in the establishment of the Empire of Japan . The Kagoshima-han was dissolved in the abolition of han and establishment of ken in 1871 by the Meiji government when Kagoshima-han became Kagoshima-ken , with some parts of the domain separated as part of Miyakonojō Prefecture ( Miyakonojō-ken ). The first prefectural governor of Kagoshima

1376-472: The Russo-Japanese War , and also starred Tatsuya Nakadai (as General Nogi Maresuke ), and Tetsurō Tamba (as General Kodama Gentarō ). Emperor Meiji also appears in the 2003 film The Last Samurai , played by Nakamura Shichinosuke II . In the film, the emperor is portrayed as a weak, inexperienced leader under the firm control of his councilors, who intend to have him sign a treaty that would give

1462-515: The Sakoku Edict of 1635 . In addition to the substantial Chinese trade, only the Dutch continued trade with Japan, maintaining a post on the island of Dejima by Nagasaki . However, by the early 19th century, European and American vessels appeared in the waters around Japan with increasing frequency. Prince Mutsuhito was born on 3 November 1852 in a small house on his maternal grandfather's property at

1548-455: The bombardment of Kagoshima by the Royal Navy the following year. Even though Satsuma was able to withstand the attack, this event showed how necessary it was for Japan to import western technology and reform its military. Meanwhile, the focus of Japanese politics shifted to Kyoto, where the major struggles of the time occurred. The shogunate entrusted Satsuma and Aizu with the protection of

1634-506: The daimyōs . In 1869, several of the daimyōs who had supported the revolution gave their land property to the emperor and were reappointed as governors, with considerable salaries. By the following year, all other daimyōs had followed suit. In 1871, as Japan was organized into 72 prefectures the emperor announced that domains were entirely abolished . The daimyōs were compensated with annual salaries equal to ten percent of their former revenues (from which they now did not have to deduct

1720-422: The nengō had often been changed multiple times in an emperor's reign; from now on, it was announced, there would only be one nengō per reign. Soon after his coronation, the emperor journeyed to Tokyo by road , visiting it for the first time. He arrived in late November and began an extended stay by distributing sake among the population. The population of Tokyo was eager for an Imperial visit. Tokyo had been

1806-421: The shishi out of Kyoto, and an attempt by them to return in 1864 was driven back. Nevertheless, unrest continued throughout Japan. The prince's awareness of the political turmoil is uncertain. During this time, he studied waka poetry, first with his father, then with the court poets. In 1866, a new shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu , took office as the prince continued his classical education. Tokugawa Yoshinobu

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1892-522: The 1630s, Satsuma's ability to enjoy a trade in Chinese goods, and information, via Ryukyu, provided it a distinct and important, if not entirely unique, role in the overall economy and politics of the Tokugawa state. The degree of economic benefits enjoyed by Satsuma, and the degree of their influence in Ryukyu, are subjects debated by scholars, but the political prestige and influence gained through this relationship

1978-607: The Imperial court, against attempts of the Sonnō jōi faction to take over, as in the Kinmon Incident of 1864. The shogunate decided to punish Chōshū for this event with the First Chōshū expedition , under the leadership of a Satsuma retainer, Saigō Takamori . Saigō, however, avoided a military conflict and allowed Chōshū to resolve the issue with the Seppuku of the three perpetrators behind

2064-527: The Pacific and a major player in the world within a generation . Yet, Emperor Meiji's role in the Restoration, as well as the amount of personal authority and influence he wielded during his reign, remains debatable. He kept no diary, wrote almost no letters (unlike his father) and left "no more than three or four" photographs. The accounts of people who had met or were close to him usually contain little substantial information or are mutually contradictory. Due to

2150-475: The Ryukyus and sought not only trade, but formal diplomatic relations. To increase his influence in the shogunate, Nariakira engineered a marriage between Shōgun Tokugawa Iesada and his adopted daughter, Atsu-hime (later Tenshō-in ). In 1854, the first year of Iesada's reign, Commodore Perry landed in Japan and forced an end to the isolation policy of the shogunate. However, the treaties signed between Japan and

