Hello and welcome to the History of Japan podcast, Episode 28, The Great Saigo, Part 1.

This week, we're going to begin a discussion of the life and career of one of the most

legendary figures of the Meiji Restoration, the Satuma Domain Samurai, Saigo Takamori.

In most Japanese media, he is portrayed as a hero, a patriot, and an

exemplar of samurai duty. He also betrayed the government he helped to found and died a

condemned rebel. Shot dead by the army he once led to victory. This week, I'm going to talk

about Saigo's life from his birth up to his victories against the Tokugala in 1868,

and his expulsion from the government only six years later.

Next week, we will discuss the events surrounding his death, his legacy in modern Japan,

and why his story retains its legendary position in Japanese history.

Saigo Takamori was born on January 23, 1828, in the city of Kagoshima,

the capital city of the domain of Satuma in southern Kyushu.

The lords of Satima were the Shimazu family, who had deep roots in the area.

The Shimazu had ruled that area of Kyushu back during the days of the Muromachi Bak Fu, back

during the 14th century.

Unlike most other Daimyo families, in the 1800s, the Shimazu were also in a good

financial position.

Far from most of their contemporary Daimyo, they were extremely wealthy.

They controlled all trade with the Ryukyu Islands, or Okinawa, and held a monopoly on sugar

manufacture in Japan.

They also had a virtual monopoly on production of the sweet potato, so much so, in fact,

that the word in Japanese for sweet potato is Satsuma Imo or Satsuma Potato.

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