Sakaimachi Gomon Gate
On August 18th, 1863, political and military forces staged a coup d’état to wrest back power from seven court nobles who had seized control. A powerful alliance was formed in an attempt to expel from Kyoto Sanjo Sanetomi (1837–1891) and the Choshu clan, the leaders of a group whose policies were based on the expulsion of foreigners and securing political primacy for the emperor. Emperor Komei (1831–1867) came together with Nakagawa no Miya (1824-1891), the Aizu and Satsuma clans, and a number of court nobles who favored reconciliation between the Imperial Court and the shogunate, in order to create a united front in opposition to this group.
Aizu and Satsuma soldiers managed to secure the Sakaimachi Gomon gate before the Choshu soldiers assigned to guard it could assemble. The Choshu soldiers and the seven radical court nobles were then expelled from the capital and exiled to Choshu in southern Honshu. These events led to a temporary reconciliation between the Imperial Court and the shogunate.