Under the Rising Sun, a Japan Interactive AAR

[Nax24]

The Boshin War (January 1861 - May 1861) Pt.1: Central and Northern Campaign​

The Boshin War, the War of the Year of the Dragon, had begun. The regional boundaries have split. Daimyo have organized themselves into factions. Armies were raised, war was coming to Japan. Japan held its breath to see where the first strike was going to be. The Imperials had begun to organize themselves, and the Shogunate was raising troops for the fight.

The Imperials began their campaign by appointing Lord Date as Supreme Commander of all Imperial Troops. His retainer, Sakamoto Naotari, would have the honor of leading an army of the Imperials into battle. The Imperial armies would be split based upon region. The Imperial Army was divided into three major armies. The Northern Front would be led by Lord Takeshi in Yamagata. The Central Front would consist of Shikoku and Kansai forces led by Lord Tanabe. The Southern Front would be led by Sakamoto and would consist of troops of Kyshu and Chugoku. The war-plan was dubbed "Operation Divine Wind", and was simple. The Central Front would defend Kyoto until the Southern Front arrived. The Northern Front would secure Tohuku, and the Southern Front would move up through Chugoku and attack Kobe, the home of Shogunate supporter Matsui. After all is secured, both forces would converge on Kanto, and rush to take Edo.

The Shogunate supporters would develop a different plan. Knowning that most of the regions outside of Kanto and Chubu were pro-Imperial, they developed a defensive strategy. The Army of Tohuku, led by Lord Satake, would converge South and meet up with the Army of Kanto, led by Lord Motoro. The Army of Kansai, led by Lord Matsui, would flee towards Kanto and try to nab the Emperor along the way. The Army of Chubu, led by retainer Takeda, would try and reinforce the Army of Kansai in an attempt to take Kansai. The point of this attack was to hopefully beat back the Imperials away from Kyoto before the Southern Front, and the Shikoku Central Front, arrived to reinforce Kansai. If successful, the Emperor would be their hostage, and they would drag him back to Edo, and defend the region, forcing the Imperials to give in, or rush forward onto the terrain of the Shogun's choosing.

(Loyalties By Region at the start of the War)​

The first act of the war was in Kyoto, were the Kyoto forces spotted Matsui's army making its way through the province. A chase ensued, but Matsui got away. It was a rather prominent start, but it paved a clear path to take Kobe. The Southern Front moved up from Kyushu. Lord Mori had given the Southern Front permission to pass through his lands, out of fear the army would burn Chosu to the ground. The Southern Front took Kobe without a problem, but the gold reserves were bare. Lord Matsui had taken as much gold as possible, buried the rest, and collapsed the gold mines. The Imperials would not have that gold.

(Matsui's forces scurrying through Kyoto)​

In the North, the Shogunate forces withdrew, like their plan inclined. Takeshi was stunned by this, and was easily able to take Akita and Aomori. Aomori cut off any hope of the Shogunate escaping into Hokkaido. After that, Takeshi moved south into the province of Fukushima where he waited for the start of Phase 2 of the Operation. It was a startling victory for sure.

Then came the first battle of the war. In early February of 1861, Kyoto was put under siege. 40,000 Shogunate forces laid siege to Kyoto. Defending it was 21,000 Imperial forces. Takeda led the Shogunate forces, and the Imperials did not have a leader. The Shogunate knew the wall city of Kyoto better then anyone else. The citadel was strong though, but it had many weakpoints. The Shogunate forces began their attack. The walled city of Kyoto has two massive layers of walls. The Shogunate forces marched up the first layer, many being gunned down on the approach by Imperial gunners, and began hand-to-hand combat. The fighting was fierce, and blood was spilled in the snowy fields of Kyoto castle. Emperor Meiji wrote that he could hear the fighting from his secret safe house in the keep, and hear the screams of men. "It did not matter if they were Imperial or Shogunate, they all screamed the same when they died". Yet, the Shogunate was battered. It could not scale the second layer, and was forced to pull out of Kyoto. The Imperials had held the Imperial Capital, and the Emperor was safe. The Imperials suffered 4,000 casualties to the Shogunate's 2,000. This was only a sign of things to come.

Pushed on by the victory at Kyoto, Lord Date ordered Sakamoto to move forward to give chase to Takeda. Sakamoto would give chase. However, Takeda was fast, and avoided the Imperials. Soon the Shogunate set up position in Shizuoka and Nagano, in a bottle-neck formation. The idea was to make a blockade as Lord Motoro's forces went north to fight Lord Takeshi. Sakamoto decided to fight in Shizouka against the Chuba Army. The leader of that Army was Lord Matsui. Shizouka would be put under siege, and the Imperials would begin their assault. The Imperials would manage to break through the defenses, and heavy fighting erupted around the keep. Matsui would retreat from the field. The castle defenses collapsed, and the Chubu Army fled. Shizuoka, the regional capital, had fallen to the Imperials. The Imperials suffered 8,000 Casualties, while the Shogunate suffered 14,000.

