薩長同盟
During the Boshin War, Shirakawa was a stronghold of the pro-Tokugawa Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei and came under attack during the Battle of Aizu by the pro-imperial army of the Satchō Alliance. Although the invading army was outnumbered, it had superior artillery, and Komine Castle had been designed primarily to defend against attacks from the north, so its southern approached were more lightly fortified. The castle fell to the Meiji government on May 1, 1868.