Changes

*March 8, [[1866]]

*March 8, [[1866]]

After helping to broker the military alliance between [[Choshu]] and [[Satsuma]] that would eventually topple the Tokugawa [[Bakufu]], [[Sakamoto Ryoma]] stayed at the Teradaya  with a friend from Choshu, Miyoshi Shinzo. Although he was trying to keep a low profile, it became known to Fushimi’s Bakufu bugyo (government commissioner) that a big-named member of the pro-loyalist movement was staying at the Teradaya.  Even though it was not known that the actual "big name" was Sakamoto Ryoma, the Fushimi bugyo ordered 20 heavily armed Bakufu patrolmen to apprehend the "big fish". Luckily for Ryoma, he wasn’t taken off guard. Using his Smith & Wesson revolver, Ryoma and Shinzo battled their way out of the deathtrap and to safety. During the melee, which also included hand-to-hand exchanges that forced Ryoma to use the revolver to parry slashing attacks from short swords, Ryoma sustained light wounds to hands. After downing some of the Bakufu samurai with rounds from his pistol, the patrolmen pulled back in order to re-group. Unable to handle his weapon any longer due to his wounds, Ryoma and Shinzo took advantage of the lull in the fighting to make their escape to freedom through the unguarded back stairs.

After helping to broker the military alliance between [[Choshu]] and [[Satsuma]] that would eventually topple the Tokugawa [[Bakufu]], [[Sakamoto Ryoma]] stayed at the Teradaya  with a friend from Choshu, Miyoshi Shinzo. Although he was trying to keep a low profile, it became known to Fushimi’s Bakufu bugyo (government commissioner) that a big-named member of the pro-loyalist movement was staying at the Teradaya.  Even though it was not known that the actual "big name" was Sakamoto Ryoma, the Fushimi bugyo ordered 20 heavily armed Bakufu patrolmen to apprehend the "big fish". Luckily for Ryoma, he wasn’t taken off guard. Using his Smith & Wesson revolver, Ryoma and Shinzo battled their way out of the deathtrap and to safety. During the melee, which also included hand-to-hand exchanges that forced Ryoma to use the revolver to parry slashing attacks from short swords, Ryoma sustained light wounds to his hands. After downing some of the Bakufu samurai with rounds from his pistol, the patrolmen pulled back in order to re-group. Unable to handle his weapon any longer due to his wounds, Ryoma and Shinzo took advantage of the lull in the fighting to make their escape to freedom through the unguarded back stairs.

[[Image:Bullet_hole_made_by_Sakamoto_Ryoma.jpg|thumb|right|Photograph of a bullet hole made by Sakamoto Ryoma]]

[[Image:Bullet_hole_made_by_Sakamoto_Ryoma.jpg|thumb|right|Photograph of a bullet hole made by Sakamoto Ryoma]]

Ryoma’s actions on that night at the Teradaya have become forever immortalized in both print and film. Today, visitors to the Teradaya can see the room in which Ryoma and Shinzo made their desperate stand. Except for the collection of Ryoma-related artifacts, the room and building remain largely unchanged since that fateful night. Numerous sword scars and a bullet hole remain as testament to the fury of the fighting.

Ryoma’s actions on that night at the Teradaya have become forever immortalized in both print and film. Today, visitors to the Teradaya can see the room in which Ryoma and Shinzo made their desperate stand. Except for the collection of Ryoma-related artifacts, the room and building remain largely unchanged since that fateful night. Numerous sword scars and a bullet hole remain as testament to the fury of the fighting.