Lord Date had ordered a cavalry division from both the Southern Front and the Central Front to scout out the flanks of the Imperial Advance. They soon discovered Takeda's army in Nagano. Lord Date, upon hearing these reports, ordered Sakamoto to engage Takeda. Sakamoto would move North. Takeda though soon received orders from Edo to advance back into Kanto to make a larger army. He would oblige, and began moving his forces out of Nagano. In a mountain pass though, his army was ambushed by his rival Sakamoto. Sakamoto though underestimated the fevour of the Shogunate forces to their cause. The Shogunate forces backed themselves into a corner, and fought to stay alive. Takeda said that his men would push out of the pass, or die trying. It was a resounding victory for the Shogunate forces. At the end of the battle, 14,000 Imperials would lay dead, wounded, or missing, with only 2,000 casualties for the Shogunate. Takeda pushed out of Chubu into Kanto. The Central Front of Lord Tanabe was called in to capture Nagano, and without Lord Takeda, the Central Front did.

(Takeda's stand at Nagano)​

The Shogunate could not celebrate this victory, for an equally astonishing victory came from the North. Lord Motoro's forces would cross into Fukushima and meet with the army of Lord Takeshi. Takeshi was dug in waiting for his chance to strike with his meager 12,000 men. Motoro had 30,000 men on his side. Motoro pressed the attack, yet could not break Takeshi's line. Every wave Motoro sent would be repelled. Eventually, after loosing 12,000 men, Motoro would leave Fukushima. Takeshi held his ground, but at a cost of 8,000 men, 2/3 of his entire army. He would soon be ordered to leave Tohuku, and march west to regroup with Date's scout brigade. The Uesugi would grant Takeshi access through his lands. Uesugi did not want to fight. He was a staunch pacifist, and remained neutral. This angered the Shogun, who wanted Uesugi's Oniwaban squad to help him detect the enemy. Motoro waited, regrouped his army, and would be marching north again very soon.

At the start of March, 1861, the stage was set for the final push into Kanto. Most of the Shogunate forces bunkered down in Edo, hopping to survive. Fate though, would not help their cause.

(Mid-War Occupation)​

--------------------------------

Player Actions Needed: Wait

 

[Nax24]

The Boshin War (January 1861 - May 1861) Pt. 2: The Edo Assault​

Edo was the prize. The Imperials knew it, and the Shogun knew it. If Edo fell, the war would be over for the Shogunate. Thus, its defense was imparitive for the Shogunate. For Satake, he handed the garrison of the city over to Lord Tsugaru, and went to deal with the Shogun. Tsugaru enforced Edo castle with all the troops he could muster. The Imperials were hot on the trail of the retreating forces.

Lord Date would plan Phase 2 accordingly. Knowing how strong the defenses were, he decided to lay siege to Edo. The Southern Front and Central Front would encircle Edo, and Date would draw up his navy from Shikoku to blockade Edo Bay. The 50,000 strong garrison knew it had no choice. It was either fight and die, or stay and die. Tsugaru knew this too well, and decided to choose the first decision. He ordered Takeda to move against Sakamoto in Yokohama, and beat the Imperials out to get the Shogunate out of Edo. Takeda rode with a force of 27,000 men against Sakamoto's 31,000. The Battle of Yokohama would be the fiercest battle ever fought in the Boshin War.

(Occupation During Siege of Edo)​

Sakamoto's army was in sieging position, waiting for the order to assault. Takeda's army rode straight out to meet them. Sakamoto's men rained bullets down on Takeda's man, but it was not enough to stop them. The armies clashed into each other, and fierce hand-to-hand combat ensued. Thousands would die, and it was said their blood washed into Edo Bay, making the water red with their blood. Sakamoto himself would personally kill 15 men in the battle. For Takeda, this was not the case. Takeda would die fighting, the greatest gift a Samurai could ever ask. It was a Samurai's greatest desire to die fighting in battle. Takeda would die in the most honorable way possible. It was said that after the battle, Sakamoto's men buried Takeda in a grave, and did him homage for his honor and bravery. Takeda had died a Samurai's death. ((Gen. Marshall, you died in battle)). Yet, the Shogunate lost 14,000 men, while the Imperials lost 8,000.

(Takeda's Charge)​

In Urawa, the province north of Edo, Lord Tanabe's Central Front would have its own affair. After being ordered to turn around and fight, Lord Motoro rode back from Tohuku into Kanto at lighting speed. His forces would meet Tanabe on the battlefield at Urawa. Motoro would suffer the same problem Takeda had, and would be forced to fight an entrenched and larger enemy. The fighting was just as fierce as it was at Yokohama. Motoro himself would fall in battle, but he was not killed. He was captured by Tanabe, and brought back to Kyoto to await judgement. Having lost two leaders, the Shogunate forces retreated. Edo was all alone. ((Terraferma has been captured)). The Shogun lost 14,000 men here as well, and the Imperials only lost 4,000.

(Tanabe watching the Battle of Urawa)​

Tsugaru was desperate. His 50,000 army was now only 37,000 strong. The Imperial Navy pounded him at every turn. His army was tired and weak from fighting. He had to do something, something to keep the army fighting. He knew that the province of Chiba, just south of Edo, was loyal to the Shogun. He decided, that under the cover of darkness, to send small boats filled with the army of Lord Matsui, across Edo Bay, away from the Imperial Navy, into Chiba. From there, they would circle the Imperial army, and make a dash towards Kyoto. If they made it, the Imperials would be forced to retreat, and they would be encircled and trapped. He decided that the time was right for this.

At the same time, Lord Oshiro sent a message to the Edo garrison, surrender and you will be sparred. Lord Tsugaru replied to this message "We will never submit the the Nanban. We will never become their slaves, their puppets, their play-things. We will never follow an Emperor who follows them. Come fight us, we are waiting for you.". The assault on Edo would begin shortly after.

Sakamoto led the charge as 50,000 troops came down upon barely 20,000 men. The Imperials overran the defesnes immedielty. With the retreat of so many men, the Shogunate forces collapsed. It was not long before the city was overrun by Imperial forces, and secured for the Emperor. 12,00 Shogunate forces were lost, the rest surrendering. The Imperials lost only 2,000 men. When the Imperials went to find Yoshinobu, they found a horrific site. Lord Tsugaru had killed Yoshinobu in order to prevent him from going to the Emperor, and committed Seppuku. The Last Tokugawa Shogun was dead. Lord Ota was found dead in a tower, fighting alongside his men, with an arrow through his eye. Lord Satake would be captured, and brought back to Kyoto with Lord Motoro. Edo was Imperial. ((Firehound15 has been captured, liefwarrior and le corbuiser are dead)).

The victory at Edo would be the deathkneel of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Following this victory, Emperor Meiji would officially abolish the title of Shogun, and reinstate the Emperor as the true leader of Japan. The remaining Shogunate forces would simply vanish. Nothing was heard from Lord Matsui's army, some say they fled to Korea to act as mercenaries. The Emperor had won the war, but he now needed to make his government. He would call upon all those who had fought for the Emperor, and even some who fought for the Shogun, to come to Kyoto to establish the new government. The Boshin War was over. The old era of Samurai, Daimyo, Shoguns, and swords was over. With the fall of the Shogunate, Japan looked to a new future. One of modernization, industrialization, prosperity, and progress. One that would be led by the Emperor, one that would be decided by the men who fought in the Boshin War. The War was over, the Meiji Restoration had begun...

​

--------------------------------

Player Actions Needed:

THE IMPERIALS HAVE WON THE BOSHIN WAR!!!​

That means we will be having a constitutional convention to establish a monarchy. More details about that tomorrow. Until then, feel free to IC about your characters fates. If you were not mentioned to be captured or killed in the update, you are free to decide your character's fate.

 

[Dadarian]

The blossoms grew after the winter's end. The fires in Japan had died down, and a new spring was upon it. Lord Uesugi tenderly guided his orchard towards growth and beauty, and he hoped in this new order of things, so could he with Japan.

 

[zenphoenix]

Sakamoto was no longer a samurai.
It was strange to think that, after personally killing fifteen men.
But then again, nothing was the same, wasn't it?
The Emperor was victorious, and he had led the forces to victory. He relished in the fame that the victory had given him for now, and he was hailed by his townspeople as their hero.
His son was proud of him as well. Together they would remake Japan so that it could stand up to the gaijin.
Soon...
But for now, he retired to his house, tending to his zen garden and playing the gaijin game of "chess" with his son.
He thought of it as the calm before the storm, or perhaps the calm after the storm.
天皇栄光バンザイ!

 

[Andre Massena]

Nippon is dead

Lord Matsui had fought honorably. His escape past Kyoto was hailed as a masterclass in strategy and his forces performed well at the Battle of Kyoto. However, he was ashamed by his performance leading the army at the Battle of Shizouka where his forces were routed. He almost committed seppuku right then and there like his brother but the traditionalists still needed him. Sadly, only defeat and retreat followed with the exception Takeda's brilliant, but inconsequential, victory. Nippon had fallen to the nanban lovers. It was only a matter of time before it became a nanban colony.

