Namamugi Incident - 1862

The Namamugi Incident was an attack by samurai on British foreigners in Japan on 14 September 1862. It is also known as the Kanagawa Incident or the Richardson Affair.
The result of this incident was that Kagoshima was bombarded by British ships. In Japanese historiography, this bombardment is considered to be a war between the Daimyat Satsuma and Britain, hence it is known there as the British-Satsumian War.

The incident led to extensive debates in the lower house of the Parliament of Britain. A monument now stands on the site of the incident.
Four British citizens, the Shanghai merchant Charles Lennox Richardson, William Marshall, Marshall's sister-in-law Margaret Borrodaile and Charles Clark (not shown because he had already fled by this time), were travelling on horseback along the Tokaido trunk road towards the temple of Heiken-ji in present-day Kawasaki. As they passed through the village of Namamugi in Tachibana County, Musashi Province, they encountered the uncle of the daimyo of Satsuma, who was acting on his behalf.
The British, out of ignorance or arrogance, failed to dismount from their horses in homage to the daimyo, as was required in Japan at the time. They also ignored or did not understand the requests of the daimyo's guards. As a result, they were attacked by the samurai who acted as Shimazu Hisamitsu's protectors to punish them for disobeying the daimyo. Richardson was killed in the process and the other two men seriously wounded.

Some explanation of each character
WEKO 01 Charles Lennox Richardson had a military background. He is wearing a blue frock coat with large yellow borders. A flat black hat and white linen trousers, but riding boots. Furthermore a wide revolver belt.
WEKO 02 William Marshall wears a blue skirt with a high collar, a Prince Henry cap. Also holding a Japanese riding crop.
WEKO 03 Marshall's sister-in-law Margaret Borrodaile. A normal European lady circa 1860 wearing a large hat and a folded parasol as an accessory.
WEKO 04 to 07 Samurai (guards) in travelling costumes for a foot journey. So straw hat, wide haori jacket with clasp in front of the chest, wide hakama trousers over the kimono. Tied together at the lower legs for walking and covered with leg warmers. With thick tabi socks and straw sandals. Wide cloth belt with short and long sword. Over the left shoulder a bundle of personal belongings.
The jackets are slit at the back so that the longsword can be worn horizontally in the belt. The slit is conspicuously reinforced above with leather or solid cloth so that the jacket does not tear.
WEKO 08 Karo, house elder is basically dressed like the guards. But he is older and wears a wooden jingasa instead of a straw hat.
His hakama trousers fall wide because they are not tied at lower legs. Usually he rides a horse and has just dismounted.
For the samurai and the check, it may be the whole range from medium beige to brown, medium to dark blue (not quite black) or dark greenish blue, jacket, kimono and hakama each in 3 different shades.
Many fabrics in the Edo period had Komon patterns, but so tiny that you wouldn't notice them in 30mm.
No large patterns, but the family crests sewn on brightly. No uniformity of colours.
WEKO 11 The daimyo's palanquin has been put down by the frightened bearers. The lord looks out and directs.
The daimyo in the palanquin may be dressed in quite bright and colourful clothes: Light blue, peachy pink, orange. Interestingly, it was a concession by a ranker to dress quite garishly because it gave the subordinates more colour choices. They certainly had to look more muted than their master.
The palanquin not too ostentatious. No silver or gold, or too feminine (red, light blue), rather natural tones.
WEKO 09 and 13 Ashigaru, these stand above the palanquin bearers and are slightly better dressed. The jacket blazoned and contrasting in colour, not tucked in at the back. A headband instead of a straw hat and the dagger tucked in at the back.
The lance tips of the two Ashigaru are protected at the top with puffs of yak fur.
WEKO 10 The same applies to the Nobori banner bearer with the coat of arms of the Satsuma as to the Ashigaru. The banners range in the spectrum white, deep blue (almost black).
WEKO 12 and 14 Porter, for the bearers a separate colour scheme but more muted than that of the samurai. Small straw hat, the upper garments tucked in at the back (body bandage visible). The legs bare, only sandals. On the back of the jacket large coat of arms of the Satsuma.
WEKO 15 The Chungen horse-holder with the horse of Karo. Chungen (servants) are still one step below Ashigaru and armed only with daggers, pure civilians.
It could also be the daimyo's riding horse. One often sees one being carried along on such trains. Probably it was more pleasant to get out of the rocking coffin occasionally.
For the daimyo a special horse colour, especially white and very bright, expensive silk wrappings. For the Karo rather something modestly bright in red, blue or black, and a brown to go with it.

Drawings: Sascha Lunyakov
Engraving: Rolf Grünewald