The Imperial Standard flashes to the proud rhythm of the flute. It is the flag that marks the Imperial army, but what period is this procession showing?

“Revere the Emperor; Expel the Barbarians” was the slogan of the Meiji Restoration; an appeal to build Japan with the emperor at its heart. Although this slogan defeated the Tokugawa Shogunate, their war against its former influence nevertheless continued. That was when the “Yamaguni Corps” marched to ally themselves with the emperor. Hailing from the village of Yamaguni in Kyoto, their link to the emperor is said to date back into antiquity, having provided lumber for the construction of Heian-kyō.

The Corps dedicated themselves to raising their allies’ morale by playing instruments and putting on performances. Reportedly, they served from the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in Kyoto all the way to the Battle of Goryōkaku Fort in Hakodate, where they fought to the bitter, bloody end of the Boshin War. What hue is the drama in your mind, listener, as the flute’s melody washes over you?