- Sakamoto's 8 Point Plan for Imperial Restoration and Governance
Although Sakamoto Ryoma brokered the military alliance between Choshu and Satsuma, he hoped that force would be a last resort. To help try to bring about the Imperial restoration by peaceful means, Sakamoto drafted an eight point plan that he shared with Gotô Shôjirô who then presented it in a memorial to Yôdô, leader of Tosa han. Sakamoto’s plan was as follows:
- Political power should be restored to the Imperial Court and all decrees should be issued by the Court.
- Both upper and lower legislative houses should be created and government policies should be decided by this legislative body.
- "Men of ability" from the former daimyô, nobles and general population should be appointed councilors. Traditional posts of power that existed under the baku-han system should be abolished.
- Foreign affairs should be conducted in accordance with regulations agreed upon on the basis of general consensus.
- Rules and regulations created during Japan’s feudal days should be abolished and a new, modern legal code should be created.
- Naval forces should be enlarged.
- An Imperial Guard should be established for the purpose of defending the capital.
- The value of goods and silver should be aligned with the going rates in foreign countries.