Japan had expected to encounter the resistance by armed force in Taiwan during the take-over period. Therefore, before Taiwan was transferred, Japan sent Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa to lead the Imperial Guards Division. The force went ashore at Audi on May 29, and swept from north to south: they occupied Taipei in the beginning of June, and had a fierce fight at Baguashan in the end of August. Then in October, jointed with the Fourth Division led by Prince Fushimi Sadanau landing from Budai and the Second Division led by Nogi Maresuke landing from Fangliao, the Imperial Guards Division simultaneously besieged Tainan from three ways. On November 18, Admiral Kabayama Sukenori, the Governor-General of Taiwan, announced that the islands had been quelled. It took the Japanese only five months to conquer Taiwan.

The Imperial Guards Division went aboard Satsumamaru in 1895
Source：北白川宮家在臺行跡圖像，Archives of the Archives of Institute of Taiwan History

In April, the Imperial Guards Division arrived at Liaodong Peninsula to prepare for participate the first sino-japanese war. Because of Qing Dynasty and Japan signed the treaty, they canceled scheduled plan and stayed in Liaodong Peninsula. the Imperial Guards Division transformed a route from Lushun to Taiwan on May.

The Imperial Guards Division landed Audi Bay, Cape San Diego in 1895
Source：北白川宮家在臺行跡圖像，Archives of the Archives of Institute of Taiwan History

On April 1895, the Imperial Guards Division arrived at Liaodong Peninsula to prepare for participate the first sino-japanese war, because of Qing Dynasty and Japan singed the treaty. Therefore, they transformed a route from Lushun and Dalian to Audi. Due to the imperial guards division landed on ebb, Japanese had to pass through a sandy beach and a ford to go on shore. The Prince Yoshihisa camped near seashore.

Boats Transport Qing Soldiers in Outlet of Tamsui-Fluss in 1895
Source：《征臺軍凱旋紀念帖》（遠藤誠編，東京：裳華房書店、遠藤寫真館，1896年出版）, Archives of National Museum of Taiwan History

On 18 June, there were almost 3,000 soldiers being sent back to Qing Dynasty from Tamsui and remaining soldiers scheduled repatriating before the date 30. According to the statistics, over 3,000 soldiers were sent back from Tamsui in a period of June, and totaled 8,000 soldiers, if the statistics comprise the people, that went back to Qing Dynasty by foreign boat.

Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
Source：《征臺軍凱旋紀念帖》（遠藤誠編，東京：裳華房書店、遠藤寫真館，1896年出版）, Archives of National Museum of Taiwan History

Yanshui Octagonal Building in Tainan in 1890s
Source：James Wheeler Davidson Family fonds, University of Calgary, Archives and Special Collections

After the Fourth Division landed, they followed coastline went to south and met a stubborn resistance from the Taiwanese militias. When the Fourth Division invaded Yanshui, Prince Sadanau took the Octagonal Building as his residence and command post. In 1942, the building was transferred as the Memorial Hall of Prince Fushimi Sadanau. A stone engraved “The Remains of the Residence and Command Post of Prince Fushimi Sadanau at Yanshuigang” was erected in the garden.

Nogi Maresuke
Source：《征臺軍凱旋紀念帖》（遠藤誠編，東京：裳華房書店、遠藤寫真館，1896年出版）, Archives of National Museum of Taiwan History

Nogi Division into Tainan City in 1895
Source：《臺灣歷史畫帖》（臺南市歷史館編，臺南市：臺南市役所，1939年出版），Archives of Joint Library of Humanities

The Japanese made a joint attack from three ways. Reverend Thomas Barclay and Tainan gentries went to Japanese Camp on October 20. After Nogi Maresuke confirmed that they wish to invite the Japanese to enter the city, he led the soldiers of the Second Division into Tainan On October 21.