島津斉彬
Shimazu Nariakira was born at the Satsuma domain's estate in Edo, on April 28, 1809. From his mother, he was descendant of Date Masamune, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga. He rose to power as "daimyō" of the domain of Satsuma only after surviving a gruesome and arduous war within his own family and domain, known as the "Oyura Sōdō" or the "Takasaki Kuzure". He faced much opposition in Satsuma since he spent most of his life in Edo (and compulsory requirement as the heir of daimyo, set by the Shogunate); as such he was considered a stranger in his own domain. In his quest to prepare Satsuma for potential Western aggression, he also faced many opposing military schools of thought in Satsuma who disagreed with the Shimazu family's plan for strengthening coastal defense.