A Legacy of Devotion
October 27, 2009
written by Matt Mikkelsen
If you ever traverse Tokyo Square, you might happen upon a larger-than-life statue of a middle-aged man and his best friend. During the modernization of Japan, he was instrumental in restoring the Meiji Emperor to the throne. Perhaps his most notable accomplishment is the legacy he left behind: devotion to principle. Due to his fierce devotion to principle, he later rebelled against the new Imperial government after its policies ran counter to the traditional practices to which he had dedicated his life. Above all, he was renowned for his unparalleled sense of honor, loyalty and commitment. This gentleman’s name is Saigo Takamori.
Takamori’s rise to prominence began when he was selected to accompany his daimyo, Shimazu Nariakira, on his journey to Edo (now Tokyo). By order of the Shogun, all daimyo had to stay in Edo every two years. It was on this trip that Takamori witnessed the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry’s “black ships.” Commodore Perry, tasked with ending Japan’s isolationism, entered the harbor at Edo, where he was moored when Takamori arrived on the yearly visit of his daimyo. Perry, on orders from then U.S. President Millard Fillmore, successfully negotiated the Treaty of Kanagawa, which ended Japan’s isolationist policy and opened Japan to western trade. In attaining the Shogun’s capitulation, Perry alienated the Samurai from the Shogun, particularly those of the Satsuma and Choshu clans who were infuriated by the dishonor suffered at the hands of Perry. In open rebellion, the two clans forced the Shogun’s hand, in turn, making him seem increasingly irrelevant. The final straw was the Shimonoseki Affair, in which the Japanese were forced into a humiliating surrender and ceasefire accord, the Choshu and Satsuma clans conspired to return the Emperor Meiji to the throne. Takamori led a group of Satsuma warriors to seize control of the Imperial palace, remove the Shogun and create a powerful new state. In doing so, he brought a crushing defeat upon himself.
When the Emperor Meiji was restored to power, he enacted sweeping reforms that touched every aspect of life in Japan. The emperor eliminated all feudal domains and established governmental prefectures in their place. He quickly established a conscript army, and denied the Samurai their traditional right to carry the daisho, or great sword and the small sword, the means by which the Samurai had retained the leadership of Japan. It was an event that distressed the Samurai, many of whom were a part of the new government. Distressed by the decline of the class system to which he had dedicated his life, as well as oppressive government policy towards the Samurai, Takamori retired and returned to Satsuma lands.
While Takamori was in retirement, Imperial troops seized the arsenal at Kagoshima to prevent the arming of rebels. To the government, it was simply an example of the new policy of fukoku-koyei, or “rich country, strong army.” However, the Samurai saw it as yet another infringement on traditional values and rather than see them completely abolished, Takamori revolted. Gathering an army of 30-40,000 warriors, Takamori proceeded to besiege Kumamoto Castle for two months. With the arrival of reinforcements that brought the Imperial Army’s numbers to 65,000, Takamori was forced to retreat and engage the Army on his own terms. After months of pursuit, Takamori led a final charge against the Imperial guns at Shiroyama, where he was mortally wounded and committed ritual suicide.
Throughout his life, through several governments, rulers, and leaders, and to his death, Takamori remained faithful to the same principles which compelled him to rebel against the Shogun and Meiji Emperor, and charge the guns at Shiroyama: the principles upon which governments encroached, rights that he believed signified one thing - his heritage. As a Samurai, he was committed to the defense of his country against foreign and domestic enemies and remained loyal, not to governments or leaders, but to the people and traditions that set them apart and gave Japan a national identity. His actions were based off the three most important ideals he held: duty, honor, and country. When honor was betrayed to the West, he rebelled. When his country was threatened by foreign and domestic invaders, he revolted. No matter where, when, or who he was fighting, Takamori always did his duty.
- Matt Mikkelsen is a student at Georgia Perimeter College currently working as an intern at the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta.
Sources:
Kohn, George Childs. "Treaty of Kanagawa." Dictionary of Historic Documents, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Modern World History Online. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 27 September 2009.
Murphy, John F., Jr. "Satsuma Rebellion." In Ackermann, Marsha E., Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: Age of Revolution and Empire, 1750 to 1900, vol. 4. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Modern World History Online. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 2 September 2009.
Phillips, Charles, and Alan Axelrod. "Satsuma Revolt." Encyclopedia of Wars, vol. 3. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2005. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 2 September 2009.
Ravina, Mark. THe Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2004. Print.