Saigō Takamori
Saigō Takamori (or Takanaga) (西鄕 隆盛 [隆永], January 23, 1828 – September 24, 1877) was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsuma Rebellion against the Meiji government. Historian Ivan Morris described him as "the quintessential hero of modern Japanese history".[1]
In this Japanese name, the surname is Saigō.
Saigō Takamori
Saigō Kokichi
Saigō Nanshū
Saigō Kichinosuke
Kikuchi Gengo
January 23, 1828
Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain
September 24, 1877 (aged 49)
Kagoshima, Empire of Japan
Saigō Kikujirō (son)
Saigō Kikusō (daughter)
Saigō Toratarō (son)
Saigō Umajirō (son)
Saigō Torizō (son)
- Saigō Kichibei (father)
- Shiihara Masa (mother)
- Saigō Jūdō (brother)
- Saigō Kichijirō (brother)
- Saigō Kohei (brother)
- Ichiki Koto (sister)
- Saigō Taka (sister)
- Saigō Yasu (sister)
Early life[edit]
Saigō Kokichi (西郷 小吉) was born in Kajiya, Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain, the eldest son of samurai squire (koshōkumi) Saigō Kichibē and his wife Masa.[2] He had six siblings and his younger brother was Marshal-Admiral Marquis Saigō Jūdō. His childhood name was Kokichi and he received the given name Takamori in adulthood.[2] He wrote poetry under the name Saigō Nanshū (西郷 南洲).[3]
Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned, returning power to the Emperor in what came to be known as the Meiji Restoration. However, Saigō was one of the most vocal and vehement opponents to the negotiated solution, demanding that the Tokugawa be stripped of their lands and special status. His intransigence was one of the major causes of the subsequent Boshin War.
During the Boshin War, Saigō led the imperial forces at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, and after led the imperial army toward Edo, where he accepted the surrender of Edo Castle from Katsu Kaishū.