Denshutai

Japanese:伝習隊

A military unit trained by the French instructors during the Bakumatsu. 1867/1/30, 15 French military instructors arrived in Japan. Bakufu released a notification to Hatamoto to attend the training. The French instructor Channoine immidiately found that the Hatamoto were not suitable for being soldiers. They were weakened during the peaceful Tokugawa period. He also pointed out that more than 40000 guns that Bakufu owned were rusted and not practical for use. According to Otori Keisuke's memoir, the leaders of each small unit were Hatamoto's sons but the general soldiers were farmers or merchants sons and there were plenty of gang men in the Denshutai.

References

• Bakufu Hoheitai (幕府歩兵隊) Noguchi Takehiko