▁of ▁protect ing ▁the ▁foreign ▁settlement , ▁and ▁seized ▁the ▁Tok ug awa ▁war ships ▁anch ored ▁off ▁the ▁Hy ō go ▁port . ▁At ▁this ▁point ▁in ▁time , ▁the ▁Japanese ▁imperial ▁court ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁informed ▁foreign ▁countries ▁of ▁the ▁transition ▁of ▁power ▁from ▁the ▁Sh og un ate ▁to ▁the ▁Me iji ▁government , ▁and ▁It ō ▁H iro bum i ▁attempted ▁negoti ations ▁that ▁quickly ▁broke ▁down . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 8 , ▁the ▁imperial ▁court ▁hurried ly ▁announced ▁the ▁transfer ▁of ▁power ▁to ▁the ▁Me iji ▁government ▁and ▁declared ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁Japan . ▁H ig ash iku ze ▁Mich it omi ▁was ▁assigned ▁as ▁a ▁representative ▁and ▁re open ed ▁negoti ations . ▁ ▁The ▁foreign ▁countries ▁demanded ▁safety ▁for ▁their ▁people ▁and ▁har sh ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁the ▁Japanese ▁person ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁incident — in ▁short , ▁T aki ' s ▁execution . ▁There ▁was ▁some ▁compla int ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁too ▁har sh ▁for ▁an ▁incident ▁in ▁which ▁no ▁one ▁had ▁actually ▁died , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁Japanese ▁T aki ' s ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁foreign ▁troops ' ▁tom ow ari ▁seemed ▁altogether ▁natural , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁a ▁demand ▁from ▁the ▁Great ▁Pow ers ▁there ▁was ▁nothing ▁to ▁be ▁done . ▁Date ▁Mun en ari ▁sent ▁an ▁appeal ▁for ▁cle men cy ▁via ▁It ō ▁H iro bum i ▁and ▁God ai ▁Tom o ats u , ▁which ▁arrived ▁just ▁in ▁time , ▁but ▁was ▁rejected ▁by ▁a ▁vote ▁of