But he was still alive. He had led his forces out of Edo in a desperate gamble to encircle the nanban lovers. Unfortunately, Sakamoto overran the defenses of Edo before the plan could be put into place. The war had ended and there would be no more miracles. He escaped with some of his troops on small fishing boats to Korea by sailing around Hokkaido before the red-cheek navy could catch them. Ichiro had left Kobe and Nippon, perhaps forever.

Perhaps the nanban-lovers would not succeed, however. Maybe the people of Nippon would rise up to cast out their nanban slavers. If that day arrived, Matsui and his forces would return. For now, he would sit quietly in Korea with his gold.

 

[Le Corbusier]

Tsugaru Noboyuki
b. 1814
d. May 1861
May the descendant
of farmers who dug the earth
be a farmer next life.

 

[Michaelangelo]

The Boshin War had been unlike anything Daimyo Ito Katashi had experienced. Most of his life he had spent within Miyazaki, tending to his people and his realm, with the few trips to Kyoto or Edo to pay respects to the Emperor or Shogun. When the war had began, Ito had immediately left for Shikoku, the home of Daimyo Date Munenari. The man had been given command of the Imperial forces and Ito could not sit idle while the fate of Nippon sat in the balance. He offered his services to his fellow Daimyo, as well as to Daimyo Oshiro Kazuki who had taken up an important role in the war effort. The three of them contributed much to the cause, although it became clear early on to Ito that he was the least experienced of the three. Recognizing that the more important matter of troop movements should be left to his betters, Ito relegated himself to lesser yet no less important tasks, such as ensuring that the Imperial armies were properly supplied. He kept to the background, assisting the other two Daimyo when needed.

After the unsuccessful Shogunate attack on Kyoto, Ito Katashi realized that the Emperor was truly in a perilous position. He decided he could serve the Imperial forces best at the Emperor's side. He left Daimyo Date and Daimyo Oshiro to handle the war, something they had done well enough without his help, and departed for Kyoto. When he arrived, he was awed by what he witnessed. The walls of Kyoto were battered, but the Emperor himself stood tall, a bastion of strength. Ito could not help but revere the divine being before him. He had not had the chance to present himself to Emperor Meiji before, but now he truly appreciated just how noble his cause was. He would die for the Son of Amaterasu if it came to that.

For the rest of the war, Daimyo Ito Katashi remained at the Emperor's side. He offered whatever services he could, personally overseeing the Emperor's guard and serving as a liaison between the Emperor and Daimyo Date. He had to ensure that no one who secretly supported the Shogun got anywhere near the Emperor or got their hands on sensitive information exchanged between the Emperor and Imperial forces. Such a thing could endanger their cause.

When the news reached Ito that Edo had fallen and the Shogunate was no more, he fell to his knees before the Emperor and bowed to his divine presence. Now the Shogun was dead and the Emperor reigned supreme. That brought a smile to his face, for he had always believed the Emperor had been relegated to an inferior position, as proven by the late Shogun's attempt to cow the Emperor into submission. Now that would no longer be the case. Under the benevolent guidance of the Emperor, Nippon would be made strong. The Shogun and the stubborn traditionalists could no longer hold back the nation from adopting Nanban technology. Only with that technology could Nippon be able to compete with the Nanban and keep them from dominating the nation. Perhaps one day Nippon would be strong enough to rid all of Asia of the Nanban presence and serve as protector of the region. That thought pleased Ito greatly. Yes, the future looked bright indeed.


((I hope it's okay if I took some liberties with Ito's role in the war. I felt I somewhat deserved it as one of the three Imperialists present during the whole Boshin War in the IRC.))

 

[liefwarrior]

Name: Hajamoto Yoshihiro
Specialty: Economy

Background: Hajamoto was born in the city of Edo during the reign of Tokugawa Ienari. Being a humble merchant's son his birth was never recorded but Hajamoto would claim that it was Tenpo 7, the year his namesake Satake Yoshihiro was first elected Tairo. His father had celebrated when he had heard despite the fact that politics was only for the nobility, the man was a thorough reactionary and despised the Nanban who were carving out trading empires in Nippon. His family had once hailed from Kyushu but had been forced to spend the small fortune they had amassed to move to Edo when his fathers business began to become outperformed by Nanban and their associates.

As he grew Hajamoto began to get his first tastes of the business he would eventually inherit. He was allowed to taste the rare spices that his father traded and would sometimes dip his hand into a barrel to check if it was pure the whole way through. Though he was to young to know who they were and the effect they were having on the political scene Hajamoto's father would often rage about two men. He would call them insane and send prayers to the kami that they would be struck down before they inflamed all of Nippon. For weeks Hajamoto's dreams would be full of a pair of monsters trying to tear Nippon apart.

