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| Date | February 4, 1868 |
|---|---|
| Location | Between Tamondori and the Ikuta Shrine in Kobe |
| Also known as | Bizen incident |
| Cause | Tension between marching Japanese Imperial-allied forces of Bizen province and foreign soldiers along the route. |
| Participants |
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| Outcome | Temporary occupation of central Kobe by foreign forces, lifted after execution by seppuku of Japanese squad leader; official transition of international relations from Shogunal to Imperial hands. |
| Convicted | Taki Zenzaburo (jp) |
The Kobe incident (神戸事件, kōbe jiken), also known in Japanese as the Bizen incident (備前事件, bizen jiken) and in English as the Bizen affray or Bizen affair, was a diplomatic incident between Imperial Japan and several Western powers, caused by a skirmish on February 4, 1868 between Bizen soldiers and foreign sailors. It developed into a crisis in Franco–Japanese relations, becoming the first major international affairs challenge for the fledgling Meiji government.
The incident occurred during a period of time that Hyōgo Port was open to foreign trade, with a community of foreign merchants and soldiers living and working in the Kobe foreign settlement. In response, the foreign militaries seized nearby Japanese warships and occupied the center of the city under the pretense of protecting their settlement. The Imperial court sent a representative to negotiate and inform the Westerners that power had shifted from the Tokugawa Shogunate to the newly-formed Meiji government. The Western representatives demanded Taki Zenzaburo, who was involved, be executed; Taki committed ceremonial seppuku on March 3.