In the aftermath of military failure at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in early 1868, Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu returned to Edo and expressed serious consideration towards pledging allegiance to the new Meiji government.
•
One unit was marched towards Nikkō, defeating an Imperial Army detachment on the way at Koyama in Shimotsuke Province.
•
In the Battle of Hakodate when the Imperial Army surrounded the Goryokaku fortress, Enomoto Takeaki wanted to go down fighting; however, it was Ōtori who suggested a peaceful surrender, changing Enomoto's mind with his words of "If it's dying you want you can do it anytime."
•
He also had an instrumental role in the opening of the First Sino-Japanese War.
Keisuke Minami | Keisuke Kuwata | Keisuke Itagaki | Tales of the Otori | Otori Keisuke |
The troops were organized under a joint Franco-Japanese command, Commander-in-chief Otori Keisuke being seconded by the French captain Jules Brunet, and divided into four brigades, each commanded by a French officer (Fortant, Marlin, Cazeneuve and Bouffier).