The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo TakamoriBy: Nik Palmieri

Saigo Takamori•Dubbed “The Last Samurai” because of his refusal to bow to the Meiji reforms of the samurai and his last great stand against the Meiji Regime

•Played a key role in the rise of the Meiji regime and served as an official form may years until he resigned.

• After his resignation he returned to his home in Kagoshima and started an academy for those remaining samurai who were disillusioned by the Meiji regime

•The government eventually sent warships to Kagoshima, fearing a rebellion from the powerful samurai coalition which resulted in the Battle of Shiroyama and Takamori’s last stand.

• Takamori fought valiantly against superior numbers and superior firepower but was defeated in the end.

• He was the last known samurai to commit the warriors suicide known as seppuku after he was injured as a last act of defiance.

• There are many theories and legends regarding his death but he is considered an icon of Japanese pride and the legacy of the samurai spirit.

• Was pardoned posthumously and there is now a memorial statue of him located Ueno Park.

Meiji Restoration•Began with the abolishment of the Tokugawa Regime and the instatement of the Meiji oligarchy.

•The Meiji regime sought to dismantle and suppress the Shogunate and the samurai class (who numbered 1.9 million at the time and represented a part of the countries identity).

•The abolishment of the samurai class along with mandatory conscription led to the Satsuma rebellion and eventual civil war led by Saigo Takamori •Marked the end of the samurai and the beginning of a more westernized and industrialized Japan

Bibliography:1. Ravina, Mark. The Last Samurai: the Life and Battles

of Saigō Takamori. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2004. Print.