2236-462: The Shimazu then formed sub-fiefs within their domain, and doled out castles to their vassals, administering the domain in a manner not unlike a mini-shogunate. They also received special exceptions from the shogunate in regard to the policy of sankin-kōtai , another policy meant to restrict the wealth and power of the daimyō. Under this policy, every feudal lord was mandated to travel to Edo at least once

2322-661: The United States special trading rights that would enrich them, but also cement foreign domination of Japan. The emperor's determination is only shown at the end of the movie, when he is inspired by a visit from Capt. Nathan Algren (played by Tom Cruise ), who fought alongside the rebel samurai, to reject the treaty and dismiss his advisors, declaring that Japan will modernize, but not at the cost of its traditions and history. Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE  / AD   Imperial Consort and Regent Empress Jingū

2408-537: The Western Army at the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara . His father Shimazu Yoshihiro had famously led a fighting retreat off of the battlefield and escaped with the bulk of his army intact back to Kyushu . The victorious Tokugawa forces landed in Kyushu to subdue the remnants of the forces loyal to Ishida Mitsunari and Toyotomi Hideyori , but reached a peace agreement with the Shimazu, who agreed to reduce their territory to

2494-416: The age of 40. The Imperial Family suffered very high rates of infant mortality; all five of the emperor's brothers and sisters died as infants, and only five of his own 15 children reached adulthood. Soon after taking control in the early seventeenth century, shogunate officials (known generically as bakufu ) ended almost all Western trade with Japan, and barred Christian missionaries from the islands under

2580-492: The age of seven. He proved an indifferent student, and later in life wrote poems regretting that he had not applied himself more in writing practice. By the early 1860s, the shogunate was under several threats. Representatives of foreign powers sought to increase their influence in Japan. Many daimyōs were increasingly dissatisfied with bakufu handling foreign affairs. Large numbers of young samurai , known as shishi or "men of high purpose", began to meet and speak against

2666-404: The attack on the Imperial palace. When the shogunate decided to finally defeat Chōshū in a Second Chōshū expedition the next year, Satsuma, under the lead of Saigo Takamori and Ōkubo Toshimichi , decided to switch sides. The Satchō Alliance between Satsuma and Chōshū was brokered by Sakamoto Ryōma from Tosa . This second expedition ended in a disaster for the shogunate. It was defeated on

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2752-477: The battlefield, and Shōgun Iemochi died of illness in Osaka Castle . The next shōgun , Tokugawa Yoshinobu , brokered a cease fire. Despite attempts by the new shōgun to reform the government, he was unable to contain the growing movement to overthrow the shogunate led by Satsuma and Chōshū. Even after he stepped down as shōgun and agreed to return the power to the Imperial court, the two sides finally clashed in

2838-588: The castle was so inconspicuous, the British mistook a nearby Buddhist temple the temple for a castle tower and fired on it instead. Following the Meiji restoration , the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army garrisoned the castle. In 1873, the main citadel burned down, including the main gate of the caste. In 1877 the second citadel likewise burned down during the Satsuma Rebellion . The Kagoshima Prefectural Medical School and its affiliated hospital were established on

2924-477: The city of Kagoshima , Kagoshima Prefecture , Japan . Its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 2023. Kagoshima Castle was listed as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006. ). It is more popular known in Kagoshima as Tsurumaru Castle ( 鶴丸城 ) Kagoshima Castle was built by Shimazu Tadatsune following the defeat of the Shimazu clan along with

3010-448: The clan and head of the domain. [REDACTED] Shimazu clan 1602–1871 ( Tozama ; 770,000 koku ) Sengoku period Bakumatsu period Satsuma Rebellion Meiji period statesmen and diplomats Imperial Japanese Navy Imperial Japanese Army Artists Entrepreneurs Kagoshima Castle Kagoshima Castle ( 鹿児島城 , Kagoshima-jō ) was an Edo period flatland-style Japanese castle located in