The Edict to Open National Harbors brought a new aspect to Hajamoto's life. When he walked through Edo with his father he saw a new unfamiliar sight; Europeans. The Nanban flooding into the Bakufu's capital was a shock to the five year old; the pushed through the crowds paying no mind to the Nipponese that were also using the roadways. His father would oft go purple with rage when Nanban would walk up to his store and take taste some spice before walking on having failed to pay. There actions however was trumped by a far greater evil: the passiveness of the guards. While Nanban stole from honest Nipponese traders they stood by but as soon as anybody took any action against the thieves the guardsmen would step in and the trespasser would be brutally beaten.

By Tenpo 14 Hajamoto's father's hatred of Nanban had grown exponentially. A Nanban merchant had set up a business; a business that traded spices. As customers flocked to the new store his father's income dried up. He plotted with his brother and two other men to seize on of the shipments and study its contents. The plan was an astounding success, the shipment was seized and Hajamoto's father had figured out why the Nanban was so much more successful; their was only one problem, two Dutch sailors had died. Hajamoto's father had desperately cut all ties with his brother, he told Hajamoto that if he ever spoke of his uncle then he would be beaten to death. When Hideki Aoi, Hajamoto Bisu and their accomplice were executed Hajamoto's father breathed a sigh of relief. Hajamoto himself felt it, the pressure was off.

Hajamoto was 10 when the War of Matsui's Folly began. Hajamoto's father had idolized the great traditionalist Lord Matsui and when he ordered the execution of all Nanban in Nippon the Hajamotos were only to happy to oblige. Hajamoto "made his bones" when he stabbed the Dutch spice trader multiple times, he spat in the dying man's face before rejoining the crazed mobs. The influx of refugees from the South led to a boom in the spice trading business and Hajamoto's father was once more a happy man.

Hajamoto and his father lives carried on uneventfully for the last few years of Lord Satake's reign as Tairo. They seized the Dutch traders business and grew aggressively until they had gained a monopoly of the spice trade in Edo. As Hajamoto grew so did the business; his father became drunk on success, then drunk on sake. Hajamoto moved quickly from the shadow of his father; he began operating in trading the foreign fire-arms that the war-mongering Daimyo desired. His business grew steadily until it's only rival was his fathers.

As the tensions rose Hajamoto continued to expand, he began more formal negotiations with some of the lesser Daimyo to ensure that he would not be arbitrarily executed by an aristocrat annoyed by pending negotiations. Nippon was westernizing and the Nanban hydra was preparing to conduct the puppets once more. Hajamoto bought shares in the new cement factory that was constructed but when he went to collect his share of the profits he found fat Nanban fingering wads of money. He received a meager share, far less then he was entitled to but when he went to complain to his contacts in the guards he was warned not to get involved.

Then the Boshin War came. Hajamoto had become a hard-core traditionalist; one who believed that the fact that as the Emperors powers grew the Nanban's did as well was not a coincidence. He immediately saw behind the facade; the "Restorationist" force's sole purpose was to remove the final obstacle preventing the Nanban from fully taking over Nippon. Thousands of foreign weapons were diverted to Loyalist forces and when Lord Satake arrived in Edo Hajamoto used what prestige he had gathered to thank him personally. He led a small militia force during the Siege of Edo; when the walls fell he and his men threw away their weapons and hid in one of Hajamoto's warehouses.​

 

[liefwarrior]

((Private))

Hajamoto bent down to look at the scroll. It lay amongst the scattered ruins of a table that had been destroyed during the fighting. The tower in which he stood had been the site of the final stand of the Great Lord Ota, a man who's honesty and loyalty was beyond compare. The man had been killed without an heir, the hydra had struck him down mercilessly. He read the message slowly.

To whomever has found this,
You are now the owner of an immense fortune. I am a one of the greatest Daimyo in Nippon yet I am without an heir. They will get to me soon, I have fought to the last unlike so many of my fellows. Lord Matsui has conducted a "tactical retreat" so that he can continue the battle. My friend Takeda is dead, slaughtered by one of the heads. The other is here, in Edo, marching down the streets towards me. You must continue the fight, carry the torch. Gather allies and root out the traitors; Nippon will be great once more.

I hereby bestow upon you:
I. Any land of mine that has not been seized by the traitors, you will need land if you are to have any power in this Nanban-controlled world.
II. Membership into the Ota Clan, if you are to carry my fight you must carry my name.
III. The pendant contained in this scroll, it will let the kami know that your heart is true and that you will forever fight for their cause.

