Battle of Shiroyama 城山の戦い
Part of the Satsuma rebellion
Japanese depiction of the Battle of Shiroyama. Saigō Takamori can be seen in red and black uniform directing his troops in the upper right corner.
Date September 24, 1877 Location Near Tahara-zaka hill in Kagoshima, Japan Result Decisive victory for the Imperial Army, which ended the Satsuma Rebellion and thus the samurai class.
Combatants
Imperial Japanese Army	Samurai of Satsuma
Commanders
Sumiyoshi Kawamura	Saigō Takamori†
Strength
300,000 troops	350-400 samurai
Casualties
unknown	350 (Approximate)

The Battle of Shiroyama (Japanese:城山の戦い) took place on September 24, 1877, in Kagoshima, Japan. It was the final battle of the Satsuma rebellion. Combatants Imperial Japanese Army Satsuma fief Commanders Ruler: Meiji Emperor CIC: Sumiyoshi Kawamura Saigō Takamori Strength 300,000 40,000 Casualties estimate ~60,000 dead soldiers about 30,000 dead The Satsuma Rebellion (Seinan Sensō 西南戦争, Southwestern War) was a revolt of the Satsuma clan samurai against the Imperial Japanese Army... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1425x965, 2599 KB) Battle of Shiroyama, 1880 painting. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Kagoshima (鹿児島市; -shi) is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwest tip of the Kyushu island of Japan. ... Combatants Imperial Japanese Army Satsuma fief Commanders Ruler: Meiji Emperor CIC: Sumiyoshi Kawamura Saigō Takamori Strength 300,000 40,000 Casualties estimate ~60,000 dead soldiers about 30,000 dead The Satsuma Rebellion (Seinan Sensō 西南戦争, Southwestern War) was a revolt of the Satsuma clan samurai against the Imperial Japanese Army... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (KyÅ«jitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... Satsuma is the name of a town in Japan, Satsuma, Kagoshima, the surrounding district, Satsuma District, Kagoshima, the former province, Satsuma Province, which is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, a revolt, the Satsuma Rebellion. ... Count Sumiyoshi Kawamura, (1836-1904), a retired admiral, Satsuma samurai. ... Saigō Takamori 23 January 1827/28 — 24 September 1877), one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, lived during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. ... Combatants Imperial Japanese Army Satsuma fief Commanders Ruler: Meiji Emperor CIC: Sumiyoshi Kawamura Saigō Takamori Strength 300,000 40,000 Casualties estimate ~60,000 dead soldiers about 30,000 dead The Satsuma Rebellion (Seinan Sensō 西南戦争, Southwestern War) was a revolt of the Satsuma clan samurai against the Imperial Japanese Army... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Kagoshima (鹿児島市; -shi) is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwest tip of the Kyushu island of Japan. ... Combatants Imperial Japanese Army Satsuma fief Commanders Ruler: Meiji Emperor CIC: Sumiyoshi Kawamura Saigō Takamori Strength 300,000 40,000 Casualties estimate ~60,000 dead soldiers about 30,000 dead The Satsuma Rebellion (Seinan Sensō 西南戦争, Southwestern War) was a revolt of the Satsuma clan samurai against the Imperial Japanese Army...

300,000 imperial troops under the command of Sumiyoshi Kawamura armed with rifles, cannon, and Gatling guns engaged several hundred samurai under the leadership of Saigō Takamori. The 300-400 samurai were all that remained of his 25,000 warriors, which had besieged the government garrison in the city of Kumamoto six weeks earlier. Count Sumiyoshi Kawamura, (1836-1904), a retired admiral, Satsuma samurai. ... An 1865 Gatling gun. ... Saigō Takamori 23 January 1827/28 — 24 September 1877), one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, lived during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. ... Categories: Cities in Kumamoto Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ...

Imperial Japanese Army fortifications encircling Shiroyama. 1877 photograph.

Logistical problems forced Saigō to defend his position with limited musket support, and no cannon. Nevertheless, the samurai, under heavy fire, charged the lines of the imperial army. Sumiyoshi Kawamura, the imperial commander, had not trained his men for a close-quarter swordfight. In just a few minutes a once organized line turned into dischord. Highly skilled samurai swordsmanship prevailed against an army with very little traditional training. For a short time Saigō's lines held. The imperial army would not allow the samurai to get close a second time and finished Saigō's men off at a safe range. Some fell back to higher ground, while others stood and drew the fire of the gatling guns. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 506 pixelsFull resolution (808 × 511 pixel, file size: 413 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Imperial Japanese Army fortification around Shiroyama, in the battle of Shiroyama, 1877. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 506 pixelsFull resolution (808 × 511 pixel, file size: 413 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Imperial Japanese Army fortification around Shiroyama, in the battle of Shiroyama, 1877. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

The samurai knew that victory was impossible and hoped that they would be pardoned. In an attempt to garner sympathy some on horseback rode in circles with their half dead bodies clinging to the saddle with their legs. Elderly men who had not fought in years donned their helmets for one last ride. For many imperial soldiers the act of shooting an old man was too much. The imperial army emerged victorious, but the samurai won the respect of all those who had witnessed the event.

The situation was now very grim for Saigo. The battle came to a sudden halt when Saigō was hit with a near fatal shot to his femoral artery. A small remnant stood with him, falling back into the nearby woods to a calm place where Saigō could meet his end in peace. One of his fellow samurai assisted him in seppuku before he could be captured. Femoral artery and its major branches - right thigh, anterior view. ... “hara-kiri” redirects here. ...

In 22 February 1889, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saigō posthumously. A statue in Kagoshima's Central Park stands in his memory. Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) Mutsuhito (睦仁), the Meiji Emperor (明治天皇, literally Enlightened Rule Emperor) (3 November 1852–30 July 1912) was the 122nd Emperor of Japan. ...

This battle inspired the final scenes of the movie, The Last Samurai. The Last Samurai is an action/drama film written by John Logan and Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz based on a story by Logan. ...

References

• Dana Jasek. Satsuma Rebellion ends. Retrieved on 2007-02-16.