Akizuki Rebellion
Encyclopedia
The 1876 was one of a number of uprisings by members of the former samurai-class which took place in the early Meiji period
in Kyūshū
and other parts of western Japan
against the new Meiji government.
, many members of the former samurai class were disgruntled with the direction the nation had taken. The abolition of their former privileged social status under the feudal order had also eliminated their income, and the establishment of universal military conscription had eliminated much of their raison d'etre. The very rapid modernization (Westernization) of the country was resulting in massive changes to Japanese culture, dress and society, and appeared to many samurai to be a betrayal of the joi (“Expel the Barbarian”) portion of the Sonnō jōi
justification used to overthrow the former Tokugawa shogunate
.
Fukuoka Prefecture
, in response to a call to action by the leaders of the Shinpūren Rebellion, an attack on Kumamoto castle
, three days earlier. The Akizuki rebels were led by a number of former samurai retainers of Akizuki domain who had formed a political society called the Kanjōtai. Its leadership included Iso Jun, Toki Kiyoshi, Masuda Shizukata, Imamura Hyakuhachirō and Miyazaki Kurumanosuke. Their main points of contention with the new government were the ban on carrying swords, the government's refusal to follow Shimazu Hisamitsu
's advice to halt the westernization of the country, and especially the outcome of the Seikanron
debate over invasion of Korea
. The Kanjōtai's strong advocacy of overseas expansionism was rooted in the belief that such a war would restore the former samurai class to its former prominence and prestige.
Iso, Miyazaki and the other leaders of the rebellion sought to enlist support from other shizoku in the area, and eventually gathered a band of roughly 400 men. However, not all agreed with Miyazaki's plan to march to the aid of the Shinpūren rebels, and eventually only 200 men set off, under a white banner with the kanji
. The revolt began with the killing of police officers at their post at Myōgan-ji, a local Buddhist
temple; this was the first time in Japanese history that a member of the modern police force
was killed on duty. The rebels meant to rendezvous with a band of shizoku
from the former Toyotsu Domain under Sugyu Jūrō, and arrived at the rendezvous point on October 29 only to learn that their compatriots had already been arrested and imprisoned.
The rebels were then attacked by the Kokura
garrison of the Imperial Japanese Army
, under the command of Nogi Maresuke. Seventeen rebels were killed, and two government soldiers. The rebels were chased into the hills, where, on October 31, Iso, Miyazaki, Toki, and four others committed suicide
.
Meanwhile, Imamura led twenty-six warriors back to Akizuki, where they raided the elementary school and killed two government officials. They then burned down a liquor shop's storehouse where rebels had been previously detained, but by November 24, all the rebels were apprehended.
Masuda Shizukata had left for the former Saga Domain
in an attempt to raise support among the warriors there, but was apprehended on his way back to Akizuki on October 26, even before his compatriots began their uprising.
The surviving rebels were brought before a temporary court
in Fukuoka
on December 3. Imamura and Masuda were beheaded the same day, and 150 of their compatriots were sentenced to hard labor. Akizuki castle was torn down shortly afterwards.
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
in Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and other parts of western Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
against the new Meiji government.
Background
Following the 1868 Meiji RestorationMeiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, many members of the former samurai class were disgruntled with the direction the nation had taken. The abolition of their former privileged social status under the feudal order had also eliminated their income, and the establishment of universal military conscription had eliminated much of their raison d'etre. The very rapid modernization (Westernization) of the country was resulting in massive changes to Japanese culture, dress and society, and appeared to many samurai to be a betrayal of the joi (“Expel the Barbarian”) portion of the Sonnō jōi
Sonno joi
is a Japanese political philosophy and a social movement derived from Neo-Confucianism; it became a political slogan in the 1850s and 1860s in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu, during the Bakumatsu period.-Origin:...
justification used to overthrow the former Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
.
The revolt
The Akizuki Rebellion began on 1876-10-27, in the former Akizuki Domain (now part of Asakura cityAsakura, Fukuoka
is a city located in south central Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city was created on March 20, 2006 when the old town of Asakura, from Asakura District, absorbed the former city of Amagi, and the town of Haki, also from Asakura District, to form the new city of Asakura.-Geography:Asakura is...
Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, in response to a call to action by the leaders of the Shinpūren Rebellion, an attack on Kumamoto castle
Kumamoto Castle
is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Kumamoto in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was a large and extremely well fortified castle. The is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle. Kumamoto Castle is considered one of the three premier...