Hajamoto's heart hardened. One of the greatest, most truthful and loyal men of the era had been destroyed. Crushed resisting the hydra when resistance was futile. For years the hydra had waited, hiding in the shadows and gathering its strength. Now Hajamoto knew he must do the same, he would have to gather support before he could challenge the hydra once more. If he did not tread lightly however, he would never last long enough to achieve his purpose.
He thought to himself, "The Shogun may be dead and the Traditionalist powers may have been scattered but we will return, I swear it on my heart!"

 

[TJDS]

Rikugun Taishō Tanabe Shinzō, 13th Lord of Tanabe Domain in 1861
​

Lord Tanabe had been a staunch supporter of Self Strengthening since 1836 and had served in the Roju for many years in the service of modernization of Japan, but due to the Conservatism of his fellow Daimyo, modernization was slow, and only when Daimyo Oshiro Kazuki was chosen as Head Elder, did the Modernizers of Japan find support for their plans in the Roju. However, this did not stop the polarization of the ruling class and with it the collapse of order and stability of Japan. When it became clear that war between Shogunate and Imperial Forces was unavoidable, Lord Tanabe Shinzō, then Regional Daimyo for Kansai, was called upon by His Divine Majesty, Emperor Meiji, to serve as Regent and Representative of His Divine Majesty in negotiations with Daimyo whose loyalties where still undecided, during the period preparatory to war. It were mostly Central and Southern Daimyos that were willing to hear the Representative of His Divine Majesty and, most importantly, Lord Date Munenori, the skilled Northern commander and later Supreme Commander of the All Imperial Forces and the Imperial Northern Force, who joined the Imperial Forces after a short negotiation with the Representative of His Divine Majesty and the United States of America, who, after signing a mutally benificial trade deal, saw the merits of supporting His Divine Majesty, Meiji, and declaring themselves in favour of the Imperial Cause. When the Boshin War officially started, Tanabe Shinzō was made Rikugun Taishō, General, of the Imperial Central Force, who whould defend Kyoto and Emperor Meiji at all costs. The Battle of Kyoto, the first true battle of the Boshin War, was not only the first test of his army's martial abilities, but that of Rikugun Taishō Tanabe Shinzō, who had never lead a force in battle. The victory in the Battle of Kyoto was a hard fought one, yet the strategic and political spoils of the victory more than outweighed the loses of the Imperial Central Force. After the Battle of Kyoto, the Imperial Central Force was charged with the protection of the Emperor, until the Battle of Nagona, when Lord Sakamoto was defeated by Takeda, after which the Imperial Central Force rejoined the other Forces in active service by capturing Nagano. Rikugun Taishō Tanabe Shinzō would meet Lord Motoro on the battefield at Urawa, where Tanabe had entrenched his far larger army on a series of hills to aid the siege of Edo. The Battle of Urawa is seen as one of the greatest strategic victories of the Boshin War, ending the Offensive to Relief Edo with the capture of Lord Motoro and destroying much of the already weakend Shogunate Forces. After the Fall of Edo, Rikugun Taishō Tanabe Shinzō retired from active military service, choosing instead to use the enourmes wealth his family had amassed over the centuries to modernize the Japanese Economy, by establishing a Japanese Industry, while also making a tidy profit at the side.

((Specialty = Economy))

 

[Davout]

The Daimyos of the Imperial Restoration Faction panning Operation Divine Wind
(Commander in Chief Lord Date in the centre)​

Lord Yamamoto left the feast of the Kyushu Daimyos as his fellow Lords continued to celebrate the fall of Edo. They had all survived when so many of their foes had fallen, just as in the stories of old. Truly the Divine Wind had guided their arms to Victory.

He wandered the battlefield seemingly aimlessly until he came to the Tower. The Tower where they had run Lord Ota to ground. Such a fool, never knowing which side to back, constantly moving like a leaf in the latest gust of wind. If only Ota had honoured the Bushido and repaid his blood debt to the Fujin League, how different would it have all been for him? How many men had died because Ota backed the wrong side? How many widows and orphans? Yamamoto thought to suggest to the government that the Ota lands be confiscated to pay compensation for the families of the war dead and the invalides.

Yamamoto scowled as he remembered that he warned Ota of his error but the blind man does not see the sword until it strikes him. Or in this case the arrow. At least Ota died in battle, a more honourable death than the execution he would have faced for treason.

Ota's Folly, that would be the new name of the Tower. Let all who look upon it remember that loyalty is the first step on the road of Honour, and loyalty to the Emperor to greatest of Honours. And that dishonour can have only one outcome.

