This Japanese woodblock print is by Yoshitoshi and is dated Meiji 10, eighth month (equivalent to 1877). It is from a series entitled ‘Kagoshima Seito Zenki no Uchi’ (‘Complete account of the chastisement at Kagoshima’). Yoshitoshi produced these prints immediately after the events and mainly for the residents of Tokyo, who had a grudging respect for both sides in this conflict. With explosions in the background, troops are shown ferociously fighting to the death. They are armed with swords mounted in both traditional and western-style mountings, and wear traditional and western-style uniforms. Note the daggers (tanto) in the waist sashes of several of the combatants.

This was the last major armed uprising against the new Meiji government and was carried out by former samurai of the Satsuma domain (now Kagoshima prefecture) under the leadership of Saigo Takamori. The rebellion lasted for eight months and was eventually suppressed by the new conscript army. They fought with modern weapons against Takamori’s samurai, who were mostly armed with traditional swords, spears and bows. The final battle continued for some 50 days and ended when the government brought in reinforcements against the remaining 400 of Takamori’s original 40,000 troops. The rebellion came to an end with a last charge by Saigo and his men, and ended with Takamori’s ritual suicide. Although in truth he was a rebel against the emperor, for many Takamori was seen as one who stood for all traditional samurai honour and he was posthumously pardoned in 1891.