 Maebara realized that his plans for a surprise attack were doomed to fail, and that the government offices in Yamaguchi had been reinforced with Imperial troops, so he changed his strategy.Instead, Maebara decided to march along the coast of the Sea of Japan to the national capital Tokyo, winning over the ex-"samurai" from the various former domains along the way, and to commit mass "seppuku" (ritual suicide at the feet of Emperor Meiji.Maebara's rebels marched from Hagi to Susa, looting along the way.