Battle of Noheji The was a minor battle of the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration in Japan on November 7 , 1868 . It is considered a part of the larger Aizu campaign . Background . On September 20 , 1868 the pro - Shōgunate Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei was proclaimed at Morioka , capital of the Nambu clan who rule Morioka Domain . The territory of the Nambu extended along the northeastern half of Mutsu Province , as far north as Shimokita Peninsula , and the Nambu controlled a subsidiary domain at Hachinohe . The northeast of Mutsu Province was dominated by the Nambu clan ' s hereditary rivals , the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki Domain , with a subsidiary domain at Kuroishi . The Tsugaru first sided with the pro - imperial forces of Satchō Alliance , and attacked nearby Shōnai Domain . However , the Tsugaru soon switched course , and briefly became a member of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei . However , for reasons yet unclear , the Tsugaru backed out of the alliance and re - joined the imperial cause after a few months . The village of Noheji in what is now part of Aomori Prefecture was an important port for the Nambu clan on Mutsu Bay . Noheji was garrisoned by approximately 400 men from Hachinohe Domain after the defection of the Tsugaru back to the imperial side . The port was shelled by Kubota Domain warship " Shunyo - maru " commanded by Saga Domain ’ s Nakamuta Kuranosuke on September 10 , but with little damage to the village or reported casualties . The battle . In the pre - dawn hours of September 23 , a force of 180 men from Hirosaki and Kuroishi Domains , divided into three companies , converged on Noheji , capturing the outlying hamlet of Makado , which they fired , destroying 64 homes and one Buddhist temple . The Nambu garrison at Noheji responded to the fire , coming under attack as they approached the burning hamlet . The Nambu forces attempted to encircle the Tsugaru attackers to cut off their escape , with only partial success . In the ensuing melee , Tsugaru forces managed to penetrate into the village to almost within sight of the Nambu garrison headquarters before the death of their leader , Kojima Nagayoshi , sparked a retreat . Accounts of the number of casualties of the battle vary widely . Based on the number of graves at the cemetery at Noheji , at least 27 men from both sides perished and were buried in the town . Per the official domain records from Hirosaki Domain , the Tsugaru clan lost 29 men , and similar records from the Nambu clan indicate losses of 45 men on the Nambu side . Consequences . As a result of this minor skirmish , Tsugaru Domain was able to prove its defection from the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei and loyalty to the imperial cause . Tsugaru forces later joined the imperial army in attacking the Republic of Ezo at Hakodate . As a result , the entire clan was able to evade the punishment meted out by the government on the northern domains after the establishment of the Meiji government . On November 6 , 1869 , Hirosaki Domain dispatched two emissaries to Noheji , to meet with the leaders of Makado hamlet . The emissaries claimed that the Tsugaru clan had been forced into attacking Noheji under pressure from Saga Domain , and offered rice and timber for the rebuilding of the hamlet .