Saigō Takamori

Saigō Takamori (Takanaga) (西郷 隆盛 (隆永), January 23, 1828 – September 24, 1877) was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai. He was born Saigō Kokichi (西郷 小吉), and received the given name Takamori in adulthood. He wrote poetry under the name Saigō Nanshū (西郷 南洲). His younger brother was Gensui The Marquis Saigō Tsugumichi.

Early life

Saigō Takamori was born in the Satsuma Domain (modern Kagoshima Prefecture) on January 23, 1828, or December 7 in the lunar calendar in the tenth year of the Bunsei era.

Saigō served as a low-ranking samurai official in his early career. The Saigō family official status was Jōkashi (full samurai) but lived as Gōshi (rural samurai), half peasant and half warrior. Though they should have lived with their stipend, given to them by the fief and the Daimyō, in practice, the Saigō lived more like Gōshi and were quite poor, and had debts Saigō Takamori needed 25 years to repay entirely. Because of the usual discrimination by Jōkashi against Gōshi, Saigō Takamori lived every day as a clash between his social and economical status, which he fought with humility, dignity and stoicism. His inner strength greatly impressed the other samurai of Satsuma, then all the Japanese people.