The Monument for Commemoration of “Satto Toubaku no Mitsuyaku”,
the secret military agreement between the Satsuma and the Tosa Domains to overthrow the Shogunate
Edited by Takaoka Koutaro
and Itagaki Taisuke Honouring Association
On 20th June 1867 (Keio 3, 18th day of the 5th month), Inui Taisuke Masakata(Itagaki Taisuke, 1837 -1919), Fukuoka Toji Takachika(1835-1919), Nakaoka Shintaro Michimasa (1838-67) from the Tosa Domain, and Funakoshi Younosuke Mamoru (1840-1913)
from the Hiroshima Domain held a secret meeting in “Chikayasuro”, a Japanese restaurant in Kyoto Higashiyama, to discuss theattempt to overthrow the Shogunate by force of arms. Afterwards, Saigo Kichinosuke Takamori (1828-77), Yoshii Kousuke Tomozane(1828-91), Komatsu Tatewaki Kiyokado(1835-70), Inui Taisuke, Tani Moribe Tateki (1837 -1911), Mouri KyousukeYoshimori(1834-77), and Nakaoka Shintaro held a further meeting on May 23rd June 1867(Keio 3, 21st day of the 5th month) by theintermediation of Nakaoka, to plan the overthrow of the Shogunate, moving to the residence of Komatsu Tatewaki, the chief retainerof the Satsuma Domain (the second residence of the Konoe Family known as “Ohanabatake Oyashiki”). All the samurais of the Satsuma
and Tosa Domains who participated in the meeting swore to fight together once a war would start, and concluded “the Satsuma andTosa secret agreement to overthrow the Shougunate”, namely the establishment of their military alliance. On 24th June (Keio 3,22nd day of the 5th month), Inui Taisuke of the Tosa Domain informed his domain lord Yamauchi Yodo(1827-72) of the result of themeeting and won his lord’s approval for the conclusion of this secret agreement. Then Inui ordered his subordinates to purchase 300
Albini Braendlin rifles in Osaka, returned to Tosa and reformed the military system and also implemented military drill in a modernway for his home domain. In January 1868, the roar of artillery filled the air in Toba Fushimi and the battle started. The samurais ofthe Tosa Domain, Yoshimatsu Hayanosuke, Yamaji Chuhichi, and Yamada Kikuma carried out the secret agreement and participatedin the battle from the beginning. At last His Majesty the Emperor made his decision, taking into consideration their achievements ofparticipation in the battle, to confer on the Tosa Domain the imperial brocaded flag, which signified the Domain’s army became theone under the Emperor’s direct supervision. The Tosa Domain’s imperial army “Jinshoutai” left Tosa, then Inui Taisuke was bestowed
on 7th March 1868 (Meiji 1, 14th day of the 2nd month) in Kyoto the confidence of His Majesty the Emperor to become a governor
general of the army and he left Kyoto for the battle. The day was the 320th anniversary of Inui Taisuke’s ancestor, Itagaki
Suruganokami Nobukata’s passing. Taisuke planned military strategies in Mino Ogaki in order to advance the battle for Koshu, where
his ancestors used to live, then returned his own family name to Itagaki, his ancestors' name, and entered the Koufu castle. The next
day “Jinshotai” defeated the army led by Okubo Yamato(Kondo Isami, 1834-68) “Koyochinbutai (Shinsengumi)” and won a great
victory in the battle of Koushu Katsunuma, and Taisuke continued the advance with full use of further military strategies, and finally
his army attacked the Aizu Domain and won the victory. However, Itagaki did not wish to show off his honour. He rather considered
the enemy side’s sentiments, entreated the Imperial Court to mitigate the penalty on them, and tried to restore their honour. Looking
back upon these days, we recognise that the secret agreement concluded by Saigo and Itagaki in the last days of the Shogunate was thevery starting point for the victory of the imperial army and the accomplishment of the Meiji Restoration, and therefore build thismonument to commemorate these histories. The members of the Tosa Domain who participated in the battle of Fushimi on 28thJanuary 1868 (Meiji 1, 4th day of the 1st month) Yamada Kikuma Kiyokado (Doi Heizaemon, 1845-1906), Yoshimatsu Hayanosuke

Hotsue (1845-77), Futakawa Gensuke (Sakai Shigesue, 1847-1922), Yamaji Chuhichi Motoharu(1841-97), Kitamura Chobei

Shigeyori(1845-78), and their subordinate samurais, Tani Moribe Tateki(1837-1911), the messenger in a fast horse to the Tosa

Domain to inform the outbreak of the battle, Motoyama Tadaichirou Shigeto(1826-87), representative of the transporters of theimperial brocaded flag from Kyoto to Tosa. For the commemoration of the 151th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration and the100th anniversary of Count Itagaki Taisuke’s passing, with the calligraphy of the title by Takaoka Koutaro, a great-great-grand childof Count Itagaki, on 16th July in the first year of Reiwa Era (2019), Sugita Kanichiro, chairperson of Sugita Shuseikai Association,Itagaki Taisuke Honouring Association and a number of volunteer members built this momument.

This monument has been built on 22nd September 2019, the 151st anniversary of the victory in the battle of Aizu, to praise strenuous
efforts of the both sides in the battle and pray their soul rest in peace.

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Place of the monument： Gion K.S Metro Bldg. 368-3, Kiyomotocho, Higashiyama -ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, 605-0084 JAPAN