Republic of Ezo

The Republic of Ezo (蝦夷共和國, Ezo Kyōwakoku) was a short-lived separatist state established in 1869 on the island of Ezo, now Hokkaido, by a part of the former military of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of the Bakumatsu period in Japan. It was the first government to attempt to institute democracy in Japan, though voting was allowed only to the samurai caste. The Republic of Ezo existed for five months before being annexed by the newly established Empire of Japan.

Infobox

Status

Break-away state

Capital

Hakodate

Common languages

Japanese, Ainu

Government

Presidential republic under a samurai aristocracy

• 1869

Enomoto Takeaki

Historical era

Bakumatsu

• Established

January 27, 1869

• Disestablished

June 27, 1869

Today part of

Japan

Tables

Government officials · Perspectives

President

Role

President

Official

Enomoto Takeaki

Vice-President

Role

Vice-President

Official

Matsudaira Tarō

Navy Minister

Role

Navy Minister

Official

Arai Ikunosuke

Army Minister

Role

Army Minister

Official

Ōtori Keisuke

Assistant Army Minister

Role

Assistant Army Minister

Official

Hijikata Toshizō

Hakodate Magistrate

Role

Hakodate Magistrate

Official

Nagai Naoyuki

Assistant Hakodate Magistrate

Role

Assistant Hakodate Magistrate

Official

Nakajima Saburosuke (ja)

Esashi Magistrate

Role

Esashi Magistrate

Official

Matsuoka Bankichi

Assistant Esashi Magistrate

Role

Assistant Esashi Magistrate

Official

Kosugi Masanoshin (ja)

Matsumae Magistrate

Role

Matsumae Magistrate

Official

Hitomi Katsutarō (ja)

Minister for Land Reclamation

Role

Minister for Land Reclamation

Official

Sawa Tarozaemon

Finance Minister

Role

Finance Minister

Official

Enomoto Michiaki (ja)

Finance Minister

Role

Finance Minister

Official

Kawamura Rokushirō

Commander of Warships

Role

Commander of Warships

Official

Koga Gengo (ja)

Infantry Commander

Role

Infantry Commander

Official

Furuya Sakuzaemon (ja)

Judge Advocate General Officer

Role

Judge Advocate General Officer

Official

Takenaka Shigekata

Judge Advocate General Officer

Role

Judge Advocate General Officer

Official

Imai Nobuo (ja)

Role	Official
President	Enomoto Takeaki
Vice-President	Matsudaira Tarō
Navy Minister	Arai Ikunosuke
Army Minister	Ōtori Keisuke
Assistant Army Minister	Hijikata Toshizō
Hakodate Magistrate	Nagai Naoyuki
Assistant Hakodate Magistrate	Nakajima Saburosuke (ja)
Esashi Magistrate	Matsuoka Bankichi
Assistant Esashi Magistrate	Kosugi Masanoshin (ja)
Matsumae Magistrate	Hitomi Katsutarō (ja)
Minister for Land Reclamation	Sawa Tarozaemon
Finance Minister	Enomoto Michiaki (ja)
Finance Minister	Kawamura Rokushirō
Commander of Warships	Koga Gengo (ja)
Infantry Commander	Furuya Sakuzaemon (ja)
Judge Advocate General Officer	Takenaka Shigekata
Judge Advocate General Officer	Imai Nobuo (ja)

References

Héon 2010, pp. 62–63.
Héon 2010, p. 51.
Nakatsu 2018, p. 190.
Nakatsu 2018, p. 198.
Héon 2010, p. 64.
Héon 2010, pp. 64–65.
Hillsborough, p. 4.
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https://web.archive.org/web/20210125184830/https://www.cis.fukuoka-u.ac.jp/~nakanok/study/pdf/200208enomoto.pdf
"『函館市史』通説編2 4編1章2節3"
https://web.archive.org/web/20201024140422/http://archives.c.fun.ac.jp/hakodateshishi/tsuusetsu_02/shishi_04-01/shishi_04-01-02-03-02.htm
A Ramble Round the World, 1871: Japan
https://books.google.com/books?id=P0sSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA138
Origins of the Modern Japanese State
https://books.google.com/books?id=Ob6GAAAAIAAJ
courses.lumenlearning.com
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-fmcc-boundless-worldhistory/chapter/from-the-edo-period-to-meiji-restoration-in-japan/
Onodera, 2004, p. 97.
Héon 2010, p. 65.
Héon 2010, p. 70.
Sims, 1998.
Onodera, 2004, p. 196.
Nakamura, Y. "First Japanese Envoy Enomoto Takeaki (1836-1908) and Russia." Yearbook Japan, vol. 45, 2016, pp. 143-155.
Héon 2010, pp. 88–89.
Héon 2010, p. 99.
Héon 2010, pp. 104–105.
Nakatsu 2018, p. 301.
Black, 1881, pp. 240–241.
Suzuki, 1998, p. 32.