An Illustrated Story
Samurai and Government Change

High ranking officials of the government were assassinated in an attempt to change the government.
These 2 samurai also believed in changing the government from the Kagoshima area and gave their services to the cause.

Japan’s largest change of government took place in the 1860s and is known as the Meiji Restoration.
The samurai of Kagoshima participated in this change.

Before the change of government occurred, there was resistance toward the government coming from Kagoshima.

In the middle of the resistance was Saigo Takamori and his close friends, a group of Kagoshima's lower ranking samurai.

Within the group, there were some men with radical actions.
Some even took part in the assassination of high-ranking officials.

These samurai were cut down and killed by an enemy.
All others involved in the plan were forced to commit suicide by performing seppuku.

After the incident, some people in the group distinguished themselves and became involved in the government.

Particularly, there were these two men. Ijichi Masaharu was a skilled swordsman and strategist.
Yoshii Tomozane took part in the alliance between Kagoshima and Yamaguchi.

Kagoshima became a force that changed Japan.
Along with Saigo Takamori, there were many passionate samurai.

• Tokishirube1:The Battle Between England and Kagoshima
• Tokishirube2:Kabayama and Kuroda in a Great Discussion
• Tokishirube3:The Painter and Sakurajima
• Tokishirube4:A Young Revolutionist on His Honeymoon
• Tokishirube5:Kagoshima’s Roots of Modernization
• Tokishirube6:Samurai and Government Change
• Tokishirube7:Kagoshima Meets Western Medicine