{{Infobox Person
| name   = Saigō Takamori<br/>
| image     = Takamori Saigo.jpg
| image_size     = 200px
| caption  = Saigō Takamori, by Edoardo Chiossone.
| birth_date  = February 7, 1827 
| birth_place = Kagoshima, Satsuma domain 
| death_date  =  24 September 1877
| death_place = Kagoshima
| education      = 
| occupation     = Samurai, politician
| spouse         = 
| parents        = 
| children       = 
}}
thumb|100px|[[Kanji for "Saigō Takamori".]]
 was one of the most influential Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true Samurai.<ref> History Channel ''The Samurai'', video documentary </ref>

==Early life==

Born lunar calendar December 7, the 10th year of Bunsei era (February 7, 1827), in Kagoshima in Satsuma domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture), Saigō served as a low-ranking ''samurai'' official in his early career. He was recruited to travel to Edo in 1854 to assist Satsuma Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira in promoting reconciliation and closer ties between the Tokugawa bakufu and the Imperial court (). 

However, Saigō’s activity in Edo came to an abrupt end with the Ansei Purge by ''Tairo'' Ii Naosuke against anti-Shogunal activities, and the sudden death of Shimazu Nariakira. Saigō fled back to Kagoshima, only to be arrested and banished to Amami Ōshima island. He was recalled briefly in 1861, only to be banished again by the new Satsuma ''Daimyo'' Shimazu Hisamitsu.  Hisamitsu finally pardoned Saigō in 1864, and sent him to Kyoto to handle the domain's interests towards the imperial court.

==Meiji Restoration==
Upon assuming command of the Satsuma troops based in Kyoto, Saigō quickly formed an alliance with ''samurai'' from Chōshū domain, and prevented that domain from seizing control of the Kyoto Imperial Palace in the Hamaguri Gomon Incident. In August 1864, Saigō was one of the military commanders of the punitive expedition mounted by the Tokugawa ''bakufu'' against Chōshū over the incident, but in secret he was conducting negotiations with Chōshū leaders, which later led to the Satcho Alliance. When the Tokugawa ''bakufu'' sent a second punitive expedition against Chōshū in August 1864, Satsuma remained neutral.
thumb|401px|left|Saigo Takamori (with tall helmet) inspecting [[Chōshū Domain|Chōshū troops at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi.]]

In November 1867, ''Shogun'' Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned, returning power to the Emperor in what came to be known as the Meiji Restoration. However, Saigō was one of the most vocal and vehement opponents to the negotiated solution, demanding that the Tokugawa be stripped of their lands and special status. His intransigence was one of the major causes of the subsequent Boshin War. 

During the Boshin War, Saigō led the imperial forces at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, and then led the imperial army toward Edo, where he accepted the surrender of Edo Castle from Katsu Kaishu.

==Meiji Bureaucrat==
thumb|Saigo Takamori in uniform.
thumb|The [[Seikanron debate. Saigo Takamori is sitting in the center. 1877 painting.]]
Although Okubo Toshimichi and others were more active and influential in establishing the new Meiji government, Saigō retained a key role, and his cooperation was essential in the abolition of the han system and the establishment of a conscript army. In spite of his humble background, in 1871 he was left in charge of the caretaker government during the absence of the Iwakura Mission (1871-72). 

Saigō initially disagreed with the modernization of Japan and the opening of commerce with the West. He famously opposed the construction of a railway network, insisting that money should rather be spent on military modernization.<ref>[http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu36je/uu36je0c.htm On Saigō and the establishment of a railway]</ref>

Saigō did insist, however, that Japan should go to war with Korea in the Seikanron debate of 1873 due to Korea's refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the Emperor Meiji as head of state of the Empire of Japan, and insulting treatment meted out to Japanese envoys attempting to establish trade and diplomatic relations. At one point, he offered to visit Korea in person and to provoke a ''casus belli'' by behaving in such an insulting manner that the Koreans would be forced to kill him. However, the other Japanese leaders strongly opposed these plans, partly from budgetary considerations, and partly from realization of the weakness of Japan compared with the western countries from what they had witnessed during the Iwakura Mission. Saigō resigned from all of his government positions in protest and returned to his hometown of Kagoshima.

