Hello, everyone. This is my last post. In this time. I would like to write about Takamori Saigo.
By the way, have you ever seen the movie “The Last Samurai”? He is said to be the model of the hero of the movie "The Last Samurai". In addition, he is known as one of "the Big Three of the Meiji revolution." He was the central figure of the Meiji Restoration and greatly contributed to defeat the Edo Shogunate establish the Meiji government.
Although he was born in the low-class samurai of Satsuma in 1828, he was selected as Nariakira Shimazu who was a feudal lord and he played a key role of the Satsuma feudal clan. Then, Japan was last years of the Edo era, and Satsuma feudal clan was opposed to the Edo Shogunate because their claims about the correspondence of the European and American Great Powers were opposed. Therefore, in 1867, Satsuma fought the Shogunate. This war was called Boshin War, and Satsuma and the allied force won this war. So, they defeated the Shogunate and established the Meiji new government. By this war, Saigo participated actively as a general. Because his achievement was accepted, he got the high rank in the Meiji government. However, he resigned it by opposition in the government, and came back to Satsuma. Then, in the early days of the Meiji era, samurais were poor by the policy of the government and owned the dissatisfaction to the government. Therefore, Saigo raised an army with samurais. This war was called the Southwestern Rebellion, and it was the main theme of the movie “The Last Samurai". Saigo lost this war and he committed harakiri and ended.
After his end, Saigo was treated as the criminal as a general of the rebel army. However, in the later, he was forgiven a crime by many people and Emperor Meiji who loved and respected him and he was full as a hero. In the present, Saigo have been loved and respected.
After his end, Saigo was treated as the criminal as a general of the rebel army. However, in the later, he was forgiven a crime by many people and Emperor Meiji who loved and respected him and he was full as a hero. In the present, Saigo have been loved and respected.
Why did Saigo abandon the position of the high government official and act with the samurai who came down in those days? I think the reason is that Saigo oneself is a born "samurai", and he would disgusted with the world that did not accept a samurai. I think he was right "the last samurai", and "a true samurai".
