▁the ▁foreign ▁minister s , ▁beginning ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁Cons ul ▁General ▁Lé on ▁Ro ches . ▁ ▁Finally , ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 4 , ▁B izen ▁Domain ▁acc eded ▁to ▁the ▁foreign ▁countries ' ▁dem ands . ▁T aki ▁committed ▁se pp u ku ▁before ▁the ▁assemble d ▁foreign ▁officials ▁at ▁E if u ku - ji ▁Temple ▁on ▁March ▁ 3 . ▁He ki , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁troops , ▁was ▁simultaneously ▁placed ▁under ▁house ▁arrest , ▁and ▁the ▁incident ▁was ▁tent atively ▁resolved . ▁ ▁Sign ific ance ▁The ▁K obe ▁Inc ident ▁represented ▁the ▁first ▁international ▁diplom atic ▁incident ▁faced ▁by ▁the ▁new ▁government ▁after ▁the ▁rest oration ▁of ▁Imperial ▁rule . ▁Though ▁this ▁incident ▁was ▁ultimately ▁resolved ▁when ▁the ▁foreign ▁powers ▁forced ▁the ▁execution ▁of ▁T aki ▁Z enz ab uro ▁( jp ), ▁it ▁did ▁demonstrate ▁to ▁them ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁Me iji ▁government ▁was ▁now ▁the ▁r uling ▁administration ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁Japan ' s ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁Furthermore , ▁this ▁incident ▁showed ▁the ▁court ' s ▁foreign - rel ations ▁philosophy ▁turning ▁quickly ▁from ▁that ▁of ▁ ▁to ▁. ▁However , ▁as ▁the ▁j ō i ▁fa ction ▁did ▁retain ▁support ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁administration , ▁the ▁new ▁foreign ▁policy ▁was ▁not ▁made ▁clear ▁internally . ▁An ▁official ▁declaration ▁of ▁the ▁change ▁was ▁finally ▁made ▁the ▁next ▁year , ▁on ▁July ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁decision ▁by ▁the ▁