1868 in Japan
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Events from the year 1868 in Japan. It corresponds to KeiÅ 4 and Meiji 1 in the Japanese calendar. In the history of Japan, it marks the beginning of the Meiji period on October 23 under the reign of Emperor Meiji.
Incumbents
Events
- January 6 (KeiÅ 3, 10th day of the 12th month)[2] â The restoration of the Imperial government was announced to the kuge. The year 1868 began as Keio 3, and did not become Meiji 1 until the 8th day of the 9th month of Keio 4, i.e., October 23; although retrospectively, it was quoted as the first year of the new era from 25 January onwards.
- January 27â31 â Battle of TobaâFushimi
- January 28 â Battle of Awa
- February 2 â Fall of Osaka castle
- March 29 â Battle of KÅshÅ«-Katsunuma and Battle of Hokuetsu
- May 10â14 â Battle of Utsunomiya Castle
- July 4 â Battle of Ueno
- September 3 (KeiÅ 4, 17th day of the 7th month) â Emperor Meiji announces that the name of the city of Edo was being changed to Tokyo, or "eastern capital".
- October 6 â Battle of Bonari Pass
- OctoberâNovember â Battle of Aizu
- October 23 (KeiÅ 4/Meiji 1, 8th day of the 9th month)
- The Japanese era name (nengÅ) is formally changed from KeiÅ to Meiji; and a general amnesty is granted. The adoption of the Meiji nengÅ was done retroactively to January 25, 1868 (KeiÅ 4/Meiji 1, 1st day of the 1st month).
- Emperor Meiji travels to Tokyo and Edo castle became an imperial palace.
- November 7 â Battle of Noheji
Births
- January 10 â Ozaki KÅyÅ, author and writer (d. 1903)[3]
- January 11 â Shimizu Shikin, novelist and women's rights activist (d. 1933)
- January 18 â Suzuki KantarÅ, admiral, 42nd Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1948)
- January 20 â Keisuke Okada, 20th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1952)
- April 12 â Akiyama Saneyuki, soldier (d. 1918)
- May 27 â Takeo Hirose, naval officer (d. 1904)
- December 8 â KenjirÅ Tokutomi, philosopher and writer (d. 1927)
- December 29 â Kitamura Tokoku, poet, essayist and writer (d. 1894)
Deaths
- January 29 â Inoue GenzaburÅ, captain of the sixth unit of the Shinsengumi (b. 1829)
- February 6 â Yamazaki Susumu, Shinsengumi officer and spy (b. ca 1843)
- May 17 â KondÅ Isami, samurai and bakufu official (b. 1834)
- June 27 â Hayashi Yasusada, samurai (b. 1806)
- July 19 â Okita SÅji, captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi (b. 1844)
- October 8
- Shinoda GisaburÅ, samurai, Byakkotai (b. 1852)
- Jinbo Kuranosuke, samurai (b. 1816)
- Tanaka Tosa, samurai (b. 1820)
- October 16 â Nakano Takeko, female warrior (b. 1847)