Saigo Takamori

Image: Statue of Saigo Takamori (Kagoshima City)

There is no record of Fukuzawa Yukichi and Saigo Takamori ever meeting face-to-face. However, why did Fukuzawa, amidst the suppression of free speech at the time, disregard the danger to write "Meiji Junen Teichu Koron" (A Public Discourse on the Tenth Year of Meiji), a pamphlet defending Saigo, who had been branded a rebel due to the Satsuma Rebellion? On the other hand, Saigo spent his final years living in his hometown of Kagoshima, but he asked his cousin, Oyama Iwao, to send for Fukuzawa's books from Tokyo to read. In a letter, Saigo stated, "(Reading Fukuzawa's works) is truly an eye-opening experience. Since ancient times, various wise men have written about national defense strategies, but no one surpasses Fukuzawa. Please continue to send only these kinds of books from Tokyo" (Letter dated December 11, 1874; modern translation by the author below). Fukuzawa was reportedly delighted to hear that Saigo was reading his books. Furthermore, Saigo encouraged the young men from Satsuma to enroll in Keio University and even listed himself as their guarantor.

What was it that drew these two men together, despite never having met?

Saigo Takamori (commonly known as Kichinosuke) was born in 1827 in Shimokajiya-cho, a district in the Kagoshima castle town where many poor samurai families lived. He was the eldest son of Saigo Kichibei, a minor official (Okoshogumi Kanjokata Kogashira). While the Okoshogumi belonged to the Jokashi (castle town samurai) rank of the Satsuma Domain, it was the second lowest rank among them. In addition, Takamori had three younger brothers and three younger sisters, and the large family lived in extreme poverty. It is said that during the cold winter months, the siblings would fight over a single futon, and at mealtimes, Takamori would always give his food to his younger brothers and sisters, never eating his fill.

In the autumn of his 13th year, Takamori was provoked into a fight by a friend of higher samurai rank, and unfortunately, the friend's blade cut into Takamori's right arm. Due to this injury, Takamori's arm would never move normally again. This tragedy closed the path of martial arts to Takamori, leading him to pursue the path of a civil official.

Like Fukuzawa, Saigo was born into a lower-ranking samurai family. Through his impoverished life in a large family and the setback caused by his right arm injury, he developed a dislike for luxury, an endurance for adversity, and a kindness that cared for the weak. The two men would eventually fight against the feudal system through different paths.

The Satsuma Domain produced many talented individuals, including Saigo, at the dawn of modern Japan during the Meiji Restoration. Behind this was the traditional Satsuma philosophy of "building a castle out of people" and the "Goju education" system, a unique form of youth education within mixed-age groups. This educational method was gradually systematized during the 250 years of the Edo period, and its traditions were passed down to the school education of Kagoshima Prefecture until before World War II.

A key characteristic was that it was a form of collective education based on "learning while teaching, teaching while learning," carried out spontaneously by the local community known as Goju. Another major difference from other domains was that Satsuma traditionally had a spirit of freedom and independence; even if there were differences in the family ranks of the samurai, they were completely equal within this educational setting.

Goju was a local association where Satsuma youth were divided by age into groups: Chigo (children), Nise (young men), and Osenshi (elders). They engaged in collective activities covering not only martial arts and academics but all aspects of life. Their motto was simplicity and fortitude, and a philosophy of discipline; young men were trained mentally and physically to become strong feudal warriors within the Goju education. Saigo also received guidance from the Nise, was instilled with the importance of faith and the basics of Bushido, and at the age of 20, became the leader, or Nisegashira. His name became known throughout the various Goju of the castle town. The Nisegashira was not just a leader of the Nise group but a leader for the entire Goju. Saigo was seven years older than Fukuzawa, and ten years later, at the age of 22, Fukuzawa would become the head of Tekijuku. Though the time and place differed, both Saigo and Fukuzawa were in positions of leadership, likely discussing the future of Japan with their peers.

The Abolition of the Han System in 1871 is cited as the most significant reform in modern Japanese history. It was this very event that deeply connected Saigo and Fukuzawa.

The plan for the abolition had apparently been completed two years before its proclamation, but there was no one responsible enough to carry it out. Saigo was the only one capable of executing it, as he was described as a person who "wants neither rank nor money, and is thus difficult to deal with—only such a person can achieve great deeds for the nation" ("Nanshu-o Ikun"). Fukuzawa also stated in "Teichu Koron" that "it is clear that without Saigo's consent at the time, this great undertaking could not have been easily achieved."

The Abolition of the Han System was an act of stripping daimyo of their land ownership and subjects, and a great backlash from daimyo and samurai was expected. To implement this, Saigo, who had returned to Kagoshima, was summoned, and the reform was realized with the establishment of the Imperial Guard and the backing of military force. Fukuzawa, who had long held the personal view that the Han system should be abolished, was overjoyed. For Fukuzawa, who boasted that "the lineage system is my father's enemy," the feudal system that had lasted for hundreds of years had vanished from the world. Fukuzawa later recorded his joy, writing, "At that time, when my colleagues and I met, we celebrated together, shouting that having seen this great achievement of the new government, we would have no regrets even if we died" ("Fukuon Hyakuyowa").

