抄録
The Boshin War (‘The War of the Year of the Dragon’), which was fought between the new imperial army of the restored Meiji Emperor and the supporters of the former Tokugawa Shogun, began with the battle of Toba-Fushimi in January 1868 and ended with the fall of Hakodate on 29 June 1869. The operations of the war that took place within the area of modern Akita prefecture illustrate in microcosm the huge changes that took place in the military life of Japan at the time. This is presented through the experiences of four domain leaders in Akita whose responses to the new situation varied considerably but had in common a personal interpretation of the ancient but long-dormant tradition of the samurai. Even though they were fighting for the imperialist cause their motivation was not that of the undying loyalty to the Emperor that was to become a hallmark of the new Japan but a blend of nostalgia and self-interest that owed more to their samurai past.
