"幕末" (Bakumatsu) refers to the final years of the Edo period in Japan, specifically from the 1850s to 1868. This era was marked by significant political and social upheaval as Japan faced external pressures, particularly from Western powers. The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853, with his "Black Ships," forced Japan to open its ports to foreign trade, leading to widespread discontent among the ruling Tokugawa shogunate. During the Bakumatsu period, various factions emerged, including the Sonnō jōi movement, which advocated for the restoration of imperial rule. This conflict ultimately culminated in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ended the shogunate and initiated a new era of modernization and reform in Japan.