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Byakkotai
The was a group of around 305 young teenage samurai of the Aizu Domain, who fought in the Boshin War (1868–1869) on the side of the Tokugawa shogunate. History The Byakkotai was part of Aizu's four-unit military, formed in April 1868 in the domain's drive to finalize its military modernization, in the wake of the Battle of Toba–Fushimi. The other three units were the Genbutai (Black Tortoise Unit), the Seiryūtai ( Azure Dragon Unit), and the Suzakutai (Vermilion Bird Unit). Each of the four was named after the protecting gods of compass directions. Byakkotai was meant to be a reserve unit, as it was composed of the young, 16- to 17-year-old sons of Aizu samurai. It was subdivided further, along the lines of rank within the domain's samurai population: two squads were from the upper (''shichū'') rank, two from the middle rank (''yoriai''), and two from the lowest (''ashigaru''). Twenty of the members of the 2nd ''shichū'' squad, cut off from the rest of their unit in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Byakkotai Mussolini Column
The was a group of around 305 young teenage samurai of the Aizu Domain, who fought in the Boshin War (1868–1869) on the side of the Tokugawa shogunate. History The Byakkotai was part of Aizu's four-unit military, formed in April 1868 in the domain's drive to finalize its military modernization, in the wake of the Battle of Toba–Fushimi. The other three units were the Genbutai (Black Tortoise Unit), the Seiryūtai ( Azure Dragon Unit), and the Suzakutai (Vermilion Bird Unit). Each of the four was named after the protecting gods of compass directions. Byakkotai was meant to be a reserve unit, as it was composed of the young, 16- to 17-year-old sons of Aizu samurai. It was subdivided further, along the lines of rank within the domain's samurai population: two squads were from the upper (''shichū'') rank, two from the middle rank (''yoriai''), and two from the lowest (''ashigaru''). Twenty of the members of the 2nd ''shichū'' squad, cut off from the rest of their unit i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iinuma Sadakichi
was a Japanese military officer of the Imperial Japanese Army and former member of the Byakkotai of the Aizu Domain. History He lied about his age to join the military, and was assigned to the Byakkotai division - essentially a reserve division of young teenagers only meant to be deployed in emergency. He was the sole survivor of group after the Byakkotai committed suicide on Iimori Hill during the Battle of Aizu. Iimori Hill overlooked the Aizuwakamatsu Castle and they thought the flames meant their lord Matsudaira Katamori and families were deceased. Thus they committed seppuku to demonstrate defiance.Yamakawa, ''Aizu Boshin Senshi'', p. 522. The events were not widely known at the time due to the victorious Imperial army not wishing to glorify rebels. After the war Sadakichi relocated to Sendai. He served in the government and Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iimori Hill
is a mountain near the city of Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It is notable as the site where members of the Byakkotai (White Tiger Corps) committed ritual suicide in 1868, during the Boshin War. It is located about 1.5 kilometers northeast of Tsuruga Castle. There are two monuments at the top of the mountain: one was a gift from the Italian Fascist Party in 1928, and the other was from Nazi Germany. They were installed to show reverence for the Byakkotai spirit. After the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II, members of the Occupation, specifically of the U.S. Army, replaced the Hakenkreuz on the German monument with an iron cross. Iimori Mountain has been heavily commercialized and the site includes many souvenir shops and exhibitions. The staircases from the foot of the mountain to the top are fairly steep, though there is an escalator. Downhill from Iimori Mountain stands , an octagonal wooden pagoda built in the 18th century, which formerly seale ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dewa Shigetō
Baron was a Japanese admiral in the early days of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Biography Dewa was born as the son of a ''samurai'' of the Aizu domain (present day Fukushima prefecture). As a youth, he enlisted in the ''Byakkotai,'' a reserve unit of the Aizu domain's official military. The ''Byakkotai'' was called into action, and Dewa served at the Battle of Aizu in the Boshin War. Dewa attended the 5th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, graduating 6th out of 43 cadets. He was appointed a midshipman on 16 August 1878, promoted to ensign on 12 August 1880 and promoted to sub-lieutenant on 27 February 1883. He served as a junior officer on several vessels of the early Japanese Navy, including the corvette , ironclad warship , sloop ''Hōshō'', ironclad warship , corvette , and cruisers , and . He was promoted to lieutenant on 7 April 1886 and to lieutenant-commander on 16 October 1890. From 1886-1890, he was executive officer on the cruiser . From 1893-1893, he was ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Aizu
The Battle of Aizu (Japanese: 会津戦争, "War of Aizu") was fought in northern Japan from October to November in autumn 1868, and was part of the Boshin War. History Aizu was known for its martial skill, and maintained at any given time a standing army of over 5000. It was often deployed to security operations on the northern fringes of the country, as far north as southern Sakhalin. Also, in the period immediately before, during, and after Commodore Perry's arrival, Aizu had a presence in security operations around Edo Bay. During the tenure of the 9th generation lord Matsudaira Katamori, the domain deployed massive amounts of their troops to Kyoto, where Katamori served as Kyoto Shugoshoku. Earning the hatred of the Chōshū domain, and alienating his ally, the Satsuma domain, Katamori retreated with the shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu in 1868. Though the Satchōdo controlled Imperial Court, following Yoshinobu's resignation, called for the punishment of Katamori and Aizu as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yamakawa Kenjirō
