Bloodless slender of edo-jo Castle
(江戸城無血開城)

For Edo-jo Castle’s bloodless slender, there were two main players other than Atsuhime. Saigo Takamori, a Satsuma-hanshi was in charge of leading new government army. After the Battle of Toba and Fushimi in Kyoto in 1868 and Tokugawa Yoshinobu escaped back to Edo due to the loss of the war, Saigo was getting ready for the all-out attack on Edo. At the same time when he was excited about the final attack, he was also conscious about the financial situation before the war. At the time, new government army was holding approximately 2 billion yen, however, it was far lower than the required budget. At this timing, Katsu Kaishu visited Saigo for the negotiation of the bloodless surrender. Katsu Kaishu had been supporting Edo Bakufu ever since He was born under the retaining family of shogunate, and he expended his interest in understanding The Great Powers, especially the upcoming force from the United States. He even gave suggestion to Bakufu during the panic of the arrival of Black Ship and devoted himself to proceed the negotiation with the US. With his loyalty for protecting the shogunate, Kaishu decided to meet with Saigo to make the final negotiation, just two days before the all-out attack. At first, there were seven conditions for the bloodless surrender provided from Saigo, which were,

1. Leave Tokugawa Yoshinobu’s custody to Bizen domain (today Okayama Prefecture)

2. Giving up Edo-jo Castle

3. Vassals in Edo Edo-jo Castle had to be placed in disciplinary confinement in Muko-jima

4. Punishment against the supporters of Tokugawa Yoshinobu’s offence

5. Forceful suppression would be executed if there are extensive riots occurred.

6. Giving up any arms.

7. Giving up any warships

For Saigo, he wanted this battle for his clear victory, so that he brought these strict conditions that makes it impossible for shogunate to irreversibly. revolt back to the new government army. However, because of the eagerness of Kaishu’s protecting the shogunate and the castle town of Edo and its people, and a letter from Atsuhime, Saigo accepted the offer of bloodless surrender, Saito decided not to attack Edo as well as he abandoned the first condition, which is to leave Tokugawa Yoshinomu’s custody to Bizen domain. Yoshinobu eventually retuned Mito, and this is how Edo shogunate put its end.