Historical Notes

The nation of Japan as we know it today, existed as a collection of 270 Han(provinces) each ruled by a leader known as Daimyo.

The ruling authority was the Tokugawa Bakufu(Tokugawa Military Regime) and was controled by the Shogun, a Military leader from the Tokugawa lineage who based his operout of Edo or modern day Tokyo.

Japan existed like this from 1603 - 1867.

Near the end of the Tokugawa Dynasty, times bacame very chaotic, and were many rebellions. The aristocratic class of Samurai bagan fighting Once again through out the Han. This time period is known as the Bakumastu.

In 1867, in an unprecedented movie in order to avoid further bloodshed the shogun relinquished his power to a young emperer named Meiji, who's athority was located in Kyoto. This ended the chaos in Japan that existed during Bakumastu. This is the Meiji Restoration.

In Bakumastu, there were two predominant political groups, the Ishin Shishi who faught to bring power to the emperor and the Shinsen Gumi or the military force defending the Tokugawa Shoganate.