 The island of Kyūshū was historically the main location of trade with the West, but also a stronghold of conservative anti-Meiji sentiment.Shinpūren members did not want to simply halt the Westernization process, they wanted to turn the clock back and eradicate every trace of it, including the wearing of Western clothes, use of the Gregorian calendar, and even the use of Western weapons.Members carried salt with them at all times for use in ritual purification of polluting foreign influences, such as electricity, railroads, and even Buddhist priests.