Hirakuni's young son, Gonnohyoe, approached his father. Gonnohyoe had served as his father's aide de camp and sword bearer for the entire campaign from the brigades marching out of the gate of their castle at Nagasaki to the relief of Kyoto, through numerous battles beside his father as the head of the Nagasaki men, finally to the triumph at Edo. But it was the ships that fascinated Gonnohyoe the most. The Army had won the battle but the Navy brought them to the battlefield and denied the Shogun freedom to move by sea, to escape the trap at Edo or even to block the Fujin League troops transports to Honshu. Gonnohyoe saw that he who controls the seas controls the islands of Japan. He resolved to take steps to impart his wisdom upon the nation when it was his turn to be Daimyo. For now, it was his duty to bring his father back to the feast before the Lords of Kyushu left for Kyoto on the morrow to pay homage to the Emperor in person.

((New class: Militarist))

 

[LordTempest]

Lord Hosokawa Mitsuhide
(細川 光秀)

Title: Higo-no-kami, Lord of Higo/Kumamoto, former Roju of Kyushu and Ometsuke.
Former Affiliations: SSF, Fujin League
Birth: 2nd of July, 1815. (46)
Clan: Hosokawa
Province: Higo (Kumamoto)
New Specialty: Politician

[Will add bio later]​

 

[EmperorBasilius]

Crows feast on corpses /
Divine Wind brought victory /
Now time to rebuild
​

Nishimura Hiroshi was one of the men behind the Imperial strategy dubbed "Operation Divine Wind". And now, camping with his troops outside Edo, he began thinking about the future of Nippon. ,,This future", thought Hiroshi ,,Must be a new era where Japan will prosper under the Emperor. Technology was proven to be a necessity, and even the Daimyos who were so proud to live in the past came to the field of battle with Dutch muskets. With one thing I have always agreed with the so "traditionalists" - the need to preserve the Japanese tradition - but what I mean when talking about our traditions is not being a backwater, obsolete society; When I think about traditions I think about the Japanese language, the Japanese culture, the Japanese way of life. These, indeed, must be preserved. Many of the "traditionalists" were accusing the modernizers that they want to give Japan to the foreigners, but this is far from the truth. We only wished to protect Japan from foreigners, and the only way to do so was by modernizing. The traditionalists, and mainly Matsui, were the ones that brought foreigners here. Now that we are a modern state, we can insure our security and independence.".

As the man who was involved in Japanese politics, and was one of the co-founders of the Fujin League, Daimyo Nishimura proceeded to get involved in the new Imperial politics.

Nishimura Hiroshi
Lord of Fukuoka

Speciality: Politician

 

[mrlifeless]

Kishiwada was quite unhappy, while his men fought well, he did not forget how he was blocked form attacking Matsui as the first act of the war, thus allowing him to escape and he never let his peers forget it.

But other then that the war was good, he fought hard and well around 50 in all, his men did very well, playing a pivotal role in Urawa, he gave Motoro a good kick the man who blocked his brother's rise to Tario.

His brother, he could have avoided it all... yes it was dishonerable to be tool of the nanban, but has his coup not failed, he could have used Nanban wepons to modernise Japan.

But that was the past, what of the future? Well that depends on the constitutional convention. Hopfully I can keep title and Osaka castle, but now its time for Japan to build a modern economy and Osaka, if I play my cards right, can be centre of it. Build a new harbor, maybe I can take some of Kobes gold mines to fund it, reform the rice farms...

((Specialaty-Economy))

 

[LoggingOut]

Ohba went home. Not all the trees survived the winter. He put the katana in its place: it had drunk enough blood.
<<The war is over>> he said <<we won and I know that Japan will survive to the change. Many brave men are fallen on battlefield. Their sacrifice won't be vane. We will rebuild our land from the ashes. We will prevail!>>

((Speciality-Politician))

-- Takeshi Ohba

 

[Nax24]

((Well figuring you have already done so, feel free to make your characters one of the three civilized specialities. There benefits and effects are found under the "Civilized Japan" mechanics.

Also, figuring we are technically westernized right now, we are no longer using uncivilized mechanics. We will be using civilized Japan mechanics.))

 

[Dadarian]

Name: 上杉斉憲 | Marquis Uesugi Narinori of Niigata, 12th Lord of Clan Uesugi, PC
Born: 20 June, 1820 (10 May, Bunsei 3) - 20 May, 1889
Clan: Uesugi
Specialty: Politician
Province: Niigata Domain

Bio: Born the eldest son of Uesugi Narisada, Narinori was groomed to inherit the authority of the clan upon the passing of his father. To which he was taught from an early age in the arts of court diplomacy, being personally tutored by the clan's chamberlain. This would come in handy as his elderly father would meet with his ancestors on October 23rd, 1836, leaving the 16 year old Narinori to lead the clan to success into the uncertain future.

