Changes

The road curved where the two parties met, and was quite narrow, with no space for the Englishmen to step aside. According to some Japanese accounts, Richardson's horse grew frightened, reared up, and moved into the middle of the road, towards the procession, as Richardson sought to step aside or turn back, or that, simply, in the process of turning around, Richardson came to be in the way of, or even amongst, the Satsuma party.<ref>Asahi Shimbun. Yokohama Morning Edition. 14 December 2008. Accessed via [http://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%94%9F%E9%BA%A6%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6 Kotobank.jp], 27 May 2010.</ref> A member of the retinue ordered the foreigners to turn back or to dismount. When Mrs. Borrodaile's horse grew frightened and excitable as well, one of the daimyô's palanquin guards ordered them again to turn back. The group made to follow these orders, but were attacked,<ref name=Vaporis/> the samurai feeling an obligation to do so in response to this breach of custom and affront to their lord's honor; the foreigners, like any other commoners who encountered a daimyô procession, were to not simply stop or pull aside, but to dismount and prostrate themselves.<ref name=daniels1467/>

The road curved where the two parties met, and was quite narrow, with no space for the Englishmen to step aside. According to some Japanese accounts, Richardson's horse grew frightened, reared up, and moved into the middle of the road, towards the procession, as Richardson sought to step aside or turn back, or that, simply, in the process of turning around, Richardson came to be in the way of, or even amongst, the Satsuma party.<ref>Asahi Shimbun. Yokohama Morning Edition. 14 December 2008. Accessed via [http://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%94%9F%E9%BA%A6%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6 Kotobank.jp], 27 May 2010.</ref> A member of the retinue ordered the foreigners to turn back or to dismount. When Mrs. Borrodaile's horse grew frightened and excitable as well, one of the daimyô's palanquin guards ordered them again to turn back. The group made to follow these orders, but were attacked,<ref name=Vaporis/> the samurai feeling an obligation to do so in response to this breach of custom and affront to their lord's honor; the foreigners, like any other commoners who encountered a daimyô procession, were to not simply stop or pull aside, but to dismount and prostrate themselves.<ref name=daniels1467/>

A Satsuma retainer by the name of [[Narahara Kizaemon]] is often cited as having led the attack on Richardson<ref name=nipponica>"Namamugi Jiken." ''Nihon dai hyakka zensho Nipponica'' 日本大百科全書ニッポニカ. Accessed via Japan Knowledge online resource, 27 May 2010.</ref>. Kizaemon was the older brother of [[Narahara Shigeru]]<ref>"[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%A5%88%E8%89%AF%E5%8E%9F%E7%B9%81 Narahara Shigeru]."''Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten'' 朝日日本歴史人物事典. Accessed via Kotobank.jp, 27 May 2010.</ref>, who would go on to play a major role in the governance and administration of Okinawa in the early [[Meiji period]]<ref>Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. Revised Edition. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p361.<p>Kerr is among a number of sources which confuse the two, asserting Narahara Shigeru, aka Narahara Kôgorô, to have also been known as Kizaemon, while other sources reveal the latter to have been his brother.</ref>. A samurai by the name of [[Kaieda Nobuyoshi]] is also today considered to have been among the chief attackers.<ref name=okano>"[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%B2%A1%E9%87%8E%E6%96%B0%E5%8A%A9 Okano Shinsuke]." ''Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten'' 朝日日本歴史人物事典. Accessed via Kotobank.jp, 27 May 2010.</ref>

A Satsuma retainer by the name of [[Narahara Kizaemon]] is often cited as having led the attack on Richardson<ref name=nipponica>"Namamugi Jiken." ''Nihon dai hyakka zensho Nipponica'' 日本大百科全書ニッポニカ. Accessed via Japan Knowledge online resource, 27 May 2010.</ref>. Kizaemon was the older brother of [[Narahara Shigeru]]<ref>"[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%A5%88%E8%89%AF%E5%8E%9F%E7%B9%81 Narahara Shigeru]."''Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten'' 朝日日本歴史人物事典. Accessed via Kotobank.jp, 27 May 2010.</ref>, who would go on to play a major role in the governance and administration of Okinawa in the early [[Meiji period]]<ref>Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. Revised Edition. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p361. Kerr is among a number of sources which confuse the two, asserting Narahara Shigeru, aka Narahara Kôgorô, to have also been known as Kizaemon, while other sources reveal the latter to have been his brother.</ref>. A samurai by the name of [[Kaieda Nobuyoshi]] is also today considered to have been among the chief attackers.<ref name=okano>"[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%B2%A1%E9%87%8E%E6%96%B0%E5%8A%A9 Okano Shinsuke]." ''Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten'' 朝日日本歴史人物事典. Accessed via Kotobank.jp, 27 May 2010.</ref>

Richardson was killed, Clarke badly wounded, Marshall a little less so; only Mrs. Borrodaile escaped relatively unharmed. Richardson is said to have managed to ride away a short distance before falling from his horse and being set upon by a number of samurai.<ref name=Vaporis/> What may have been seen by the samurai as a relatively honorable act of mercy, killing Richardson once he was already on the ground, to spare him further suffering, was represented in British sources of the time as excessively cruel, barbaric, and dishonorable.<ref name=daniels1467/>

Richardson was killed, Clarke badly wounded, Marshall a little less so; only Mrs. Borrodaile escaped relatively unharmed. Richardson is said to have managed to ride away a short distance before falling from his horse and being set upon by a number of samurai.<ref name=Vaporis/> What may have been seen by the samurai as a relatively honorable act of mercy, killing Richardson once he was already on the ground, to spare him further suffering, was represented in British sources of the time as excessively cruel, barbaric, and dishonorable.<ref name=daniels1467/>