3096-416: The cost of governing), but were required to move to the new capital, Tokyo. Most daimyōs retired from politics. The new administration gradually abolished most privileges of the samurai, including their right to a stipend from the government. However, unlike the daimyōs , many samurai suffered financially from this change. Most other class-based distinctions were abolished. Legalized discrimination against

3182-490: The early 17th century. Under its rule, the shōgun governed Japan. About 180 lords, known as daimyōs , ruled autonomous realms under the shōgun , and occasionally the shōgun called upon the daimyōs for gifts but did not tax them. The shōgun controlled the daimyōs in other ways too; only the shōgun could approve daimyōs marriages, and the shōgun could divest a daimyō of his lands. Tokugawa Ieyasu , who had officially retired from his position by 1605,

3268-418: The eldest daughter of Count Sono Motosachi, lived to adulthood. Although Meiji was the last emperor to have concubines , this function was not officially abolished until 1924. Emperor Meiji had fifteen children (five of them were sons and ten were daughters), five of them (a son and four daughters) reached adulthood. He had eighteen grandchildren (eleven grandsons and seven granddaughters). He received

3354-464: The emperor ceremoniously read out a document before the court proclaiming the "restoration" of Imperial rule, and the following month, documents were sent to foreign powers: The Emperor of Japan announces to the sovereigns of all foreign countries and to their subjects that permission has been granted to the shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu to return the governing power in accordance with his own request. We shall henceforward exercise supreme authority in all

3440-432: The emperor's confirmation of his actions, which he eventually received, but there is no indication that the young emperor was himself involved in the decisions. The shishi and other rebels continued to shape their vision of the new Japan, and although they revered the emperor, they had no thought of having him play an active part in the political process. The political struggle reached its climax in late 1867. An agreement

3526-583: The emperor's death in 1912, the Japanese Diet passed a resolution to commemorate his role in the Meiji Restoration . An iris garden in an area of Tokyo where Emperor Meiji and the Empress had been known to visit was chosen as the building's location for the Shinto shrine Meiji Jingū . The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is at Fushimi-Momoyama Castle south of Kyoto . Soon after Meiji's ascension,

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3612-423: The emperor's officials presented Ichijō Haruko to him as a possible bride. The future Empress was the daughter of an Imperial official, and was three years older than the groom, who would have to wait to wed until after his genpuku (manhood ceremony). The two married on 11 January 1869. Known posthumously as Empress Dowager Shōken , she was the first Imperial Consort to receive the title of kōgō (literally,

3698-461: The emperor's studies include materials on contemporary affairs. On 19 September 1868, the emperor announced the name of the city of Edo was to be changed to Tokyo, meaning "eastern capital". He was formally crowned in Kyoto on 15 October (a ceremony which had been postponed from the previous year due to the civil unrest). Shortly before the coronation, he announced that the new era, or nengō , would be called Meiji or "enlightened rule". Heretofore

3784-481: The emperor's wife, translated as Empress Consort ), in several hundred years. Although she was the first Japanese Empress Consort to play a public role, she bore no children. However, the Meiji Emperor had fifteen children by five official ladies-in-waiting. Only five of his children, a prince born to Lady Naruko (1855–1943), the daughter of Yanagiwara Mitsunaru, and four princesses born to Lady Sachiko (1867–1947),

3870-489: The end of his life several leftists, including Shūsui Kōtoku , were executed (1911) on charges of having conspired to murder the sovereign. This conspiracy was known as the High Treason Incident (1910). Emperor Meiji, suffering from diabetes , nephritis , and gastroenteritis , died of uremia . Although the official announcement said he died at 00:42 on 30 July 1912, the actual death was at 22:40 on 29 July. He

