The battle started at the Kuromon ("Black Gate") of Kan'ei-ji, which was being guarded by 450 ''Shôgitai'' members. A famous statue of [[Saigo Takamori]] stands on this spot today. The Imperial troops attacked from the front of the gate and from behind the temple, attacking the temple directly with thirteen cannon based within the Edo manor of [[Kaga han]] (today the main campus of [[Tokyo University]]). The ''Shôgitai'' was destroyed in a day. | The battle started at the Kuromon ("Black Gate") of Kan'ei-ji, which was being guarded by 450 ''Shôgitai'' members. A famous statue of [[Saigo Takamori]] stands on this spot today. The Imperial troops attacked from the front of the gate and from behind the temple, attacking the temple directly with thirteen cannon based within the Edo manor of [[Kaga han]] (today the main campus of [[Tokyo University]]). The ''Shôgitai'' was destroyed in a day. |