Japanese General and Admiral Marquis Saigo Tsugumichi

Marquis Saigo Tsugumichi (西鄉從道 also read Saigo Judo?) (1 June 1843–18 July 1902) was a Meiji-period politician and career military officer.


Early life

Saigo was born in Shimokajicho, Kagoshima, the son of the samurai Saigo Kichibe of the Satsuma domain. His siblings included his famous older brother Saigo Takamori. Saigo changed his name many times throughout his life for various reasons. Besides the two listed above, he also sometimes went by the nickname "Shingo". His real name was "Ryuko", or "Ryudo". It is also possible that he went by the name "Ryusuke".
(After the Meiji Restoration, Saigo went to a government office to register his name. He intended to register orally under his given name Ryuko (alternately Ryudo). However, the civil servant misheard his name as "Judo", and he therefore became "Judo" (從道) under the law. He did not particularly mind, so he never bothered to change it back. The name "Tsugumichi" arose as an alternate Japanese pronunciation for the characters of his name)

At the recommendation of Arimura Shunsai, he became a tea-serving Buddhist monk for the daimyo of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira. After he returned to secular life, he became one of a group of devoted followers of Arimura. As a Satsuma samurai, he participated in the Anglo-Satsuma War, and later joined the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate.

He was a commander of the Satsuma army fighting in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi as well as other battles on the imperial side of the Boshin War.


Imperial Japanese Army

In 1869, two years after the establishment of the Meiji government, Saigo went to Europe with General Yamagata Aritomo to study European military organizations, tactics and technologies. After his return to Japan, he was appointed a lieutenant-general in the new Imperial Japanese Army, and commanded Japanese expeditionary forces in the Taiwan Expedition of 1874.
 

Saigo Tsugumichi with foreign friends. Felice Beato is seated in front with him. Photograph by Hugues Krafft in 1882.

In 1873, his brother Saigo Takamori resigned from the government, over the rejection of his proposal to invade Korea during the Seikanron debate. Many other officials from the Satsuma region followed suit, however, Saigo Tsugumichi continued to remain loyal to the Meiji government. Upon the death of his brother in the Satsuma Rebellion, Saigo Tsugumichi became the primary political leader from Satsuma. In accord with the kazoku peerage system enacted in 1884, he received the title of count (hakushaku).

 

Government official

Saigo held a string of important positions in the Ito Hirobumi cabinet, including Navy Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs. While Minister of Internal Affairs, Saigo pushed strongly for the death penalty for Tsuda Sanzo, the accused in the Otsu Scandal and threatened Kojima Korekata should the sentence be more lenient.

In 1892, he was appointed to the Privy Council as one of the genro. In the same year, he also founded a political party known as Kokumin Kyokai (國民協會, The People's Co-operative Party).
 

House of Saigo Tsugumichi, in Kamimeguro, Tokyo. Photograph by Hugues Krafft in 1882.

In 1894, Saigo was given the rank of admiral, in recognition of his role as Navy Minister. The same year, his peerage title was elevated to that of marquis. In 1898, the Imperial Japanese Navy bestowed upon him the honorary title of "fleet admiral". He died in 1902.


Saigo’s former residence (once located in Meguro, Tokyo) is registered as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government, and is now located at the Meiji-mura historical park outside of Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture. Saigo also owned a cottage in Yanagihara (present-day Numazu), Shizuoka Prefecture. Saigo Tsugumichi was also the first person in Japan to own a race horse.
 

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saig%C5%8D_Tsugumichi