3956-516: The establishment of the Cabinet in 1885, Privy Council in 1888, Imperial Diet in 1890, and military victories over China in the First Sino-Japanese War and over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War . Taiwan and Korea were annexed in 1895 and 1910, respectively. Emperor Meiji died in 1912, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Yoshihito . The Tokugawa shogunate had established itself in

4042-456: The following orders and decorations: The Meiji era ushered in many far-reaching changes to the ancient feudal society of Japan. A timeline of major events might include: Emperor Meiji is portrayed by Toshirō Mifune in the 1980 Japanese war drama film The Battle of Port Arthur (sometimes referred as 203 Kochi ). Directed by Toshio Masuda , the film depicted the Siege of Port Arthur during

4128-552: The following poem in waka form: This poem was later recited by his grandson, Emperor Shōwa in an Imperial Conference in September 1941 before the attack on Pearl Harbor to tell that he wanted to avoid the war. The Illustrated London News published an article with a cover illustration of Emperor Meiji in the New-York Tribune on 19 March 1905. The description text said: The victorious Emperor of Japan - beloved ruler of

4214-475: The government. This structure would last until the establishment of a prime minister, who would lead a cabinet in a western fashion, in 1885. Initially, not even the retention of the emperor was certain; revolutionary leader Gotō Shōjirō later stated that some officials "were afraid the extremists might go further and abolish the Mikado". Japan's new leaders sought to reform the patchwork system of domains governed by

4300-469: The imperial court". The marriage between Tokugawa Iemochi , the next shōgun , and imperial princess Kazunomiya was a major success for this faction. However, this put Satsuma at odds with the more radical Sonnō jōi , or "revere the Emperor and repel the barbarians" faction, with Chōshū as the major supporter. In 1862, in the Namamugi Incident an Englishman was killed by retainers of Satsuma, leading to

4386-416: The internal and external affairs of the country. Consequently, the title of Emperor must be substituted for that of Tycoon , in which the treaties have been made. Officers are being appointed by us to the conduct of foreign affairs. It is desirable that the representatives of the treaty powers recognize this announcement. On 23 October 1868 the era was changed from Keiō to Meiji ('enlightened rule'), which

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4472-515: The lack of reliable sources of the period, mysteries surrounding Emperor Meiji's personality and role in the Restoration remain a matter of historical dispute. James C. Baxter argues that the emperor was a figurehead without real power who rarely interfered with what had been agreed upon in advance by the Meiji oligarchy . Conversely, Herbert Bix describes Meiji as a powerful autocrat whom the Genrō struggled to restrain while accommodating his anti-democratic inclinations. R.Starr characterizes Meiji as

4558-453: The major European powers. On 7 April 1868, the emperor was presented with the Charter Oath , a five-point statement of the nature of the new government. The statement was designed to win over those who had not yet committed themselves to the new regime. This document, which the emperor then formally promoted, abolished feudalism and proclaimed a modern democratic government for Japan. The Charter Oath would later be cited by Emperor Shōwa in

4644-545: The military weakness of the castle was intended as a political statement verifying the Shimazu clan's submission to the Tokugawa shogunate. The castle was completed in 1604. Kagoshima Castle was never used in actual battle until the Bakumatsu period , when it came under attack by the Royal Navy during the Anglo-Satsuma War of 1863. Shimazu Yoshihiro's concerns about its proximity the coast were proven accurate; however, as

4730-471: The military, political and economic spheres. The emperor showed greater political longevity than his recent predecessors, as he was the first Japanese monarch to remain on the throne past the age of 50 since Emperor Ōgimachi 's abdication from the throne in 1586. The Japanese take pride in the Meiji Restoration, as it and the accompanying industrialization allowed Japan to become the preeminent power in

4816-573: The modern cannons that his naval fleet equipped. For the first time in at least 250 years, the shogunate took the highly unusual step of consulting with the Imperial Court because of the crisis brought on by Perry's arrival. Emperor Kōmei's officials advised that they felt they should agree to trade with the Americans and asked that they be informed in advance of any steps to be taken upon Perry's return. The Japanese government decided that their military

