 As Rosen and Ariyo continued their inquiry into spirits and the spirit realm, the Meiji Restoration was proclaimed. As a result, their domain of Hirosaki faced political turmoil and was forced to take a stance in the Boshin War of 1868 to 1869. A fellow Hirata disciple and domainal samurai fought and died for the emperor’s army. Shinto priests of their circle conducted a funerary ritual to “call back” and venerate the spirits of these fallen soldiers. In the early years of the Meiji period, members of the Tsugaru Group variously celebrated the Restoration of Imperial rule, carried out religious reforms of the state, continued kokugaku studies, and struggled with the rapid changes of a modern society. 