page_title: Saigō Takamori
section_title: Meiji bureaucrat
hierarchical_section_title: Saigō Takamori / Meiji bureaucrat
caption_attribution_description: English: Seikanron debate (Japan). Saigō Takamori is sitting in the center. 1877 painting. 日本語: 岩倉（中央左）と西郷（中央右）らによる征韓論争は岩倉派が勝利し、敗れた西郷・江藤らによる士族反乱に繋がった。
context_page_description: Saigō Takamori was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he has been dubbed the last true samurai.
context_section_description: Although Ōkubo 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 1871 he was left in charge of the caretaker government during the absence of the Iwakura Mission (1871–73).
  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.
  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.
caption: The Seikanron debate. Saigō Takamori is sitting in the center. 1877 painting.
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