Republic of Ezo
Encyclopedia
The was a short-lived state established by former Tokugawa
retainers in what is now known as Hokkaidō
, the large but sparsely populated northernmost island in modern Japan.
in the Boshin War
(1869) of the Meiji Restoration
, a part of the former Shogun
's navy led by Admiral Enomoto Takeaki
fled to the northern island of Ezo
(now known as Hokkaidō
), together with several thousand soldiers and a handful of French
military advisors and their leader, Jules Brunet
. Enomoto made a last effort to petition the Imperial Court to be allowed to develop Hokkaidō and maintain the traditions of the samurai unmolested, but his request was denied.
On January 27, 1869, the independent "Republic of Ezo" was proclaimed, with a government organization based on that of the United States
, with Enomoto elected as its first president (sosai
). This was the first election
ever held in Japan, where a feudal structure under an emperor with military warlord
s was the norm. Through Hakodate Magistrate Nagai Naoyuki
, they tried to reach out to foreign legations present in Hakodate. The French
and British
extended conditional diplomatic recognition
, but the Meiji government did not.
The Ezo Republic had its own flag, a chrysanthemum
(symbol of Imperial rule) and a red star with seven points (symbol of the new Republic) on a sky-blue
background. The treasury included 180,000 gold ryō coins Enomoto retrieved from Osaka Castle
following Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu
's precipitous departure after the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
in early 1868.
During the winter of 1868-1869, the defenses around the southern peninsula of Hakodate were enhanced, with the star fortress of Goryōkaku
at the center. The troops were organized under a joint Franco-Japanese command, Commander-in-chief
Otori Keisuke
being seconded by the French captain Jules Brunet
, and divided into four brigades, each commanded by a French officer (Fortant
, Marlin
, Cazeneuve and Bouffier
). The brigades were themselves divided into two half-brigades each, under Japanese command.
Brunet demanded (and received) a signed personal pledge of loyalty from all officers and insisted they assimilate French ideas. An anonymous French officer wrote that Brunet had taken charge of everything:
force of 7,000 men to Hokkaidō. The Imperial forces progressed swiftly, won the Battle of Hakodate
, and surrounded the fortress at Goryōkaku. Enomoto surrendered on June 26, 1869, turning the Goryōkaku over to Satsuma staff officer Kuroda Kiyotaka
on June 27, 1869. Kuroda is said to have been deeply impressed by Enomoto's dedication in combat, and is remembered as the one who spared the latter's life from execution. On September 20 of the same year, the island was given its present name, Hokkaidō ("Northern Sea District").
While later history texts were to refer to May 1869 as being when Enomoto accepted the Meiji Emperor's rule, the Imperial rule was never in question for the Ezo Republic, as made evident by part of Enomoto's message to the (the Imperial governing council) at the time of his arrival in Hakodate:
Thus from Enomoto's perspective, the efforts to establish a government in Hokkaidō were not only for the sake of providing for the Tokugawa house on the one hand (burdened as it was with an enormous amount of redundant retainers and employees), but also as developing Ezo for the sake of defense for the rest of the country, something which had been a topic of concern for some time. Recent scholarship has noted that for centuries, Ezo was not considered a part of Japan the same way that the other "main" islands of modern Japan were, so the creation of the Ezo Republic, in a contemporary mindset, was not an act of secession, but rather of "bringing" the politico-social entity of "Japan" formally to Ezo.
Enomoto was sentenced to a brief prison sentence, but was freed in 1872 and accepted a post as a government official in the newly renamed Hokkaido Land Agency. He later became ambassador to Russia
, and held several ministerial positions in the Meiji Government.
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
retainers in what is now known as Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, the large but sparsely populated northernmost island in modern Japan.
Background
After the defeat of the forces of the Tokugawa ShogunateTokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
in the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
(1869) of the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, a part of the former Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
's navy led by Admiral Enomoto Takeaki
Enomoto Takeaki
Viscount was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War...
fled to the northern island of Ezo
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
(now known as Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
), together with several thousand soldiers and a handful of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
military advisors and their leader, Jules Brunet
Jules Brunet
Jules Brunet was a French officer who played an active role in Mexico and Japan, and later became a General and Chief of Staff of the French Minister of War in 1898...