==Satsuma Rebellion (1877)==
thumb|Saigo preparing for war.
Shortly thereafter, a private military academy was established in Kagoshima for the faithful ''samurai'' who had also resigned their posts in order to follow him from Tokyo. These disaffected samurai came to dominate the Kagoshima government, and fearing a rebellion, the government sent warships to Kagoshima to remove weapons from the Kagoshima arsenal. Ironically, this provoked open conflict, although with the elimination of ''samurai'' rice stipends in 1877, tensions were already extremely high. Although greatly dismayed by the revolt, Saigō was reluctantly persuaded to lead the rebels against the central government (the Satsuma Rebellion).

thumb|left|301px|Saigō Takamori (seated, in Western uniform), surrounded by his officers, in ''samurai'' attire. News article in [[Le Monde Illustré, 1877.]]
The rebellion was suppressed in a few months by the central government's army, a huge mixed force of 300,000 ''samurai'' officers and conscript soldiers under Kawamura Sumiyoshi. The Imperial troops were modern in all aspects of warfare, using howitzers and observation balloons. The Satsuma rebels numbered around 40,000,  dwindling to about 400 at the final stand at the Battle of Shiroyama. Although they fought for the preservation of the role of the ''samurai'', they used Western military methods, guns and cannons; all contemporary depictions of Saigō Takamori depict him garbed in Western-style uniform. 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.

thumb|300px|Saigo Takamori (upper right) directing his troops at the Battle of Shiroyama.
The exact style of his death is actually unknown.  The accounts of his subordinates claim either that he uprighted himself and committed ''seppuku'' after his injury, or that he requested that a comrade assist his suicide.  In debate, some scholars have suggested that neither is the case, and that Saigō may have gone into shock following his wound, losing his ability to speak.  Several comrades upon seeing him in this state, would have severed his head, assisting him in the warrior's suicide they knew he would have wished.  Later, they would have said that he committed ''seppuku'' in order to preserve his status as a true ''samurai''.  It is not clear what was done with Saigo's head immediately after his death.  Some legends say Saigo's manservant hid the head, and it was later found by a government soldier.  In any case, the head was somehow retrieved by the government forces and was reunited with Saigo's body, which was laid next to that of his deputies Kirino and Murata.  This was witnessed by the American sea captain John Capen Hubbard.  A myth persists that the head was never found.

thumb|Saigō Takamori, Porträtaufnahme von [[Edoardo Chiossone (1833–1877)]]
'''Saigō Takamori''' (jap. ; * japanischen Geschichte.

Der Sohn eines niederen Samurai trat nach einer militärischen und religiösen Ausbildung in die Dienste von kaiserlichen Armee.

Als ein Führer der kaiserlichen Truppen im Boshin-Krieg, in dem er über 50.000 Samurai kommandierte, war Saigō einer der Hauptakteure während der Meiji-Restauration. Trotz seiner bescheidenen Herkunft wurde er Ratgeber und General im neuen Staat.

Saigō war ein Gegner der Modernisierung Japans und der Öffnung des Handels für den Westen. Er bestand 1873 jedoch darauf, dass Japan versuchen sollte, Korea zu annektieren, bevor der Westen sich über dessen Potenzial klar wurde. Da die anderen Führer der Restauration (unter anderem auch Ōkubo Toshimichi) jedoch gegen diese Pläne waren, legte Saigō seine Ämter nieder und kehrte zurück in seine Heimatstadt Kagoshima, wo er wenig später eine Privatschule für treue Samurai gründete, die ebenso ihre Ämter niedergelegt hatten, um ihm nach Tokio zu folgen.

Im Jahre 1877 revoltierten sie unter der Führung von Saigō in der Satsuma-Rebellion gegen die Regierung, die die Rechte der Samurai stark beschnitten hatte und ihnen unter anderem auch das Recht genommen hatte, Schwerter zu führen. Obwohl der kaiserliche Palast eine neue Armee aufgestellt hatte und diese mit modernen Waffen ausgerüstet war, konnten die Samurai mit ihren traditionellen Waffen die kaiserliche Armee erfolgreich für mehrere Monate in Kämpfe verwickeln. 

Während der Schlacht von Shiroyama am 24. September 1877 wurde Saigō schwer an der Hüfte verletzt, und so bat er einen Kameraden, ihn zu enthaupten, um seine Gefangennahme und somit Entehrung zu verhindern. Obwohl Legenden und Kunstwerke Saigō darstellen, wie er feierlich Seppuku begeht, wird dies durch Autopsien und zeitgenössische Berichte widerlegt.

Zahlreiche Legenden rankten sich um Saigō, viele davon bestritten seinen Tod. Viele Japaner erwarteten seine Rückkehr aus russischen Kronprinzen zurücksegelte, um das Unrecht zu bekämpfen. Da die Meiji-Regierung nicht imstande war, die Zuneigung des Volkes für diesen Kämpfer für die Tradition zu brechen, erkannte sie am 22. Februar 1889 offiziell seinen Mut an und begnadigte ihn postum.

Eine Statue im Tokioter Ueno-Park zeigt Saigō, wie er seinen Hund spazieren führt. Im Nanshū-Schrein (nahe seinem Grab im buddhistischen Tempel Jōkōmyō-ji in Kagoshima) wird er als Kami verehrt.