Saigō Takamori

Samurai of the Satsuma domain, supreme commander of Japanese army, one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration (1828-1877)

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Lived 1828–1877, aged 49Japan

Japan Historical Figures

Fame50.9
Momentum7.2
Japan rank#8
Historical Figures rank#34
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Wikipedia
47 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in Japan
#8
Historical Figures
Era
1828–1877
Aged 49

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Samurai who helped topple the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, then got so mad at the government he built that he started his own rebellion. Died fighting it in 1877.

Biography

About

Saigō Takamori was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, and subsequently served in the new Meiji government. However, he later became disillusioned with the direction of the new regime and led the Satsuma Rebellion against it in 1877, in which he was killed.

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