. Enomoto made a last effort to petition the Imperial Court to be allowed to develop Hokkaidō and maintain the traditions of the samurai unmolested, but his request was denied.
Establishment of the Republic
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with Enomoto elected as its first president (sosai
Sosai
The Japanese word Sosai means roughly "president" or "director-general". It is used in several ways:-Political:*Sosai, or president of the government, was only once the title of the imperial prime minister: from 1 January 1868 The Japanese word Sosai (Japanese:総裁, "Sōsai") means roughly...
). This was the first election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
ever held in Japan, where a feudal structure under an emperor with military warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
s was the norm. Through Hakodate Magistrate Nagai Naoyuki
Nagai Naoyuki
, also known as or , was a Japanese samurai and Tokugawa retainer during the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods.-Early life:Nagai Naoyuki, or as he was first known, , was born in the Nukada district of the Okutono Domain by a concubine to . Noritada, while head of a collateral branch of the Tokugawa, was...
, they tried to reach out to foreign legations present in Hakodate. The French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
extended conditional diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
, but the Meiji government did not.
The Ezo Republic had its own flag, a chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
(symbol of Imperial rule) and a red star with seven points (symbol of the new Republic) on a sky-blue
Azure (color)
The color bleu de France is displayed at right.Bleu de France is a color that has been associated in heraldry with the Kings of France since the 12th century.-Brandeis blue:...
background. The treasury included 180,000 gold ryō coins Enomoto retrieved from Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle
is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan.Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.-Description:...
following Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful...
's precipitous departure after the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
Battle of Toba-Fushimi
The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 , when the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and the allied forces of Chōshū, Satsuma and Tosa domains clashed near Fushimi...
in early 1868.
During the winter of 1868-1869, the defenses around the southern peninsula of Hakodate were enhanced, with the star fortress of Goryōkaku
Goryokaku
is a star fort in the city of Hakodate in southern Hokkaidō, Japan. It was the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo.- History :Built by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1857-1866, it was located in the center of the port of Hakodate, on the island of Hokkaidō...
at the center. The troops were organized under a joint Franco-Japanese command, Commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
Otori Keisuke
Otori Keisuke
was a Japanese military commander during the last years of the Tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Era.-Early life and education:Ōtori Keisuke was born in Akamatsu Village, in the Akō domain of Harima Province , the son of physician Kobayashi Naosuke...
being seconded by the French captain Jules Brunet
Jules Brunet
Jules Brunet was a French officer who played an active role in Mexico and Japan, and later became a General and Chief of Staff of the French Minister of War in 1898...
, and divided into four brigades, each commanded by a French officer (Fortant
Arthur Fortant
Arthur Fortant was a non-commissioned officer, a sergeant of the French Regiment of the Guard of the field artillery. He was a member of the first French Military Mission to Japan in 1867, in which he accompanied Jules Brunet...
, Marlin
Jean Marlin
Jean Marlin was a non-commissioned officer, a sergeant of the French 8th Battalion of infantry. He was a member of the first French Military Mission to Japan in 1867, in which he accompanied Jules Brunet...
, Cazeneuve and Bouffier
François Bouffier
François Bouffier was a French non-commissioned officer of the 19th century, a sergeant of the 8th Battalion of infantrymen. He was a member of the first French Military Mission to Japan in 1867, in which he accompanied Jules Brunet...
). The brigades were themselves divided into two half-brigades each, under Japanese command.
Brunet demanded (and received) a signed personal pledge of loyalty from all officers and insisted they assimilate French ideas. An anonymous French officer wrote that Brunet had taken charge of everything:
Defeat by imperial forces
Imperial troops soon consolidated their hold on mainland Japan, and in April 1869 dispatched a fleet and an infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
force of 7,000 men to Hokkaidō. The Imperial forces progressed swiftly, won the Battle of Hakodate
Battle of Hakodate
The was fought in Japan from October 20, 1868 to May 17, 1869, between the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate army, consolidated into the armed forces of the rebel Ezo Republic, and the armies of the newly formed Imperial government...