4902-725: The most powerful clans in the archipelago. During the decisive battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the Shimazu fought on the losing side. Satsuma was one of the most powerful feudal domains in Tokugawa Japan . It was controlled throughout the Edo period by the tozama daimyō of the Shimazu clan . Since the mid-15th century, Satsuma fought with the Ryukyu Kingdom for control of the Northern Ryukyu Islands , which lie southwest of Japan. In 1609, Shimazu Iehisa requested permission from

4988-618: The north end of the Gosho . At the time, birth was culturally believed to be a source of pollution, so the imperial prince was not born in the Palace. Instead, it was common for members of the Imperial Family to be born in a structure, often temporary, near the pregnant woman's father's house. The Prince Mutsuhito's mother, Nakayama Yoshiko , was a concubine ( Japanese : 権の典侍 , romanized :  gon no tenji ) to his father Emperor Kōmei , and she

5074-421: The prince was delicate and often ill. Some biographers state that he fainted when he first heard gunfire, while others deny this account. On 16 August 1860, Sachinomiya was proclaimed prince of the blood and heir to the throne and was formally adopted by his father's consort . Later that year on 11 November, he was proclaimed as the crown prince and given an adult name, Mutsuhito. The prince began his education at

5160-498: The provinces of Satsuma and Ōsumi . The previous center of Satsuma and the main stronghold of the Shimazu clan had been in the area of present-day Satsumasendai and Izumi , which were nearer to provincial border with Higo Province . Shimazu Tadatsune therefore decided to relocate his stronghold further south, which was further away from potential invasion by the Tokugawa shogunate and protected by mountainous terrain. The actual site

5246-589: The rebels. On March 23 the Dutch Minister-Resident Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek and the French Minister-Resident Léon Roches were the first European envoys ever to receive a personal audience with the new Emperor Meiji in Edo (Tokyo). This audience laid the foundation for (modern) Dutch diplomacy in Japan. Subsequently, De Graeff van Polsbroek assisted the emperor and the government in their negotiations with representatives of

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5332-548: The rudiments of Japanese and Chinese history and geography. The shōgun did not seek the consent or advice of the emperor for his actions. Emperors almost never left their palace compound, or Gosho in Kyoto , except after an emperor retired or to take shelter in a temple if the palace caught on fire. Few emperors lived long enough to retire; of the Meiji emperor's five predecessors, only his grandfather and great-grandfather lived beyond

5418-495: The samurai class, domain system, and much of the political and social structures surrounding these were abolished shortly afterwards, figures from these two areas dominated the Japanese government roughly until World War I . However, the beginning of the period was marked by growing discontent of the former samurai class, which erupted in the Satsuma Rebellion under Saigo Takamori in 1877. The hereditary daimyōs were head of

5504-457: The shogunate monopolized commerce. In the 1830s, Satsuma used its illegal Okinawa trade to rebuild its finances under Zusho Hirosato . The Satsuma daimyō of the 1850s, Shimazu Nariakira , was very interested in Western thought and technology, and sought to open the country. At the time, contacts with Westerners increased dramatically, particularly for Satsuma, as Western ships frequently landed in

5590-730: The shogunate to invade Ryukyu. After a three-month war which met stiff resistance, Satsuma captured the Ryukyuan capital of Shuri and King Shō Nei . In the ensuing peace treaty, Satsuma annexed the Amami and Tokara Islands , demanded tribute, and forced the King and his descendants to pledge loyalty to Satsuma's daimyō . For the remainder of the Edo period, Satsuma influenced their politics and dominated their trading policies to take advantage of Ryukyu's tributary status with China. As strict maritime prohibitions were imposed upon much of Japan beginning in

