The Tenchūgumi Uprising (天誅組の変 tenchūgumi no hen) was a military uprising of 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:...

 (revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians) activists in Yamato Province

Yamato Province

was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...

, now Nara Prefecture

Nara Prefecture

is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....

, on 29 September 1863 (Bunkyū

Bunkyu

was a after Man'en and before Genji. This period spanned the years from February 1861 through February 1864. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...

 3/8/17 in the Japanese calendar

Japanese calendar

On January 1, 1873, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar. Before 1873, the Chinese style lunisolar calendar had been in use since 7th century. Japanese eras are still in use.-System:...

), during the Bakumatsu period.

Emperor Kōmei

Emperor Komei

was the 121st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867.-Genealogy:Before Kōmei's accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ;, his title was ....

 had issued a dispatch to shogun Tokugawa Iemochi

Tokugawa Iemochi

was the 14th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of Japan's first major contact with the United States, which occurred under Commodore Perry in 1853 and 1854, and of the subsequent "re-opening" of...

 to expel the foreigners from Japan in early 1863. The shogun answered with a visit to Kyoto in April, however, he refused to follow the demands of the Jōi faction. On September 25 (8/13 in the Japanese calendar) the emperor announced he would travel to Yamato province, to the grave of tenno Jimmu

Emperor Jimmu

was the first Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He is also known as Kamuyamato Iwarebiko and personally as Wakamikenu no Mikoto or Sano no Mikoto....

, the mythical founder of Japan, to announce his dedication to the Jōi cause.

Following this, a group called Tenchūgumi of 30 Samurai and Rōnin

Ronin

A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....

 from Tosa

Tosa Domain

The was a feudal domain in Tosa Province of Japan during the Edo period. Its official name is . Some from the domain played important roles in events in the late Tokugawa shogunate...

 and other fiefs marched into Yamato Province and took over the Magistrate office in Gojō

Gojo, Nara

is a city located in Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 35,380 wit 13,864 households and the density of 121.17 persons per km²...

. They were led by Yoshimura Torataro.

The next day, shogunate loyalists from Satsuma and Aizu reacted by expelling several imperial officials of the sonnō jōi faction from the Imperial Court in Kyoto

Imperial Court in Kyoto

thumb|left|350px|Front view of Kyoto imperial palaceImperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji Era, in which the court was moved to Tokyo and integrated into the Meiji government....

, in the Bunkyu coup.

The shogunate sent troops to quell the Tenchūgumi, and they were finally defeated in September 1864.

External sources

• Nara Prefecture - Tenchugumi