Republic of Ezo
| Republic of Ezo | ||||||||||
| 蝦夷共和国 | ||||||||||
| Secessionist state | ||||||||||
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 Location of Ezo
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| Capital | Hakodate | |||||||||
| Languages | Japanese, Ainu | |||||||||
| Government | Republic | |||||||||
| President | Enomoto Takeaki | |||||||||
| Vice President | Matsudaira Tarō | |||||||||
| Historical era | Bakumatsu | |||||||||
| • | Established | January 27, 1869 | ||||||||
| • | Disestablished | June 27, 1869 | ||||||||
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| Today part of |
 Japan
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| Government officials | |
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Leaders of the Republic of Ezo, with the President Enomoto Takeaki, front right (1869). |
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| President | Enomoto Takeaki |
| Vice-President | Matsudaira Tarō |
| Navy Minister | Arai Ikunosuke |
| Army Minister | Ōtori Keisuke |
| Assistant Army Minister | Hijikata Toshizō |
| Hakodate Magistrate | Nagai Naoyuki |
| Assistant Hakodate Magistrate | Nakajima Saburosuke |
| Esashi Magistrate | Matsuoka Shirojirō |
| Assistant Esashi Magistrate | Kosugi Masanoshin |
| Matsumae Magistrate | Hitomi Katsutarō |
| Minister for Land Reclamation | Sawa Tarozaemon |
| Finance Minister | Enomoto Michiaki |
| Finance Minister | Kawamura Rokushirō |
| Commander of Warships | Koga Gengo |
| Infantry Commander | Furuya Sakuzaemon |
| Judge Advocate General Officer | Takenaka Shigekata |
| Judge Advocate General Officer | Imai Nobuo |
The Republic of Ezo (蝦夷共和国 Ezo Kyōwakoku?) was a short-lived state established in 1869 by former Tokugawa retainers in what is now known as Hokkaido, the large but sparsely populated northernmost island in modern Japan. Ezo is notable for being the first government to attempt to institute democracy in Japan.
After the defeat of the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Boshin War (1869) of the Meiji Restoration, a part of the former shogun's navy led by Admiral Enomoto Takeaki fled to the northern island of Ezo (now known as Hokkaido), together with several thousand soldiers and a handful of French military advisors and their leader, Jules Brunet. Enomoto made a last effort to petition the Imperial Court to be allowed to develop Hokkaido and maintain the traditions of the samurai unmolested, but his request was denied.
On January 27, 1869 (New Style), the independent "Republic of Ezo" was proclaimed, with a government organization based on that of the United States, with Enomoto elected as its first president (sosai). Elections were based on universal suffrage among the samurai class. This was the first election ever held in Japan, where a feudal structure under an Emperor with military warlords was the norm. Through Hakodate Magistrate Nagai Naoyuki, attempts were made to reach out to foreign legations present in Hakodate in order to obtain international diplomatic recognition.
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Wikipedia