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SAIGŌ Kichinosuke was a samurai of Satsuma Domain, army officer and politician. He was born in 1828 as the eldest son of Saigō Kichibe-é and Masa. His childhood name was Kokichi.
Ao Watanabe as Saigō Kokichi
Though he was a low-level samurai, SHIMAZU Nariakira, lord of the domain picked out him. He inculated him with western ideas but he lost his position after the death of Nariakira. Then he was transported to Amami Oshima （Amami islands). After returning to Satsuma, he could not agree with Shimazu Hisamitsu who succeeded Nariakira and was transported to Okinoerabujima Island.
But KOMATSU Tatewaki, superior vassal of the domain and his friend ŌKUBO Toshimichi asked Hisamitsu to make him return and he became an army officier after returning to Satsuma again. In the 1860s, he succeeded in the alliance of Satsuma and Chōshu and at last he and his comrade-in-arms abolished Tokugawa shogunate and realised the Meiji restoration.
In 1871, he became a councilor and managed the new-born government but opposed Toshimichi. Then he returned to Satsuma and educated young men. Around that time, his juniors and pupils and who are dissatisfied with the policy of the government started a riot and had him as the head of the group. The riot developed into the Seinan war (Satsuma Rebellion) and he led it but was defeated and committed suicide.
In this series, he is described as a warm-hearted and straight man who gives his stipend to a poor family. After Nariakira, whom he thought "Tengu" in his childhood becomes the lord of Satsuma, he is strongly influenced by his way of thinking. pushed forward to the Meiji restoration despite going through of a lot of hardships.
The image shows Ryōhei Suzuki as Saigō Kichinosuke (From the official website of "Segodon")
