The Boshin War of 1868–1869 ended the Tokugawa shogunate and secured imperial rule in Japan.
The conflict began after political disputes over the future of Japan and the return of governing authority from Tokugawa Yoshinobu to Emperor Meiji. Imperial forces, led mainly by domains such as Satsuma and Chōshū, fought supporters of the former shogunate across central and northern Japan.
Early fighting included the Battle of Toba–Fushimi near Kyoto, where imperial forces defeated Tokugawa troops. Edo surrendered in 1868, but resistance continued in northern Japan and on Hokkaido. The final major stand ended at Goryōkaku in Hakodate in 1869.
The war marked the political transition from the Tokugawa period to the Meiji era. It did not instantly erase every samurai role, but the new government gradually dismantled hereditary domains and warrior privileges.