5676-400: The shogunate. The shishi revered Emperor Kōmei and favoured direct violent action to cure societal ills. While they initially desired the death or expulsion of all foreigners, the shishi would later begin to advocate the modernisation of the country. The bakufu enacted several measures to appease the various groups in an effort to drive a wedge between the shishi and daimyōs . Kyoto

5762-497: The site of the shōgun ' s court and the city's population feared that with the abolition of the shogunate, the city might fall into decline. It would not be until 1889 that a final decision was made to move the capital to Tokyo. While in Tokyo, the emperor boarded a Japanese naval vessel for the first time, and the following day gave instructions for studies to see how Japan's navy could be strengthened. Soon after his return to Kyoto,

5848-674: The site of the second citadel in 1882, continuing under various names until it was relocated in 1974. The site is now the location of the Kagoshima Prefectural Library, Kagoshima City Museum of Art, and Kagoshima Prefectural Museum. The main citadel was used by the Kagoshima Seventh High School Zoshikan from 1901 until its destruction in an air raid in 1945. Afterwards, the site became the Faculty of Letters and Sciences of Kagoshima University until 1957, when it

5934-407: The size and productive wealth of Satsuma province itself, and from their extreme distance from Edo , and thus from the shōgun ' s armies. The Shimazu exercised their influence to exact from the shogunate a number of special exceptions. Satsuma was granted an exception to the shogunate's limit of one castle per domain, a policy which was meant to restrict the military strength of the domains;

6020-460: The western powers, particularly the Harris Treaty of 1858, put Japan at a serious disadvantage. In the same year, both Iesada and Nariakira died. Nariakira named his nephew, Shimazu Tadayoshi , as his successor. As Tadayoshi was still a child, his father, Shimazu Hisamitsu , effectively held the power in Satsuma. Hisamitsu followed a policy of Kōbu gattai , or "unity between the shogunate and

6106-490: Was Ōyama Tsunayoshi until 1877 when he was executed in the Satsuma Rebellion . Since the 1880s, the former territory of Kagoshima Domain is now part of Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefecture which was ultimately split from Kagoshima in 1883. The Shimazu family controlled Satsuma province for roughly four centuries prior to the beginning of the Edo period. Despite being chastised by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in his 1587 Kyūshū campaign , and forced back to Satsuma, they remained one of

6192-512: Was a major centre for the shishi and the shishi had influence over the Emperor Kōmei. In 1863, the shishi persuaded him to issue an " Order to expel barbarians ". The Order placed the shogunate in a difficult position since they had no intention of enforcing the order because they did not have the power to carry it out. Several attacks were made on foreigners or their ships, and foreign forces retaliated. Bakufu forces were able to drive most of

6278-430: Was a reformer who desired to transform Japan into a Western-style state. Yoshinobu was the final shōgun and met with resistance from among the bakufu , even as unrest and military actions continued. In mid-1866, a bakufu army set forth to punish rebels in southern Japan. The army was defeated. Emperor Kōmei fell seriously ill at the age of 36 and died on 30 January 1867. British diplomat Sir Ernest Satow wrote, "it

6364-578: Was assessed under the Kokudaka system and its value peaked at 770,000 koku , the second-highest domain in Japan after the Kaga Domain . The Satsuma Domain was one of the most powerful and prominent of Japan's domains during the Edo period, conquering the Ryukyu Kingdom as a vassal state after the invasion of Ryukyu in 1609, and clashing with the British during the bombardment of Kagoshima in 1863 after

6450-465: Was designated "Domain Head of Ryukyu Domain ", transferring Satsuma's authority over the country to Tokyo. Though not the wealthiest han in terms of kokudaka (the official measure of the wealth and therefore power of a han , measured in koku ), Satsuma remained among the wealthiest and most powerful domains throughout the Edo period. This derived not only from their connection to Ryukyu, but also from

