osh iz ō ▁left ▁the ▁sh ō gun ' s ▁capital ▁of ▁E do ▁en ▁mas se ▁and ▁gathered ▁at ▁. ▁There ▁were ▁small ▁numbers ▁of ▁men ▁of ▁A iz u ▁under ▁Ak iz uki ▁Nob or inos u ke ▁and ▁K uw ana ▁troops ▁under ▁T ats umi ▁Na of umi ▁also ▁present , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁surv iving ▁sh ins eng umi , ▁such ▁as ▁Sh im ada ▁K ai . ▁While ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁numbers ▁were ▁sam ur ai , ▁there ▁were ▁also ▁many ▁members ▁of ▁other ▁social ▁classes ▁present , ▁particularly ▁under ▁ Ō t ori ' s ▁direct ▁command . ▁Their ▁objective ▁was ▁U ts un omi ya , ▁a ▁castle ▁town ▁on ▁the ▁road ▁north ward ▁to ▁Nik k ō ▁and ▁A iz u , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁position ▁of ▁vital ▁strateg ic ▁importance . ▁The ▁da im y ō ▁of ▁U ts un omi ya , ▁Tod a ▁T ad atom o , ▁was ▁absent , ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁charged ▁by ▁Tok ug awa ▁Y osh in ob u ▁with ▁travel ing ▁to ▁Ky oto ▁and ▁subm itting ▁a ▁letter ▁of ▁ap ology ▁and ▁submission . ▁Upon ▁his ▁arrival ▁in ▁ Ō ts u , ▁Tod a ▁was ▁met ▁by ▁S ats uma – Ch ō sh ū ▁forces ▁and ▁placed ▁under ▁conf in ement , ▁as ▁such ▁a ▁message ▁reaching ▁the ▁ears ▁of ▁Emperor ▁Me iji ▁might ▁have ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁prem ature ▁p ardon ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁complicated ▁the