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| Battle of Bonari Pass | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theBoshin War | |||||||
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Imperial Japanese Army | Bakufu Army | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Itagaki Taisuke Ijichi Masaharu Murata Tsuneyoshi | Ōtori Keisuke Hijikata Toshizō | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 3,000 | 800 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
  Location within Japan | |||||||
TheBattle of Bonari Pass (Japanese:母成峠の戦い) was part of theBoshin War, and occurred on the 6 October 1868 (Gregorian Calendar), or the 21st day of the Eighth Month,Keiō-4 year (Japanese calendar). The Bonari pass was a strategic access at the limit of the fief ofAizu.
The battle was between a mixed force of 800 troops – including former shogunate soldiers (Denshūtai andShinsengumi) led byŌtori Keisuke andHijikata Toshizō, Aizu forces, and soldiers of various northern domains — against a much larger number of troops favourable to the Imperial government.
Itagaki Taisuke led his troops, by some estimates numbering as many as 3,000, in a rapid strike against forces defendingAizuwakamatsu Castle.[1] Heading southwest fromNihonmatsu, Itagaki then took a route across Bonari Pass northwards to cross into Aizu.[1]
Outnumbered, the shogunal troops had to retreat to the North toSendai, where the fleet ofEnomoto Takeaki was ready to evacuate them toHokkaidō. This left Aizu exposed, and facilitated the imperial advance.
Three days later, the Imperial troops reached the castle of Wakamatsu and laid siege to it, in the key action of theBattle of Aizu.