Even at his young age, Narinori was politically active. He was one of the founders of the Unity and Honour, a traditionalist and pacifistic party. Narinori was appointed to the Roju Council of the region of Chubu in 1836, when he also served as the Financial Advisor to the Shogun. Disagreements with Lord Satake in 1841 would result in his removal as Financial Advisor even as he retained his seat on the Roju Council. This agreement would be settled in 1849 when he would return as the Domestic Advisor to the Shogun. Noted for his important role in the bureaucracy of the Shogunate, he was appointed head of the Omiwaban (Shogunate's secret police) in 1849, a position he would hold until he end of the Boshin War.

Narinori would lose the next two appointments to the Roju Council in favour of the more liberal Lord Ota in 1851 and 1856, even though he was retained as one of the Shogun's advisors for five years after the first loss of his seat. As Satake retired and the liberal faction grew more powerful, Narinori and Unity and Honour would take a backseat in Shogunate politics. When the Boshin War broke out, Narinori elected to stay neutral and let Imperial forces cross his land peacefully. Alongside Lord Mori, the Unity and Honour would stay to see another day. However with the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, it was the beginning of a new era for Uesugi Narinori.

He was succeeded by his son Mochinori.

Poetry:

Spoiler

Narinori 1 ~ 1836
Narinori 2 ~ 1838
Narinori 3 ~ 1860
Narinori 4 ~ 1868
Uesugi Narinori Death Poem ~ 1889

Titles:

Spoiler

Roju of Chubu ~ 1836 - 1851
Financial Advisor ~ 1836 - 1841
Domestic Advisor ~ 1849 - 1856
Head of the Omiwaban ~ 1849 - 1861
Head of the Unity and Honour Court Faction ~ 1836 - 1861
Governor of Chubu ~ 1861 - 1864
Head of the Unity and Honour Diet Party ~ 1861 - 1876, 1886 - 1889
Member of the Privy Council ~ 1861 - 1889
Marquis of Niigata ~ 1861 - 1889
Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd Class ~ 1876 - 1889
Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st Class ~ 1876 - 1889
Order of the Precious Crown, 1st Class ~ 1876 - 1889
Medals of Honour: Yellow and Green Ribbons ~ 1876 - 1889
Civilian Adviser to the Emergency Government ~ 1886 - 1887

 

[mrlifeless]

((How does factory building work? Like PttP? Then can we see factory costs? And how much money do we start with? ))

 

[Somberg]

Lord Oshiro started out as a lowly daimyo in the region of Chogoku in 1836, taking over for his recently deceased father as the Lord of Okayama. Soon he joined the Self-Strengthening Faction and twice served as the Roju for Chugoku. But it was during his second time as a Roju that he rose to prominence as Tairo in the Shogun's Advisory Council with the support of much of the other regional daimyos. It was then that he oversaw a rather uneventful period in the history of Nippon, the calm before the storm that was soon to engulf the nation. With the ascension of the traditionalist Tokugawa Yoshinobu as Shogun, the death of Emperor Komei, and the subsequent removal of Oshiro as Tairo were the seeds of the Boshin War sown.

Oshiro was the chief architect of the Imperial strategy during the Boshin War, called "Operation Divine Wind" upon a suggestion by Lord Nishimura. He would bring together the other prominent Imperialist daimyos in crafting the strategy, taking suggestions by them in order to improve its effectiveness before submitting the plan to the Emperor for approval. It was by his recommendation that Lord Date was appointed Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army by the Emperor and the other commanders were appointed to their respective armies. When the war begun, Oshiro joined the Lords Date and Ito in directing the war effort of the Imperial forces, before Lord Ito left for Kyoto and it was just Lord Date and him.

While Oshiro advised Date during the war, it was for the most part Date's military prowess and tactical genius that had won the war for the Emperor's forces, deviating from the established plan when necessary to strike decisive blows against Shogunate forces. By the end, Oshiro would regret what he had done earlier as Tairo when he removed Lord Date as War Adviser to the Shogun in favor of the traitor and scoundrel Lord Ota, for Lord Date had proven himself more than capable as commander-in-chief of the Imperial forces.

After the end of the war and the celebrations that followed, Oshiro would once again return to Okayama for a much needed period of relaxation. But with Japan entering a new era as a modern nation, Oshiro is preparing to get himself involved in the politics of the new Empire of Japan for there is still much to be done to make Japan strong enough to challenge the foreign powers which had for so long had been influencing it.

Specialty: Politics

 

[Dadarian]

With the fall of the Banfuku and the end of the Boshin War, Lord Uesugi decided that it was for the best if he left his beloved orchard and returned to Edo. Making contacts with friends and acquaintances made during his years of working there, he made it known of the continuation of the Unity and Honour as a court faction of the Imperial Court.

団結と名誉
Unity and Honour
Danketsu to Meiyo

State Capitalism | Protectionism | Pacifism | Moralism | Residency
Ideology: Cultural Traditionalism, Monarchism, Cultural Focus​