Bakumatsu

Bakumatsu is the final phase of Tokugawa rule in Japan, marked by foreign pressure, domestic conflict, and the collapse of the shogunate in 1868.

Perry Expedition: A United States naval mission led by Matthew Perry that pressed Japan to open its ports in 1853–1854. Perry’s arrival forced the shogunate to confront foreign demands it had long resisted.
Kōbu gattai: A late-Tokugawa political strategy seeking cooperation between the shogunate and the imperial court. Its attempted compromise could not settle who held legitimate authority.
Sakamoto Ryōma: A Tosa-born samurai and political activist who helped broker the Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance. His diplomacy helped bring two powerful anti-shogunate domains together.
Namamugi Incident: The 1862 killing of British merchant Charles Richardson by retainers of the Satsuma lord Shimazu Hisamitsu. The incident led to British retaliation and exposed the costs of domain-level defiance.
Convention of Kanagawa: The 1854 agreement that opened two Japanese ports to American ships and established diplomatic relations. It formalized the first major opening imposed during Bakumatsu.
Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance: A 1866 military and political alliance between the Satsuma and Chōshū domains against the shogunate. The alliance gave rival domains the force to challenge Tokugawa rule.
Katsu Kaishū: A Tokugawa naval officer and statesman who supported naval modernization and negotiated Edo’s surrender. His negotiations helped avert a destructive battle for the shogunal capital.
Bombardment of Kagoshima: The 1863 British naval attack on the Satsuma domain’s capital after the Namamugi Incident. It demonstrated the military imbalance behind foreign pressure.
Harris Treaty: The 1858 treaty that opened additional Japanese ports to American trade and granted extraterritorial rights. Its unequal terms intensified opposition to the shogunate.
Boshin War: The 1868–1869 civil war between forces supporting the imperial restoration and those backing the former shogunate. The conflict settled the military contest begun in Bakumatsu.

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