National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

1863 (Bunkyu 3) was the year the “Expel the Barbarians” sentiment overwhelmed the country. This letter dates to the period when Sakamoto Ryoma was busy establishing a naval force in Kobe, and the Choshu clan was propelling this sentiment into action by random attacks against foreign ships passing through the Kanmon straits. In this letter, Ryoma condemns the absurdity of the Tokugawa shogunate then repairing those warships in Edo. He wrote “I am determined to wash this country clean all over again.” He also gave a teasing response to his sister’s letter, in which she had expressed her desire to renounce the world and take holy orders. He also showed his concern over the suppression of the Tosa Loyalist Party.