▁which ▁represented ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁international ▁affairs ▁challenge ▁for ▁the ▁fled g ling ▁Me iji ▁government ▁of ▁Japan , ▁and ▁the ▁" ext raj ur is dict ional ▁international ▁zone ", ▁or ▁" Foreign ▁S ett lement " ▁at ▁Hi ogo , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁occupied ▁by ▁a ▁community ▁of ▁foreign ▁merchant - h ouses , ▁with ▁some ▁naval ▁presence ▁of ▁arms ▁from ▁the ▁countries ▁of ▁their ▁incorpor ation , ▁including ▁the ▁US ▁Mar ines , ▁of ▁whom ▁more ▁than ▁fifty ▁land ed ▁in ▁the ▁pan ic , ▁a ▁mere ▁ 2 1 ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁highest - ran king ▁American , ▁R ear ▁Admir al ▁Henry ▁H . ▁Bell , ▁was ▁killed . ▁ ▁Initial ▁incident ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁with ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Bos hin ▁war , ▁the ▁new ▁Me iji ▁government ▁ordered ▁that ▁N ish in omi ya ▁in ▁Set ts u ▁be ▁guard ed ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁check ▁the ▁pro - Sh og un ate ▁forces ▁of ▁Am agas aki ▁Domain . ▁By ▁the ▁ 2 9 th , ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁troops ▁had ▁been ▁raised ▁in ▁B izen ▁Domain ▁to ▁the ▁west , ▁and ▁among ▁these ▁were ▁ 5 0 0 ▁( altern ately ▁ 8 0 0 ) ▁troops ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁domain ' s ▁kar ō ▁, ▁accompanied ▁by ▁can n ons , ▁who ▁march ed ▁over ▁land ▁for ▁their ▁destination . ▁Because ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Hy ō go ▁had ▁been