西郷隆盛(さいごうたかもり)

さいごうたかもり
noun (proper)
Saigō Takamori (1828-1877), Meiji Restoration leader
proper-nounperson-namehistory
1. Saigō Takamori, Meiji Restoration leader
A samurai from Satsuma (now Kagoshima) who helped overthrow the shogunate and arranged the peaceful surrender of Edo Castle. He later led the Satsuma Rebellion against the new government and died in its final battle.
上野(うえの)に西郷隆盛(さいごうたかもり)の銅像(どうぞう)がある。
There is a statue of Saigō Takamori in Ueno.
西郷隆盛(さいごうたかもり)は鹿児島(かごしま)の出身(しゅっしん)だ。
Saigō Takamori was from Kagoshima.
西郷隆盛(さいごうたかもり)は明治維新(めいじいしん)の立役者(たてやくしゃ)だったが、最後(さいご)は西南戦争(せいなんせんそう)で新政府(しんせいふ)と戦(たたか)って亡(な)くなった。
Saigō Takamori was a key figure in the Meiji Restoration, but in the end he died fighting the new government in the Satsuma Rebellion.

In Kagoshima he is affectionately called 西郷(せご)どん.

Common expressions

  • 上野(うえの)の西郷(さいごう)さん: his bronze statue with his dog in Ueno Park, a Tokyo landmark
  • 西南戦争(せいなんせんそう): the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877
  • 江戸城(えどじょう)無血開城(むけつかいじょう): the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle, which he negotiated with 勝海舟(かつかいしゅう)
general
Added 2026.9.28 17:45 · Revised 2026.9.28 17:48
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