was a Japanese samurai, politician, physicist, academic administrator, and author of several histories of the Boshin War. He served as president of Tokyo Imperial University, Kyushu Imperial University, and Kyoto Imperial University. He also served as a Privy Councilor and a member of the House of Peers. Though his name is commonly written "Yamakawa," he himself wrote it as "Yamagawa" in English. Biography Yamakawa was born as the third son to Yamakawa Naoe, a senior ''samurai'' of the Aizu Domain (present day Fukushima Prefecture). He became a member of the '' Byakkotai,'' a unit of the newly reorganized Aizu domain army composed mostly of boys aged 15 to 17 years, who fought in defense of Aizu during the Boshin War. After the Meiji Restoration, through the mediation of the Zen monk Kawai Zenjun, Yamakawa was placed in the care of Chōshū retainer Okudaira Kensuke. Yamakawa was sent by the new Meiji government to study physics at Yale University, where he was the first s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boshin War
The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperial Court. The war stemmed from dissatisfaction among many nobles and young samurai with the shogunate's handling of foreigners following the opening of Japan during the prior decade. Increasing Western influence in the economy led to a decline similar to that of other Asian countries at the time. An alliance of western samurai, particularly the domains of Chōshū, Satsuma, and Tosa, and court officials secured control of the Imperial Court and influenced the young Emperor Meiji. Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the sitting ''shōgun'', realizing the futility of his situation, abdicated and handed over political power to the emperor. Yoshinobu had hoped that by doing this the House of Tokugawa could be preserved and participate in the future gover ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aizuwakamatsu Castle
, also known as Tsuruga Castle (鶴ヶ城 ''Tsuru-ga-jō'') is a concrete replica of a traditional Japanese castle in northern Japan, at the center of the city of Aizuwakamatsu, in Fukushima Prefecture. Background Aizu Wakamatsu Castle is located in the center of the Aizu basin and at crossroads to Kōriyama to the north and Yonezawa to the east and Murakami on the Sea of Japan coast. During the Nanboku-cho period, the area was ruled by the Ashina clan. Ashina Naomori built within the Aizu basin in 1384. This castle was the predecessor of what later became Aizuwakamatsu Castle. It was ruled by Ashina Moriuji until 1561, when he turned his domain over to his son. The Ashina clan also built Mukaihaguroyama Castle, a huge mountain castle 10 kilometers south of Aizu Wakamatsu. However, by the Sengoku period, the power of the Ashina clan had weakened. Date Masamune, the greatest warlord of the Tōhoku area, who had struggled against the Ashina clan for years, and finally captured ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shinoda Gisaburō
was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who served the Matsudaira clan of Aizu. He was the leader of a detachment of Byakkotai troops who got separated from their main unit, and arrived at the top of Iimori Hill. From Iimori Hill they thought they saw Tsuruga Castle , also known as Tsuruga Castle (鶴ヶ城 ''Tsuru-ga-jō'') is a concrete replica of a traditional Japanese castle in northern Japan, at the center of the city of Aizuwakamatsu, in Fukushima Prefecture. Background Aizu Wakamatsu Castle is loca ... on fire, and committed suicide in despair. References * * * 1852 births 1868 deaths Seppuku from Meiji period to present People from Aizu People of the Boshin War Aizu-Matsudaira retainers 1860s suicides {{samurai-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aizu Domain
was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1601 to 1871.Ravina, Mark. (1998) ''Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan,'' p. 222 The Aizu Domain was based at Tsuruga Castle in Mutsu Province, the core of the modern city of Aizuwakamatsu, located in the Tōhoku region of the island of Honshu. The Aizu Domain was ruled for most of its existence by the '' shinpan'' ''daimyō'' of the Aizu-Matsudaira clan, a local cadet branch of the ruling Tokugawa clan, but was briefly ruled by the '' tozama'' ''daimyō'' of the Gamō and Katō clans. The Aizu Domain was assessed under the '' Kokudaka'' system with a peak value of 919,000 '' koku'', but this was reduced to 230,000 ''koku''. The Aizu Domain was dissolved in the abolition of the ''han'' system in 1871 by the Meiji government and its territory was absorbed into Fukushima Prefecture, covering much of the traditional region of Aizu. History Pre-Edo period The area of Kurokawa, later called "Waka ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White Tiger (Chinese Constellation)
The White Tiger (Chinese: 白虎, Pinyin: ''Báihǔ''), known in Chinese as Baihu, is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West (). It represents the west in terms of direction and the autumn season. It is known as Byakko in Japanese, Baekho in Korean, and Bạch Hổ in Vietnamese. Seven Mansions As with the other three Symbols, there are seven astrological "Mansions" (positions of the Moon) within the White Tiger. The names and determinative stars are: Origin In Chinese culture, the tiger is the king of the beasts and has been presented with a () on his forehead for centuries. According to legend, the tiger's tail would turn white when it reached the age of 500 years. In this way, the white tiger became a kind of mythological creature. It was said that the white tiger would only appear when the emperor ruled with absolute virtue or if there was peace throughout the world. Because the color white of the Wu Xing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They had high prestige and special privileges such as wearing two swords and ''Kiri-sute gomen'' (right to kill anyone of a lower class in certain situations). They cultivated the '' bushido'' codes of martial virtues, indifference to pain, and unflinching loyalty, engaging in many local battles. Though they had predecessors in earlier military and administrative officers, the samurai truly emerged during the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1185 to 1333. They became the ruling political class, with significant power but also significant responsibility. During the 13th century, the samurai proved themselves as adept warriors against the invading Mongols. During the peaceful Edo period (1603 to 1868), they became the stewards and chamberlains of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
