Battle of Toba–Fushimi

The road to Kyoto is blocked

On 27 January 1868, former shogunate troops and forces from Aizu and Kuwana advanced north from Osaka toward Kyoto along the Toba and Fushimi roads, confronting pro-imperial forces south of the capital.

At Toba, Satsuma troops under Ijichi Masaharu blocked the advance near Koeda Bridge. As dusk approached and the advancing force looked ready to push through, a trumpet sounded and Satsuma artillery opened fire.

Numbers, and what they do not explain

Mark Ravina puts about 2,500 Tokugawa-side troops against about 900 Satsuma at Toba, and about 3,000 against roughly 1,425 Satsuma, Chōshū and Tosa troops at Fushimi — an advantage of at least two to one, rather than the three to one often quoted.

The shogunate side was not an archaic spear force facing a wholly modern opponent. It included French-trained infantry and substantial modern matériel, and some sword-and-pike attacks drove imperial riflemen back.

One day of a longer fight

Fighting broke out at Fushimi as well, and both fronts stayed active. The day opened the Boshin War's fighting without producing the battle's result; the engagement widened on 28 January.

The imperial brocade banner mattered on 28 and 29 January. It was not present when Satsuma's guns opened at dusk on the 27th.

The date itself is a Gregorian conversion of Keiō 4, first month, third day; Japanese sources of the period use the lunisolar reckoning.