1863

Bunkyû 3 (文久三年)

Timeline of 1863

• 1863/2 The British legation in Yokohama demands reparations, and a formal apology from the shogunate and Satsuma han for the Namamugi Incident of the previous year, in which a British man was killed by Satsuma samurai, as well as demanding that those guilty be punished.
• 1863/2/8 The Rôshigumi is organized.
• 1863/2/13 Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi departs Edo castle, bound for Kyoto. This is the first shogunal visit to the imperial capital in nearly 230 years, since Tokugawa Iemitsu's journey to Kyoto in 1634.
• 1863/3/5 Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi arrives in Kyoto.
• 1863/3/12 The Rôshigumi is renamed the Mibu Rôshigumi
• 1863/3/25 Assassination of Tonouchi Yoshio
• 1863/5/10 Emperor Kômei issues an imperial order that all foreigners be expelled.
• 1863/6/3 Fighting with Sumo wrestlers in Osaka.
• 1863/7 Bombardment of Kagoshima - Kagoshima, capital of Satsuma han, is bombarded by ships of the British Royal Navy, in retaliation for the Namamugi Incident, and Satsuma's refusal to pay reparations.
• 1863/8
  • 8/12 Serizawa Kamo burns down Yamatoya.
  • 8/18 Political change on August 18. The Mibu Rôshigumi is renamed the Shinsengumi.
• 1863/9 Satsuma submits a formal apology to the British for the Namamugi Incident, and pays 100,000 Mexican silver dollars in reparations.
  • 9/13 Niimi Nishiki commits seppuku.
  • 9/18 Assassination of Serizawa Kamo.
  • 9/26 Assassination of spies from Choshu.
• 1863/12/27 Noguchi Kenji commits seppuku.

Other Events of 1863

• Photographer Felice Beato first arrives in Japan.
• The Nishinomaru, Honmaru, and Ninomaru of Edo castle are destroyed in a series of fires. The Honmaru Palace is never rebuilt.
• King Gojong takes the throne in Joseon.
• King Shô Tai of Ryûkyû orders a national prayer to be held for Satsuma.
• Saitô Hajime joins the Mibu Rôshigumi.

Births and Deaths of 1863

• Abiru Eisaburô dies of illness in Kyoto.
• Aizawa Seishisai dies (b. 1782).
• British diplomat James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin dies (b. 1811).
• Painter Harada Naojirô is born (d. 1899).
• Women's rights activist Kishida Toshiko is born (d. 1901).
• Kiyokawa Hachirô is assassinated in Edo.
• Artist Migita Toshihide is born (d. 1925).
• Niimi Nishiki commits seppuku.
• Serizawa Kamo is assassinated.
• Geographer Shiga Shigetaka is born (d. 1927).
• Historian Tokutomi Sohô is born (d. 1957).
• Tonouchi Yoshio is assassinated.

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