Kyoto 1863

The year is 1863, and a new force has just taken root in Kyoto—the Mibu Rōshigumi. Though still young, this group of rōnin has already begun to earn a fierce reputation under the service of the Tokugawa shogunate. With the 14th shōgun, Tokugawa Iemochi, in power, tensions between the imperial loyalists and shogunate supporters grow by the day. Amidst this unrest, the Mibu Rōshigumi is tasked with protecting Kyoto and maintaining order. In 1863, the Chōshū Domain, ruled by the Mōri clan, defied the Tokugawa shogunate by attacking foreign ships in the Shimonoseki Strait, prompting Western retaliation. This act marked Chōshū as a leading anti-shogunate force, instrumental in the Meiji Restoration. In 1863, the Satsuma Domain, under the Shimazu clan, clashed with Britain during the Bombardment of Kagoshima, prompting a shift from isolationism to modernization and eventual alliance with Chōshū. In 1863, the British delegation in Japan, led by Sir Harry Parkes, included Dr. William Willis, an Irish physician who served as the legation's medical officer.