Tozenji Incident

At the end of the Edo period, there were two attacks on the British Embassy by anti-foreigner patriots.

At midnight on May 28, 1861 (Bunkyu 1), 14 ronin from the Mito Domain, including Ariga Hanya, broke into the British Legation at Tozenji Temple in Takanawa, Edo, and attacked Minister Alcock and others who had just returned the previous day after traveling overland along the Tokaido road. In the fierce battle inside the legation, Secretary Oliphant and Consul Morrison in Nagasaki were injured, and the minister himself narrowly escaped thanks to a defensive battle with a handgun by a member of the legation staff. Outside the legation, the ronin and Japanese guards, who arrived later, fought, resulting in many casualties on both sides. Minister Alcock realized once again the deep-rooted anti-foreign movement of the Asian peoples as a result of this first intrusion into the legation, but it is said that he also acknowledged the work of the Japanese guards. The incident was resolved with the approval of British sailors to be stationed at the embassy, ​​an increase in Japanese guards, and the payment of $10,000 in reparations.

However, on May 29, 1862 (Bunkyu 2), one year after this incident, Ito Gunbei, a Matsumoto samurai and one of the guards at Tozenji Temple, attacked Neil, the chargé d'affaires, in an attempt to lift the embassy security, which was forcing a huge expenditure on the domain's finances, and to prevent fighting among the Japanese. Ito killed two British sailors, but was himself injured and committed suicide in the guardhouse. The number of British guards was increased, but as reparation negotiations became complicated, the Namamugi Incident occurred in August. When the shogunate agreed to the reparations for the Namamugi Incident, it also accepted Britain's demand for 10,000 pounds in compensation.

[Katsuo Inoue]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕末、攘夷(じょうい)派志士の二度に及ぶイギリス公使館襲撃事件。

　1861年（文久1）5月28日夜半、水戸藩の攘夷派浪士、有賀半弥(ありがはんや)ら14名は、江戸高輪(たかなわ)東禅寺のイギリス公使館内に侵入し、前日、陸路、東海道を下り帰着したばかりの公使オールコックらを襲った。館邸内の激闘で書記官オリファントと長崎駐在領事モリソンが負傷し、公使自身も公使館員の短銃による防戦によって危うく難を逃れた。遅れて駆けつけた日本側警備兵と浪士は邸外で闘い、双方、死傷者多数を出した。公使オールコックは、初めての館邸乱入事件により、東洋民族の排外運動の根強さを再認識したのであるが、日本側警備兵の働きにも認めるところがあったといわれる。イギリス水兵の公使館駐屯の承認、日本側警備兵の増強、賠償金1万ドル支払いで事件は解決をみた。

　しかし、この事件の一周年にあたる1862年（文久2）5月29日、東禅寺警備兵の1人、松本藩士伊藤軍兵衛(ぐんべえ)は、代理公使ニールを襲撃し、多大の藩財政の出費を強いる公使館警備の解除と、日本人相互の闘いを防ごうとした。伊藤は、イギリス水兵2名を殺害したが、自らも負傷し番小屋で自殺した。イギリス側警備兵は増強されたが、賠償金交渉が紛糾するうち8月に生麦(なまむぎ)事件が起こった。幕府は、生麦事件の賠償金承諾と同時に、償金1万ポンドというイギリスの要求をそのまま受諾した。

［井上勝生］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例