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Private Notes
With international pressure to form new (and often unfair) treaties, the political divide in Edo was growing deeper and deeper. The Emperor, a formerly apolitical position, suddenly aligned himself with the sonno joi, the anti-foreign/pro-imperial party. Several rebellions rose up against the shogun and led to the creation of the shinsengumi - a dreaded police force meant to put a stop to the chaos in the streets of Kyoto. But this is just the beginning of the tinderbox. And all we need now is a match..
There was an agreed upon transfer of power between the shogun and the emperor but that all quickly broke down. The Restorationists wished to strip the shogun clan of their power and their lands, not incorporate them into the new system. And with the assassination of a revolutionary diplomat between the two, there was only one option left. The Boshin War had begun.
The chapter of history for the samurai is coming to a close. The Three Great Nobles of the restoration have fractured. Saigo Takamori returns to his land and vows not to get involved in politics but that in itself was a very strong political statement. And not a promise he could keep as dissident samurai and other factions flock to his military academy. One final battle will put an end to the last of the samurai. Or will it?
