On June 5th, 1864, the Shogun’s secret police raced against time to foil a sweeping terrorist plot in Kyoto. The ensuing bloodbath would have far-reaching consequences for the future of Japan. 

SOURCES:Hillsborough, Romulus. Shinsengumi: The Shogun’s Last Samurai Corps. 2005.Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Revolution. 2014. Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Assassins. 2017. Jansen, Marius B. The Making of Modern Japan. 2000.Ravina, Mark. The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori. 2004.Esposito, Gabriele. Japanese Armies, 1868-1877. 2020.Charles Rivers Editors. Commodore Matthew Perry. 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices