The Choshu army was full of fighting spirit, as it had purchased weapons and battleships through secret trading via the Satsuma-Choshu alliance and had undergone military reform.
薩長同盟を介した秘密貿易で武器や艦船を購入し、近代的な軍制改革が施されていた長州軍の士気は、極めて高かった。