Rikuji and The Music Corps' Battōtai / Drawn-Sword Regiment is a modern recording of one of Japan's best known historical military melodies. Battōtai means roughly "Drawn-Sword Regiment" and commemorates the sword armed government detachment that fought during the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, particularly at the Battle of Tabaruzaka. Its lyrics describe the government forces advancing against Saigo Takamori's rebels, with unusually vivid imagery of drawn swords, battle and soldiers prepared to do what they must. The words originated as a poem by Toyama Masakazu, published in 1882, while the music was composed by French military bandmaster Charles Leroux, who had come to Japan as part of a French military advisory mission. Leroux set the poem to music during the Meiji era, creating an important early example of Japanese military music written in a Western band tradition. The Battōtai melody was later incorporated with material from Leroux's Fusōka into the familiar Army March, or Rikugun Bunretsu Kōshinkyoku, a march that remains in the repertoire of Japan's modern Ground Self-Defense Force bands. This particular Rikuji and The Music Corps recording is a recent release rather than a historical recording. It was issued in early 2026 and runs three minutes, crediting Toyama Masakazu for the composition. The release presents the old Meiji era melody in a modern military band setting while preserving the ceremonial character that has allowed Battōtai to survive in Japanese band repertoire for well over a century. 🎵 Listen to more from Rikuji & The Music Corps on their official music streaming sites: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4d8BFGIZxuZ6Qx5uwINSE0?si=qDlx7_oIT1mo0y8eMw3xLA https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rikuji/1888454767 🎨 Artwork by Taiso Yoshitoshi 👍 If you like this type of music and you want to support the channel grow, using the Like and Share buttons are great ways to help out. 🔔 Please subscribe to TSOM for more: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpiritOfOrchestralMusic?sub_confirmation=1 ➤ Follow TSOM on our official social and music streaming platforms: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheSpiritOfOrchestralMusic Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/user/31xg2433be5vgodlzsx2u4ylhdz4 Thank you very much for watching! #Battotai #DrawnSwordRegiment #JapaneseMilitaryMusic #MilitaryMarch #JapaneseMusic #TheSpiritOfOrchestralMusic