6536-399: Was later used for the emperor's posthumous name. This marked the beginning of the custom of posthumously naming the emperor after the era during which he ruled. In a conflict known as the Boshin War , Yoshinobu's followers briefly resisted and bakufu holdouts were finally defeated in late 1869. Despite the ouster of the bakufu , no effective central government had been put in place by

6622-531: Was no conflict in Osaka; the new leaders wanted the emperor to be more visible to his people and to foreign envoys. At the end of May, after two weeks in Osaka (in a much less formal atmosphere than in Kyoto), the emperor returned to his home. Shortly after his return, it was announced that the emperor would begin to preside over all state business, reserving further literary study for his leisure time. Only from 1871 onward did

6708-535: Was no match for the American military and thus allowed trade and submitted to what it dubbed the " Unequal Treaties ". "Unequal Treaties" meant giving up tariff authority and the right to try foreigners in its own courts. The shogunate's willingness to consult with the Court was short-lived: in 1858, word of a treaty arrived with a letter stating that due to shortness of time, it had not been possible to consult. Emperor Kōmei

6794-494: Was reached by which Yoshinobu would maintain his title and some of his power, but the lawmaking power would be vested in a bicameral legislature based on the British model. The agreement fell apart and on 9 November 1867, Yoshinobu officially tendered his resignation to the emperor and formally stepped down ten days later. The following month, the rebels marched on Kyoto, taking control of the Imperial Palace. On 4 January 1868,

6880-641: Was replaced by the National Kagoshima University School of Medicine until 1974. It is now Reimeikan, Kagoshima Prefectural Center for Historical Material , which opened in 1984. A reconstruction of the Otemon main gate of the castle based on surviving documents and photographs was completed in 2020. [REDACTED] Media related to Kagoshima Castle at Wikimedia Commons Emperor Meiji Mutsuhito (3 November 1852 – 30 July 1912), posthumously honored as Emperor Meiji ,

6966-534: Was selected by geomancy and was protected by the Hegigawa River to the east, Satsuma Kaidō to the west, the Kinko Bay to the south, and Mount Shiroyama to the north. He constructed a "yakata-zukuri" style castle, which was more of a large fortified residence than a Japanese castle. It consisted of a main citadel in the north and a secondary citadel to the south, protected by a moats and low walls, and did not have

7052-399: Was so incensed that he threatened to abdicate—though even this action would have required the consent of the shōgun . Much of the emperor's boyhood is known only through later accounts, which his biographer Donald Keene points out are often contradictory. One contemporary described Mutsuhito as healthy and strong, somewhat of a bully, and exceptionally talented at sumo . Another states that

7138-441: Was succeeded by his eldest son, Emperor Taishō . By 1912, Japan had gone through a political, economic, and social revolution and emerged as one of the great powers in the world. The New York Times summed up this transformation at the emperor's funeral in 1912 as: "the contrast between that which preceded the funeral car and that which followed it was striking indeed. Before it went old Japan; after it came new Japan." After

7224-429: Was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession , reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ended the Tokugawa shogunate and began rapid changes that transformed Japan from an isolationist , feudal state to an industrialized world power . Emperor Meiji was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan , and presided over

7310-603: Was the daughter of the acting major counselor, Nakayama Tadayasu . The young prince was given the title Sachi-no-miya , or Prince Sachi. The young prince was born into an era of great change in Japan. This change was symbolised dramatically in July 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry and his American Naval squadron (what the Japanese dubbed "the Black Ships "), sailed into the harbour at Edo (known since 1868 as Tokyo). Perry sought to open Japan up to international trade and showcased

7396-446: Was the first Tokugawa shōgun. Upon retirement, Tokugawa Ieyasu and his son Tokugawa Hidetada , the titular shōgun , issued a code of behavior for the nobility in 1605. Under the code, the emperor was required to devote his time to scholarship and the arts. The emperors under the shogunate appear to have adhered closely to this code by studying Confucian classics and devoting time to poetry and calligraphy. Emperors were taught only

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