Sakurada Gate Incident (桜田門外ノ変)

Stemming from a pursuit of opium smuggling, and

called the "most disgraceful wars" were the Opium Wars

The defeated Qing (Manchu) in 1842

made, in addition to Guanzhou (Canton), Xiamen (Amoy), Fuzhou (Foochow),

Ningbo, and Shanghai open ports,

paid in $21 million in reparations to the English, and

ceded Hong Kong by the treaty that they were made to sign

Then in 1857...

the English and the French, demanding more privileges...

sent armies into the Qing territory, and occupied Guangzhou

In addition, they headed north and occupied Tianjin,

put a legation in Beijing with tacit permission for the opium trade

and forcibly took a license for free commerce in mainland China

The next target at which the powers aimed was Japan

"Sonnō-Jōi" means reverence for the emperor and expulsion of foreigners

"Sonnō" means that...

the Bakufu reveres and esteems the emperor as the master of the country

"Jō-i" means

attack and drive off foreign enemies

The Sakuradamon Incident

The Sakuradamon Incident The Assassination of Ii Naosuke

1860 (Ansei 7)

1860 (Ansei 7) January Mito

For someone ordered to home confinement and playing the samisen...

What is that man thinking about?

Excuse me

Someone would like me to give this to you

"Because of suspicions about our activities"

"in a few days we will be summoned to the Judicial body"

"in a few days we will be summoned to the Judicial body"

“and an order for punishment is certain"

“We must get out of Mito immediately”

"Now the chance for action approaches"

Fusa, I'll shave my beard

Is it a pardon of your confinement?

Heat water for me, please

Yes

Father

Good morning

'morning

Seiichirō

Obey your mother's instructions

Yes, I will

I'm leaving for Edo on official business

Edo Asakusa

"gan" Edo Asakusa

Edo Asakusa

"non" Edo Asakusa

Edo Asakusa

I am Seki

I am late

Ah, we've been waiting for you, Seki

Sumiya and Yano's desertion failed...

They've been caught, and I'm worried

Sumiya-dono and Yano-dono?

After they deserted, a comrade's hiding place...

Nine places are ready in Asakusa, Nihonbashi, but

more than three people won't be in one place, and

also we change the group

It's a necessary precaution not to stay more than three days consecutively

1860 March 1st

Ah, Tetsu-sama

Why are you dressed like this?

It's confidential official business

Ino, buy some sake for me, and while you're at it make sure no one's following me

Yes

7 years earlier

7 years earlier 1853 July

Those Black Ships?

They're incredibly big

I heard they're made of iron

Iron!? Ah...

Tetsunosuke

Those are Perry's Black Ships

Ah... huge, aren't they...

Huge...

Commodore Perry, commanding the American and East Indian fleets arrived at Uraga, and

demanded acknowledgement of President Fillmore's sovereign message

and gave notice that refusal would result in military action

Mito-sama! Mito-sama's cannon have come.

Mito-sama will protect Edo...

They say that that cannon will be presented to the Bakufu... -The Bakufu appointed Tokugawa Nariaki coastal defense advisor-

The Bakufu appointed Tokugawa Nariaki coastal defense advisor-

That cannon will alone kick out the savages... -The Bakufu appointed Tokugawa Nariaki coastal defense advisor-

Oi!

Chinone

Oh, Seki...Ayusawa

Oh, Seki...Ayusawa...

How was Uraga?

Even if there's no wind they can move at will with steam...

...two huge iron ships

Their length is nearly 45 ken (81 meters) and they're packing over 20 cannon

Besides those, there are two wood ships with three masts. Of course, they have cannon

The President's message demanded that Japan become open

Perry left for Okinawa to wait for a reply by the coming spring

And that is how it all started...

There was no one there

ne-

What's this confidential official business?

I'm going on a trip...

...probably a long one

Meaning we won't meet again?

If we don't change society...

Japan will perish

Has the plum tree has bloomed...

The cherry tree not yet…

The willow...

It's Satō-sama

Mito Han Retainer Satō Tetsusaburo

Oh, Tetsusaburō

Please go over to the Shinagawa Sagami storehouse

Kaneko-sama and Takahashi-sama..

Good

Tetsu-sama

Be safe...

Listen to me now

Because of the intensity of the Bakufu's scrutiny of the Han

many people have entered Edo

The original plan was to have 50 men, but...

It's become difficult

But if we postpone the day beyond this

But if we postpone the day beyond this

detection is a major concern

We will carry this out...

tomorrow...

3rd Month 3rd day (March 24, 1860)

It's established that a daimyo attend the castle at the 3rd month festival

Tairō Ii Naosuke will certainly attend

Nomura-san, the map...

The Ii Han mansion is outside Sakurada

When they exit the mansion the procession will pass along the moat and enter the castle through the Sakurada Gate

for this reason the site of the Ii Naosuke attack - outside the Sakurada Gate

by regulation the escorting retinue is 24-25 men...Ashigaru, about 40

Our comrades making the attack...

are now 18 men

from Mito Han, 17 men...

from Satsuma...

Arimura Yūsuke's younger brother Jisaemon-kun will join us

I am Arimura Jisaemon

Please accept my apologies

By official order all my comrades

have been summoned back

However, as Saigo Saa pledged

We, the Satsuma Clan, will join the Ii Naosuke attack

Make no mistake 3000 troops will be sent to Kyoto as planned

The Ii Naosuke attack

is part of our plan

The ultimate purpose is to

assemble the Satsuma troops as our main force

and take control Kyoto to protect the Imperial Court from the Bakufu

for this reason, Takahashi-kun and his son, Sōsaemon, and three others

won't go to Edo but will head to Osaka

and join up with the 3000 troops from Satsuma

We too...

will leave Edo immediately after the purpose of the Naosuke attack is completed

and meet up with Takahashi-kun

The command of the attack outside Sakurada Gate...

will be taken by Seki Tetsunosuke

I ...will?

Takahashi-kun had the same idea

For command

we'll rely on Seki Tetsunosuke

This notification of our desertion, tomorrrow morning

will be left with the gatekeeper of the Koishikawa Kamiyashiki...

Already...

we're severing our relationship with Mito Han

Alright?

I'll wait at the Kawasaki-ya in Shinagawa for Satō, whose task is confirmation

then, with Satō

and Arimura Yūsuke I will head to Kyoto

Testusaburō will not participate in the attack

Testusaburō...

...pardon me!

The duty of accompanying Kaneko-sama and Arimura-sama to the capital

has been assigned to me, Inada Jūzō

But chronic asthma will make me useless,,,

I think I'll be a burden to Kaneko-sama on this urgent mission

So I've asked to switch with Tetsusaburō

Tetsusaburō, like this...

I beg you to take care of Kaneko-sama!

Inada-sama, we already know this... please rise

Inada... Satō

Both the attack and the mission to Kyoto

there's one goal

To continue the discussion...

We'll leave of the plan of the attack to Seki Tetsunosuke

Ii-Tairō's castle attendance is at the fourth hour (10:00 am)

For this reason, we'll assemble at Atagoyama in Shiba at sixth hour (6:00 am)

we all must be ready outside the Sakurada gate at the fifth hour (8:00 am)

That's it

That's Ii-sama’s mansion

Welcome

Give me a cup of sake please

Yes

Yes...here you are

The Hikone people still haven't noticed

Well then, we'll confirm the plan of attack...

When the procession comes to the bridge in front of the gate

We'll cut down the guards of the vanguard

Then the men defending the palanquin will rush to the front