, three days earlier. The Akizuki rebels were led by a number of former samurai retainers of Akizuki domain who had formed a political society called the Kanjōtai. Its leadership included Iso Jun, Toki Kiyoshi, Masuda Shizukata, Imamura Hyakuhachirō and Miyazaki Kurumanosuke. Their main points of contention with the new government were the ban on carrying swords, the government's refusal to follow Shimazu Hisamitsu
Shimazu Hisamitsu
Prince , also known as ', was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. The younger brother of Shimazu Nariakira, Hisamitsu served as regent for his underage son Tadayoshi , who became the 12th and last lord. Hisamitsu was instrumental in the efforts of the southern Satsuma, Chōshū, and Tosa clans...
's advice to halt the westernization of the country, and especially the outcome of the Seikanron
Seikanron
The Seikanron debate was a major political conflagration which occurred in Japan in 1873....
debate over invasion of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. The Kanjōtai's strong advocacy of overseas expansionism was rooted in the belief that such a war would restore the former samurai class to its former prominence and prestige.
Iso, Miyazaki and the other leaders of the rebellion sought to enlist support from other shizoku in the area, and eventually gathered a band of roughly 400 men. However, not all agreed with Miyazaki's plan to march to the aid of the Shinpūren rebels, and eventually only 200 men set off, under a white banner with the kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
. The revolt began with the killing of police officers at their post at Myōgan-ji, a local Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
temple; this was the first time in Japanese history that a member of the modern police force
Police services of the Empire of Japan
The of the Empire of Japan, consisted of numerous police services, in many cases with overlapping jurisdictions.-History and background:During the Tokugawa bakufu , police functions were based on a combination of appointed town magistrates of samurai status, who served simultaneously as a chief of...
was killed on duty. The rebels meant to rendezvous with a band of shizoku
Shizoku
The was a social class merged with former Samurai on 25 July 1869, as part of the Meiji Restoration. It was a class distinct from the Kuge , and Heiman . The Shizoku, as former Samurai, retained some of their salaries, but the right to wear a katana in public was eventually abolished along with...
from the former Toyotsu Domain under Sugyu Jūrō, and arrived at the rendezvous point on October 29 only to learn that their compatriots had already been arrested and imprisoned.
The rebels were then attacked by the Kokura
Kokura
is an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyūshū, Japan, guarding, via its suburb Moji, the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshū and Kyūshū. Kokura is also the name of the penultimate station on the southbound Sanyo Shinkansen line, which is owned by JR Kyūshū and an important part of the...
garrison of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
, under the command of Nogi Maresuke. Seventeen rebels were killed, and two government soldiers. The rebels were chased into the hills, where, on October 31, Iso, Miyazaki, Toki, and four others committed suicide
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
.
Meanwhile, Imamura led twenty-six warriors back to Akizuki, where they raided the elementary school and killed two government officials. They then burned down a liquor shop's storehouse where rebels had been previously detained, but by November 24, all the rebels were apprehended.
Masuda Shizukata had left for the former Saga Domain
Saga Domain
Saga Domain was a han, or feudal domain, in Tokugawa period Japan. Largely contiguous with Hizen Province on Kyūshū, the domain was governed from Saga Castle in the capital city of Saga by the Nabeshima clan of tozama daimyō...
in an attempt to raise support among the warriors there, but was apprehended on his way back to Akizuki on October 26, even before his compatriots began their uprising.
The surviving rebels were brought before a temporary court
Military tribunal
A military tribunal is a kind of military court designed to try members of enemy forces during wartime, operating outside the scope of conventional criminal and civil proceedings. The judges are military officers and fulfill the role of jurors...
in Fukuoka
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
on December 3. Imamura and Masuda were beheaded the same day, and 150 of their compatriots were sentenced to hard labor. Akizuki castle was torn down shortly afterwards.
See also
- Hagi RebellionHagi RebellionThe 1876 was one of a number of ex-samurai uprisings which took place in the early Meiji period against the new Meiji government of Japan-Background:...
- Saga RebellionSaga RebellionThe was an 1874 uprisings in Kyūshū against the new Meiji government of Japan. It was led by Etō Shimpei and Shima Yoshitake in their native domain of Hizen.-Background:...
- Shinpūren Rebellion
- Satsuma RebellionSatsuma RebellionThe was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...