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When it comes to historical figures that I admire, one of the first names that comes to mind is Abraham Lincoln, but there is another person I have been interested in in recent years - Saigo Takamori.
The first time I visited Kagoshima, Japan, I went to the Museum of the Meiji Restoration, where I became interested in the history of Satsuma and also Saigo Takamori’s story. So, after that, I visited his statue, his cave, and Sengan-en to see and learn more. When I left Japan, I was given some Saigo goods as well, so, in a way, I brought Saigo back to Canada with me!
My father is really into history, especially military history, so I shared with him what I had learned about the Meiji Restoration and about Saigo, and he became interested as well, so we ended up buying and reading some books to learn more. I was also able to find and stream the Segodon taiga drama.
When I returned to Japan in 2020, of course I had to get a picture with Saigo’s statue again, and I was given another t-shirt (which has a LEGO-style Saigo and says “SEGO” haha!). I think that everyone knows I’m the Saigo guy now, so they keep giving me Saigo-themed gifts.
Of course, Saigo is part of a big, complex, and interesting story in Japan’s history, but I suppose that what makes him interesting to me personally is his conviction and perseverance. If you’ve never read about Saigo Takamori’s story, I’d recommend looking into it! It’s quite interesting!
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