The Battle of Ueno was a battle of the Boshin War that was fought between pro-Imperial and pro-Shogunate forces in the Japanese capital of Edo on 4 July 1868.
Although the Shogunate's Army Minister Katsu Kaishu had negotiated the unconditional surrender of Edo to Saigo Takamori's Imperial forces, Tokugawa Shogitai harassed Imperial troops from their base at Ueno, where they protected the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu and the puppet emperor Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa (Emperor Tobu) as they confined themselves to the Kan'ei-ji Temple. The outnumbered Imperial side was forced to take action, with Saigo Takamori attacking the gate of the temple head-on, only to be stopped by Shogitai forces. The Satsuma suffered heavy losses until the Choshu Domain's forces attacked the Tokugawa troops from the rear, unblocking the tactical stalemate. The Tosa Domain's troops also used Armstrong cannons and Snider guns to devastating effect, thus ending the last center of resistance in Edo. Harada Sanosuke of the Shinsengumi and 300 other Shogitai were killed, while a thousand houses burned down as collateral damage.