Thus, the Abolition of the Han System was proclaimed, but such a major reform is useless by proclamation alone. At the very least, enforcement and monitoring were necessary for the following one or two years. Okubo Toshimichi, the Minister of Finance who was most needed for the post-abolition financial reorganization, pushed the unpopular role onto Saigo and left for Europe and America as part of the Iwakura Mission. However, during the two years the mission was away, under Saigo's leadership, the caretaker government worked on various reforms such as the school system, the conscription law, and land tax reform, and Japan steadily progressed on the path toward modernization.

In 1872, during this period of the caretaker cabinet, the first volume of "Gakumon no susume (An Encouragement of Learning)" was published. Fukuzawa truly rejoiced at the emergence of Saigo—a man who "did not seek to be above others" and had returned his highest court ranks—and placed his expectations on Saigo as a revolutionary politician who could modernize the nation and equalize the people through his political skill.

However, after the Iwakura Mission returned, a struggle for factional leadership broke out between the caretaker government and the returning group in the form of an objection to Saigo's proposal to send a peaceful envoy to Korea (Seikanron). Indignant, Saigo resigned from all his posts and returned to his hometown of Kagoshima.

After retiring to Kagoshima following the Political Crisis of 1873, Saigo founded a private school (Shigakko) in 1874. While the main schools were the infantry and artillery schools, branch schools were also built the following spring, with 12 in the castle town and 136 throughout the prefecture. The private school mainly conducted military training and the reading of Chinese classics, and could be described as a form of Goju education for young adults. Additionally, five students were sent to study in France, actively incorporating Western civilization. It is said that the original purpose was to raise soldiers to face national crises, anticipating conflicts with foreign powers due to a sense of crisis regarding the Western powers' expansion into Asia.

In 1876, a series of rebellions by disgruntled samurai occurred. Disgruntled samurai across the country looked forward to Saigo taking action. Triggered by an outburst from the private school students, in February 1877, Saigo and a total of 13,000 men departed Kagoshima, stating their justification as "having matters to inquire of the government..." ("Seinan Kiden"), and the Satsuma Rebellion—Japan's last civil war—began.

Upon hearing this news, Fukuzawa wrote a petition with the intent that "it is truly unbearable to brand Saigo, the greatest hero of the Restoration, as a rebel and suppress him; therefore, the order for his subjugation should be suspended for a while to confirm his claims of having matters to inquire of the government, and then decide on a course of action." He attempted to have this presented to the Emperor's temporary residence in Kyoto, co-signed by samurai of the former Nakatsu Domain. However, due to delays in shipping, the subjugation order was issued before it could arrive.

Eventually, the government forces, superior in weaponry and personnel, gradually overwhelmed the Satsuma army. In September, the government forces launched an all-out assault on Saigo and his men who were entrenched on Mount Shiroyama in Kagoshima. The Satsuma Rebellion ended with Saigo's suicide (at the age of 51).

Fukuzawa's efforts were unsuccessful, and "Meiji Junen Teichu Koron" is the discourse that defended the position of Saigo, who had vanished like dew on Shiroyama. This discourse, which condemned the government by stating that its policy errors caused this great rebellion and needlessly drove a peerless hero of Japan to his death, could not be published under the press regulations of the time. Fukuzawa kept it as a private treasure and did not show it to others indiscriminately. Later, in 1901, when he published "Yasegaman no Setsu" in the "Jiji Shinpo," Fukuzawa remembered writing this long ago and consented to its publication from his deathbed. It was finally released to the world 24 years after it was written.

In the introduction, Fukuzawa wrote, "I do not dare to simply defend Saigo, but I have drafted this piece and named it a 'Public Discourse' not for the sake of an individual, but to ensure fairness for the nation. I wish to leave behind the actual conditions of today for future generations, to preserve the spirit of resistance of the Japanese people and ensure that its pulse is not severed."

In 1883, six years after Saigo died at Shiroyama, Fukuzawa, acting as the representative for the promoters of the Saigo bronze statue, praised Saigo's great achievements in a statement of purpose: "In the great undertaking of the Meiji Government's Restoration, his sincere loyalty and his distinguished service are undisputed under heaven. I believe that the Old Man's supreme sincerity remained unashamed in his heart from beginning to end. This is what we admire most." However, the construction of the statue did not happen at that time. The current statue in Ueno Park was erected in December 1898, but Fukuzawa was not involved in it.

Saigo's motto was the phrase "Keiten Aijin" (Revere Heaven, Love People). This is interpreted as: "The Way belongs to Heaven and Nature, and since humans are those who practice it, the goal should be to revere Heaven. Since Heaven loves others and me equally, one should love others with the same heart used to love oneself." These words encapsulate the thoughts of the last samurai, Saigo, who lived a life of many ups and downs, overcoming various hardships and setbacks.

Saigo and Fukuzawa. Though the two never met, they shared common ground in their ideas of freedom and equality, their spirit of resistance, and their eyes looking toward the future. Living through similar circumstances, they lived their respective destinies straightforwardly and continued to pursue the ideal form of Japan in their own ways with their lives on the line; they could truly be called "comrades."