Nevertheless, at the Battle of Toba Fushimi that broke out on January 3, even though the military force was holding up adequately, he judged that the former Shogunate army was at a disadvantage; he abandoned his army and retreated to Edo-jo Castle aboard warship Kaiyo Maru.
しかし、1月3日に勃発した鳥羽・伏見の戦いで旧幕府軍が形勢不利と、まだ兵力を十分に保持しているにも関わらず、兵を置き去りにして軍鑑『開陽丸』で江戸へ退却した。