Kinmon Incident

Kinmon Incident 禁門の変・蛤御門の変
Part of Bakumatsu conflicts
An 1893 woodblock print by Yūzan Mori, depicting the Hamaguri rebellion.
Date August 20, 1864 Location Kyoto Result Shogunal victory
Belligerents
Chōshū Domain Sonnō Jōi Rōnin force	Tokugawa shogunate Aizu Domain Satsuma Domain Mito Domain Owari Domain Kii Domain Kuwana Domain Ōgaki Domain Echizen Domain Hikone Domain Yodo Domain Asao Domain Shinsengumi Mimawarigumi Yūgekitai
Commanders and leaders
	Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Strength
3,000 men (1,400 Chōshū army + 1,600 Rōnin force)	50,000 men
Casualties and losses
400 killed or wounded	60 killed or wounded, 28,000 houses burnt down

The Kinmon Incident (禁門の変, Kinmon no Hen, literally, "Forbidden Gate Incident" or "Imperial Palace Gate Incident"), also known as the Hamaguri Gate Rebellion (蛤御門の変 Hamaguri Gomon no Hen, "Hamaguri Imperial Gate Incident") was a rebellion against the Tokugawa Shogunate that took place on August 20, 1864, at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. It reflected widespread discontent among pro-imperial and anti-foreigner groups, who rebelled under the Sonnō Jōi slogan. Sonnō Jōi had been promulgated by the Emperor Kōmei as the "Order to expel barbarians" in March 1863, and the rebels sought to take control of the Emperor to accomplish the restoration of the Imperial household to political supremacy.

During the bloody crushing of the rebellion, the leading Chōshū clan was held responsible for its instigation. To counter the kidnapping attempt, the Aizu and Satsuma domains led the defense of the Imperial palace, but during the incident, the rebels put Kyoto into fire, starting with the residence of the Takatsukasa family and the one of a Choshu official. It is not entirely clear if they did it as soon as they started to lose, or if it was part of their plan from the beginning, to act as a diversion.

Some courtiers, including Nakayama Tadayasu, the Emperor's Special Consultant for National Affairs, were banished from court because of their involvement in the incident.^[1] The Shogunate followed the incident with a retaliatory armed expedition, the First Chōshū expedition, in September 1864.

Notes

Coups, rebellions, and revolts in Japan Attempted coups and rebellions Pre-Modern Japan Prince Hoshikawa Rebellion (479) Iwai Rebellion (527) Fujiwara no Hirotsugu Rebellion (740) Jinshin Rebellion (762–763) Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion (764) Tengyo no Ran (939-940) Hōgen Rebellion (1156) Heiji Rebellion (1160) Shishigatani Incident (1177) Jōkyū Rebellion (1221) Shocho Uprising (1428) Shimabara Rebellion (1637–1638) Keian Uprising (1651) Shakushain's Revolt (1669–1672) Menashi-Kunashir Rebellion (1789) Shimonoseki Campaign (1863–1864) Tenchūgumi Incident (1863) Mito Rebellion (1864) Kinmon Incident (1864) Meiji period Saga Rebellion (1874) Shinpūren Rebellion (1876) Akizuki Rebellion (1876) Hagi Rebellion (1876) Satsuma Rebellion (1877) Takebashi Incident (1878) Fukushima Incident (1882) Chichibu Incident (1884) Shōwa period March Incident (1931) October Incident (1931) May 15 Incident (1932) Military Academy Incident (1934) February 26 Incident (1936) Kyūjō Incident (1945) Matsue Incident (1945) Mishima Incident (1970) Riots and civil disorder Kakitsu Uprising (1441) Jōkyō Uprising (1686) Nagasaki Incident (1886) Hibiya Incendiary Incident (1905) Rice riots (1918) Koza riot (1970)

Coordinates: 35°01′23.24″N 135°45′34.47″E / 35.0231222°N 135.7595750°E / 35.0231222; 135.7595750