ABSTRACT
In the fall of 1863, the political faction favoring a union between the imperial court and Bakufu finally succeeded, with the support of Satsuma and Aizu, in driving the Choshu warriors out of the imperial court. The policy of uniting the court and Bakufu was beginning to disintegrate; at the same time, behind-the-scenes machinations aimed at bringing together the two rival han, Satsuma and Choshu, were beginning to meet with some success. Convinced that an armed conflict was necessary if the Tokugawa clan was to be completely liquidated, Saigo decided to incite the Tokugawa forces into attacking by hiring a large number of ruffians and hoodlums in Edo to provoke their retainers. The attitudes, values, practices, and institutions that molded the Japanese mode of thinking and behavior prior to and during the Tokugawa era continued to govern the thought and actions of the people during the Meiji era and for a long time afterward.
