▁opened ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁the ▁troops ▁advanced ▁on ▁the ▁ ▁road ▁rather ▁than ▁that ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁Tok ug awa ▁sh og un ate , ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁avoid ▁enc oun ters ▁with ▁enemy ▁forces ▁or ▁foreign ers . ▁ ▁S omet ime ▁after ▁ 1 ▁o ' clock ▁on ▁February ▁ 4 , ▁as ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁B izen ▁troops ▁march ed ▁along ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁S ann omi ya ▁S hr ine , ▁two ▁French ▁sail ors ▁emer ged ▁from ▁a ▁nearby ▁building ▁and ▁attempted ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁line . ▁The ▁Japanese ▁troops ▁saw ▁this ▁as ▁const itut ing ▁, ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁extreme ▁dis res pect ▁under ▁the ▁La ws ▁for ▁the ▁Military ▁H ouses , ▁and ▁T aki ▁Z enz ab uro , ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁can non ▁group , ▁took ▁a ▁spe ar ▁and ▁attempted ▁to ▁stop ▁them . ▁However , ▁neither ▁side ▁could ▁understand ▁the ▁other , ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁sail ors ▁attempted ▁to ▁force ▁their ▁way ▁through , ▁T aki ▁st ab bed ▁at ▁them ▁with ▁his ▁spe ar , ▁inf lic ting ▁light ▁w ounds . ▁ ▁The ▁sail ors ▁briefly ▁retre ated ▁ind o ors ▁but ▁re emer ged ▁with ▁hand g uns . ▁T aki , ▁seeing ▁this , ▁shout ed ▁out ▁" G uns , ▁guns ! ", ▁which ▁his ▁troops ▁took ▁as ▁an ▁order ▁to ▁shoot , ▁beginning ▁a ▁fire f ight . ▁The ▁road side ▁sk irm ish ▁soon ▁also ▁target ed ▁the