Sakamoto Ryoma and the End of the Shogunate

Meet Sakamoto Ryoma, the Tosa samurai whose ideas about alliances, ships and a new national government made him one of Japan's best-loved figures of the 1860s.

Published October 19, 2026 at 1:06 PM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Sakamoto Ryoma (1836 to 1867) was a low-ranking samurai from Tosa, today's Kochi Prefecture. He helped broker the 1866 alliance between the Satsuma and Choshu domains, founded a trading company that also served as a small navy, and promoted a plan for a new national government. He died in Kyoto in December 1867, aged 31.

A boy from Kochi

Sakamoto Ryoma was born on January 3, 1836, in Kochi, the castle town of the Tosa domain on the island of Shikoku. His family belonged to the lower ranks of the samurai, and Tosa had a strict class system that separated those ranks from the upper retainers. Britannica notes that he became known early for his skill in swordsmanship.

The Memorial Museum at Ryoma's Birthplace in Kochi City describes his childhood and upbringing, including the old Kamimachi district where he grew up. According to the museum, the exhibits present a young man who started out as a shy boy and later became a leader who helped shape modern Japan. That story of growth is a major reason for his popular appeal.

Tosa itself had a distinctive history. Its lord was Yamanouchi Yodo, who would later become an important voice among those urging reform, and the domain produced several figures who took part in the events leading up to the Restoration. Ryoma's early years in this setting prepared him for the larger stage that followed.

Leaving Tosa

Around 1862, Ryoma left his domain without permission, an act that placed him outside the normal protection of the samurai system. For a time he used the name Saitani Umetaro. Life outside the domain gave him freedom to move through the country and meet people of many backgrounds, including officials interested in reform and people involved in trade and shipping.

One of his important contacts was Katsu Kaishu, a shogunate official who worked on naval training. Britannica notes that Ryoma worked with Katsu on a naval training school. The experience gave him knowledge of ships, ports and international trade, which became central to his later plans.

In the early 1860s the question of how Japan should respond to Western ships and treaties dominated political debate. Ryoma's interest in naval affairs placed him close to that debate, and it shaped his belief that a stronger, better organized country would be needed.

The Satsuma-Choshu alliance

In the mid-1860s the domains of Satsuma and Choshu were rivals, and their cooperation would be a major step toward changing the national order. Ryoma took part in the negotiations that produced the secret alliance of 1866, which was formalized in Kyoto in the first months of that year. Saigo Takamori of Satsuma and Kido Takayoshi of Choshu were key figures on the two sides.

Modern historians note that Ryoma's role should be described with care. Other people, including Komatsu Tatewaki of Satsuma, were also essential to the agreement. Even so, he is widely recognized as a skillful go-between whose contacts helped bring the two sides to the table.

The alliance mattered because it joined two large domains in the west of Japan that had the resources and the determination to challenge the shogunate. Within a few years, the political situation in the country had changed, and the Meiji government took shape in 1868.

Ships, trade and the Kaientai

With support from Satsuma, Ryoma set up a trading company in Nagasaki that later became known as the Kaientai, often translated as the "Ocean Support Fleet." It carried goods and also operated as a small private navy. The group brought together former samurai and others who shared an interest in ships and overseas trade.

The Kaientai reflected a new kind of thinking. Instead of defining a person only by domain or rank, it offered a place for people with practical skills to work together. Nagasaki, the port that had long been the main contact with the outside world, was a natural home for such an enterprise, and the city today preserves many sites from this period.

Its activities in Nagasaki centered on shipping and trade. Details of its operations are discussed in specialist studies, but its place in the story, as a private organization with both commercial and naval roles, is well recorded. It began around 1865 under the name Kameyama Shachu and adopted the Kaientai name later.

The Eight-Point Proposal

In 1867 Ryoma and Goto Shojiro of Tosa drafted a program known as the Senchu Hassaku, or Eight-Point Proposal, while traveling on a Tosa ship off Nagasaki. It called for a two-chamber elected legislature, a constitution, a national army and navy, and regulation of gold and silver exchange rates, among other ideas.

The plan fed into discussions around Yamanouchi Yodo, the lord of Tosa, who urged the shogun to give up his authority. In November 1867 Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu announced the return of administrative powers to the court. Ryoma did not see the outcome in full, but historians regard his proposal as an important reflection of the ideas circulating at the time.

The Charter Oath of April 1868 later set out goals for the new government, and some historians link ideas like those in the proposal to the thinking of that period. For this reason Ryoma is remembered as someone who imagined the shape of the future state.

December 1867

On December 10, 1867, Ryoma was attacked at the Omiya Inn in Kyoto, together with his colleague Nakaoka Shintaro. He was 31. Early reports blamed the Shinsengumi, a shogunate security force. Later statements by members of another group, the Mimawarigumi, pointed in a different direction, and the identity of the main attacker has never been proven.

His death came only weeks before the Meiji Restoration was proclaimed in January 1868. For many people in Japan, the timing adds to the sense of an unfinished story, which has kept his reputation vivid in books, television series and local memorials.

Following his footsteps today

Kochi is the natural starting point. The Memorial Museum at Ryoma's Birthplace stands in the Kamimachi area, about a 30-minute walk from JR Kochi Station, and it can also be reached by tram or bus. Hours, closing days and admission change, so check the current information on the official visitor page.

Kyoto and Nagasaki also hold sites tied to his later years. Reading a short biography before the trip makes each place more meaningful. Remember that popular novels and television dramas have shaped his image, so details in them may differ from the historical record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Sakamoto Ryoma?

He was a samurai from the Tosa domain who became an important figure in the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate. He helped arrange the 1866 Satsuma-Choshu alliance, set up the Kaientai trading company and navy, and promoted ideas for a new national government before his death in 1867.

Why is he so popular in Japan?

His rise from a lower-ranking family, his freedom from domain boundaries and his early interest in ships and overseas trade appeal to many readers. His life was cut short at 31, just before the Meiji Restoration, which adds to the sense of unfulfilled promise.

Where can I learn more about him in Kochi?

The Memorial Museum at Ryoma's Birthplace in Kochi City presents his childhood and the district where he grew up. It is about a 30-minute walk from JR Kochi Station. Always check the museum's current hours and admission details before visiting.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Manga-Style Japanese History: Shoguns, Samurai & Sake in 12 Stories is available on Amazon.

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