Who was this person?
A Satsuma samurai at the heart of the Meiji Restoration. Discovered by Shimazu Nariakira and twice exiled to remote islands, he became a domain leader, concluded the Satsuma–Chōshū Alliance and drove the overthrow of the shogunate. In the Boshin War he arranged the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle with Katsu Kaishū, and in the new government backed the abolition of the domains, but he later left office and died after his defeat in the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877.
| Name | Saigō Takamori (西郷隆盛) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1828 – 1877 |
| Period | Late Edo–Meiji |
| Birthplace | Kajiya-chō, Kagoshima castle town, Satsuma (now Kagoshima) |
| Also known as | Saigō Kichinosuke, Nanshū |
| Main achievements |
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Born into a low-ranking samurai family of the Satsuma domain (Kagoshima). Ōkubo Toshimichi, later his partner in the Restoration, lived in the same neighbourhood.
He became an assistant in the domain's farm administration and, seeing peasants' hardships, reportedly submitted proposals to the domain.
His talent was spotted by the lord Shimazu Nariakira, whom he served closely in Edo. Mixing with activists from many domains, he began his political career.
Nariakira died suddenly, and, pursued in the Ansei Purge, Saigō threw himself into the sea with the monk Gesshō. Gesshō died, but Saigō was rescued.
The domain hid him away on Amami Ōshima, where he married Aikana and had children.
Having angered the domain's strongman Shimazu Hisamitsu, he was exiled to Okinoerabu. In a harsh cell he read widely and deepened his thinking.
Pardoned, he returned to Kyoto and fought the Chōshū army in the Kinmon Incident. In the subsequent punitive expedition he arranged lenient terms for Chōshū.
Through Sakamoto Ryōma's mediation he concluded the Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance with Kido Takayoshi of Chōshū, strengthening the move to overthrow the shogunate.
He led the new government's army in the Boshin War. Negotiating with the shogunate's Katsu Kaishū, he secured the surrender of Edo castle without a fight, sparing the city from war.
As a councillor of the new government he pushed through the abolition of domains. While the Iwakura Mission was abroad, he led the caretaker government.
Defeated in a clash with Ōkubo Toshimichi and others over sending an envoy to Korea (the Seikanron debate), he resigned and returned to Kagoshima.
He founded private academies in Kagoshima to teach young former samurai, where many discontented ex-samurai gathered.
Pushed forward by his academy students he led the Satsuma Rebellion but was defeated by government forces, and took his own life at Shiroyama in Kagoshima, at 49.
A. A Satsuma samurai at the heart of the Meiji Restoration. Discovered by Shimazu Nariakira and twice exiled to remote islands, he became a domain leader, concluded the Satsuma–Chōshū Alliance and drove the overthrow of the shogunate. In the Boshin War he arranged the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle with Katsu Kaishū, and in the new government backed the abolition of the domains, but he later left office and died after his defeat in the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877.
A. Period: Late Edo–Meiji. Born in 1828, died in 1877.
A. Saigō Takamori was born in Kajiya-chō, Kagoshima castle town, Satsuma (now Kagoshima).
A. Japan’s last major civil war, launched in 1877 by former samurai of Kagoshima centred on Saigō Takamori against the government. After the siege of Kumamoto Castle and the battle of Tabaruzaka the government won, and Saigō died at Shiroyama in Kagoshima.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Shimazu NariakiraShimazu HisamitsuKatsu KaishūSakamoto RyōmaŌkubo ToshimichiKido TakayoshiSatō IssaiFujita Toko
Kusumoto IneKawai TsugunosukeOguri TadamasaYamauchi Yōdō (Toyoshige)Matsudaira Shungaku (Yoshinaga)Takechi Hanpeita (Zuizan)Yoshida ShōinKiyokawa Hachirō
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.