Satsuma Rebellion
Saigō Takamori (seated, in Western uniform), surrounded by his officers, in samurai attire. News article in Le Monde Illustré, 1877.
Date January - September 1877 Location Japan Result Victory of Imperial troops
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, which occurred 11 years into the Meiji Era, in 1877. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1228x911, 1264 KB) Saigo Takamori with his officers, from Le Monde Illustre, 1877. ... Saigō Takamoris statue in Ueno park 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. ... Saigo Takamori (seated, in Western uniform), surrounded by his officers, in samurai attire. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ... 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. ... 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. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... Count Sumiyoshi Kawamura, (1836-1904), a retired admiral, Satsuma samurai. ... Saigō Takamoris statue in Ueno park 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. ... Satsuma (薩摩国; -no Kuni) was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima prefecture on the island of Kyushu. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Meiji period (Japanese: Meiji Jidai 明治&#26178...

Background

The samurai of Satsuma had grown dissatisfied with the direction the government was taking. The modernization of the country was resulting in the dismantling of feudalism, destroying the traditional social structure. Perhaps more importantly to the samurai the dismantling of feudalism also meant the abolition of their social status, privileges and power, and undermined their financial position. The rebellion was led by Saigō Takamori, who about ten years earlier had led the forces favourable to the Meiji restoration during the Boshin War, had then been a leader in the new government and who, as field marshal, had actually been responsible for forming the government army that he now opposed. Saigō had supported the reforms in the beginning. But when the privileges of his own samurai class were abandoned, his conservative and traditionalist character caused him to side with his class rather than the national government. Saigō Takamori fought for the preservation of the caste of the samurai but also a more virtuous form of government (the slogan of his rebel movement was "新政厚徳", "New government, High morality"). They did not neglect Western military methods: they used guns and cannons, and all contemporary depictions of Saigō Takamori represent him wearing the uniform of a Western general. At the end of the conflict, running out of material and ammunition, they had to fall back to close-quarter tactics and the use of swords, bows and arrows. Saigō Takamoris statue in Ueno park 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. ... The Meiji Restoration ), also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japans political and social structure. ... The Boshin War (戊辰戦争 Boshin Sensō, literally War of the Year of the Dragon) was fought in 1868-1869 between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the pro-Imperial forces in Japan. ...

Combat

Battle of Shiroyama.

In January 1877, the government sent a naval unit to disarm Kagoshima, a key city in the Satsuma domain. The unit was attacked by Saigō and his men. Saigō's samurai forces fought with some modern firearms as well as traditional weapons, but his military tactics were traditional and antiquated. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1425x965, 2599 KB) Battle of Shiroyama, 1880 painting. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1425x965, 2599 KB) Battle of Shiroyama, 1880 painting. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Kagoshima (鹿児島市; -shi) the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwest tip of the Kyushu island of Japan. ...

Imperial Japanese Army officers of the Kumamoto garisson, who resisted Saigō Takamori's siege, 1877.

In February, Saigō and his army of 25,000-40,000 men besieged the government garrison in the city of Kumamoto. The siege of Kumamoto is considered by historians a major tactical blunder on Saigō's part as it allowed time for the government to attack with 300,000 soldiers, under the command of Sumiyoshi Kawamura. The rebel samurai managed a kill ratio of two to one, but were heavily outnumbered. The battle lasted six weeks, and lowered the number of Saigō's men to 300-400. Saigō and his remaining samurai were pushed back to Kagoshima where, in a final battle, the Battle of Shiroyama, Saigō was badly injured. Saigō had one of his fellow samurai cut off his head before he could be captured on September 24, 1877. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 509 pixelsFull resolution (1259 × 801 pixel, file size: 1 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kumamoto, officers of the garrisson, who fought against the troops of Saigo Takamori, 1877. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 509 pixelsFull resolution (1259 × 801 pixel, file size: 1 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kumamoto, officers of the garrisson, who fought against the troops of Saigo Takamori, 1877. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ... Categories: Cities in Kumamoto Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ... Categories: Cities in Kumamoto Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ... Count Sumiyoshi Kawamura, (1836-1904), a retired admiral, Satsuma samurai. ... Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. ... Combatants Imperial Japanese Army Samurai of Satsuma Commanders Sumiyoshi Kawamura Saigo Takamori† Strength 300,000 troops 300-400 samurai Casualties 15,000  ? The Battle of Shiroyama took place on September 24, 1877, in Kagoshima, Japan. ... 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). ...

Soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Satsuma Rebellion.

Crushing the Satsuma Rebellion cost the government greatly financially. This rebellion was also the end of the samurai class. Saigō Takamori was labeled as a tragic hero by the people and ten years later the Japanese government pardoned and promoted him posthumously to highest honors. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 404 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (614 × 911 pixel, file size: 603 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Imperial Japanese Army during the Satsuma war in 1877. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 404 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (614 × 911 pixel, file size: 603 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Imperial Japanese Army during the Satsuma war in 1877. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ...

In Media

The PS2 video game Way of the Samurai takes place in the Satsuma Rebellion. PS2 can mean: PlayStation 2 (Sony PS2), sixth-generation video game console PS/2 (IBM Personal System/2 office PCs, or the interface standard for mice and keyboards that the PS/2 series set) Phantasy Star II, second in the Phantasy Star seiries of video games. ... Way of the Samurai is a PlayStation 2 action-adventure game set in 19th Century Japan. ...

The 2003 movie The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe, is loosely based on the events of the Satsuma Rebellion. (Redirected from 2003 film) See also: 2002 in film, other events of 2003, 2004 in film and the list of years in film Events February 24 - The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski, wins 7 Cesar Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Music and... The Last Samurai is an action/drama film written by John Logan and Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz based on a story by Logan. ... Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer. ... Ken Watanabe , born October 21, 1959) is a renowned Japanese actor who performs on stage and television, and has received an Oscar nomination for his work in film . ...

Further reading

Henshall, K. (2001). A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower. New York City, NY: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-23370-1