During the Boshin War, fought in 1868-1869, samurai fought against the Tokugawa Shogunate (which had effectively ruled Japan for over two centuries) in an effort to restore the emperor to full political power in hopes he would expel foreigners. While the emperor was restored his new government ended up doing the exact opposite, embracing western ways, reforming the military and effectively abolishing the samurai. This photograph shows samurai from the Chosyu clain, fighting for the emperor, in the Boshin War.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.
Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University.