, and surrounded the fortress at Goryōkaku. Enomoto surrendered on June 26, 1869, turning the Goryōkaku over to Satsuma staff officer Kuroda Kiyotaka
Kuroda Kiyotaka
, also known as , was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was the second Prime Minister of Japan from 30 April 1888 to 25 October 1889.-As a Satsuma samurai:...
on June 27, 1869. Kuroda is said to have been deeply impressed by Enomoto's dedication in combat, and is remembered as the one who spared the latter's life from execution. On September 20 of the same year, the island was given its present name, Hokkaidō ("Northern Sea District").
Perspectives
| Government officials | |
|---|---|
 Leaders of the Republic of Ezo, with the President Enomoto Takeaki Enomoto Takeaki Viscount was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War... , front right (1869). |
|
| President President A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership... |
Enomoto Takeaki Enomoto Takeaki Viscount was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War... |
| Vice-President | Matsudaira Taro Matsudaira Taro was Commander-in-Chief of the Army under the Minister of the Army Katsu Kaishū, during the Bakumatsu period of Japanese history, and later became vice-president of the Republic of Ezo during the Boshin War. He was particularly in charge of Internal Affairs and Foreign Relations.... |
| Navy Minister | Arai Ikunosuke Arai Ikunosuke was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. Prominent as Navy Minister of the Republic of Ezo, he later became famous as the first head of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Also known as or .-Early life:... |
| Army Minister | Otori Keisuke Otori Keisuke was a Japanese military commander during the last years of the Tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Era.-Early life and education:Ōtori Keisuke was born in Akamatsu Village, in the Akō domain of Harima Province , the son of physician Kobayashi Naosuke... |
| Assistant Army Minister | Hijikata Toshizo Hijikata Toshizo was the vice-commander of Shinsengumi, a great swordsman and a talented Japanese military leader who resisted the Meiji Restoration.-Background:... |
| Hakodate Magistrate | Nagai Naoyuki Nagai Naoyuki , also known as or , was a Japanese samurai and Tokugawa retainer during the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods.-Early life:Nagai Naoyuki, or as he was first known, , was born in the Nukada district of the Okutono Domain by a concubine to . Noritada, while head of a collateral branch of the Tokugawa, was... |
| Assistant Hakodate Magistrate | Nakajima Saburosuke |
| Esashi Magistrate | Matsuoka Shirojiro |
| Assistant Esashi Magistrate | Kosugi Masanoshin |
| Matsumae Magistrate | Hitomi Katsutaro |
| Minister for Land Reclamation | Sawa Tarozaemon |
| Finance Minister | Enomoto Michiaki |
| Finance Minister | Kawamura Rokushiro |
| Commander of Warships | Koga Gengo |
| Infantry Commander | Furuya Sakuzaemon |
| Judge Advocate General Officer | Takenaka Shigekata Takenaka Shigekata was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, later a figure in efforts to colonize Hokkaido. He is also known by his court title, Tango no kami .... |
| Judge Advocate General Officer | Imai Nobuo |
While later history texts were to refer to May 1869 as being when Enomoto accepted the Meiji Emperor's rule, the Imperial rule was never in question for the Ezo Republic, as made evident by part of Enomoto's message to the (the Imperial governing council) at the time of his arrival in Hakodate:
Thus from Enomoto's perspective, the efforts to establish a government in Hokkaidō were not only for the sake of providing for the Tokugawa house on the one hand (burdened as it was with an enormous amount of redundant retainers and employees), but also as developing Ezo for the sake of defense for the rest of the country, something which had been a topic of concern for some time. Recent scholarship has noted that for centuries, Ezo was not considered a part of Japan the same way that the other "main" islands of modern Japan were, so the creation of the Ezo Republic, in a contemporary mindset, was not an act of secession, but rather of "bringing" the politico-social entity of "Japan" formally to Ezo.
Enomoto was sentenced to a brief prison sentence, but was freed in 1872 and accepted a post as a government official in the newly renamed Hokkaido Land Agency. He later became ambassador to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and held several ministerial positions in the Meiji Government.