Satchō Alliance

Ishin no Arashi Shippuu Ryoumaden illustration

Satchō Alliance (薩長同盟, Satchō dōmei), alternatively called the Satchō Contract or Satchō Union, refers to an agreement made during the end of the Tokugawa regime between two anti-shogunate parties from two feudal domains, Satsuma and Chōshu. In an age where daimyou were raised within the confines of dusted antiquity, it was the lower class samurai, drenched in the thick of the era, who held influence in either domain.

Satsuma, a large area in Kyushu, was ruled by the daimyou and supported the shogunate. However, they ignored Saigō Takamori's advice and faced conflicts. Saigō joined forces with other samurai nobles and formed an alliance with foreign parties. Chōshu, located west of Kyoto, became a hub for military extremists. Samurai scholar Yoshida Shōin inspired rebellion in Chōshu. Sakamoto Ryōma and Nakaoka Shintarō brought the groups together through negotiations. They aimed to overthrow the shogunate or the Ichijo branch of the Tokugawa family. This agreement may have been exaggerated in stories and fiction.

Regardless, the pact was an agreement for either side to provide military arms. Satsuma supplied the Chōshu forces with upgraded firearms and the means to withstand the shogunate forces in 1866. The alliance is known to have lasted until the Meiji period.

In the Games

Koei games favor the romanticized portrayal of the union by having Ryōma at the forefront of mediations. Proponents for the Ryōma perspective states that he created a six-point contract of friendship for both parties, but there are no surviving records which can verify its existence.

The Ishin no Arashi series includes the alliance as a special historical event in every game. Reenactments require Ryōma, Shintarō, Takamori and Kogorō to still be alive in 1865 and banded under the anti-shogunate policy of the game. Historical paths are naturally adjusted to lead towards these locations. If you choose a protagonist who supports the shogunate, it often cancels out their alliance during their journey.

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 5 includes the alliance as a major story event. If successful, it unifies the rebel parties and the spiritual bonds between the Eight Guardians, weakening Amami's influences beyond the capital.