Saigō Takamori
Videos
Saigō Takamori was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogun
Posthumous portrait by C. Nakagawa
Monument marking Saigō's birthplace in Kagoshima
Shimazu Nariakira
Amami Ōshima, the site of Saigō's first exile from 1859 to 1862
Battle of Shiroyama
Videos
The Battle of Shiroyama took place on 24 September 1877, in Kagoshima, Japan. It was the final battle of the Satsuma Rebellion, where the heavily outnumbered samurai under Saigō Takamori made their la
Saigō Takamori
…was crushed by the numerically and technologically superior Imperial Japanese Army. Saigō died by seppuku after being critically wounded in the final battle at Shiroyama. All of his men were killed in action. Saigō's death cemented his legendary status. He is often referred to as "the last true samurai" and remains a…
Battle of Shiroyama, Unknown artist
Imperial Japanese Army fortifications encircling Shiroyama, September 1877.
Saigō, with the last remnants of the Satsuma army, leads a desperate suicide charge.