Introducing Satsuma Rebellion Prints

(Top Left) Yōshū Chikanobu, Illustration of the Debate over the Invasion of Korea (Seikanron no Zu)

(Top Right) Yōshū Chikanobu, Illustration of the Fierce Battle at Nobeoka Castle in Hyūga (Hyūga Nobeoka-jō Gekisen Zu)

(Bottom Left) Yōshū Chikanobu, Chronicle of the Kagoshima War (Kagoshima Sensō Ki)

(Bottom Right) Yōshū Chikanobu, Illustration of the Fall of Sadowara Castle in Hyūga (Hyūga Sadowara Ochijō no Zu)

About the Satsuma Rebellion

The Satsuma Rebellion was an 1877 uprising against the Meiji government led by former samurai (known as shizoku) primarily from the Satsuma Domain (a feudal domain centered in present-day Kagoshima Prefecture during the Edo period). Saigō Takamori, one of the key architects of the Meiji Restoration, led the rebellion, and fierce battles against government forces unfolded across Kyushu.

Following the Meiji Restoration, samurai were reclassified into the shizoku class and required to adapt to a new era. However, many struggled with poverty, unable to adapt to the new society or wishing to protect their traditional way of life and values. Dissatisfied with the policies of the Meiji government, these former samurai gathered around Saigō Takamori, eventually erupting into full-scale rebellion.

The intense fighting throughout Kyushu drastically changed people’s lives. This turmoil was vividly captured in the ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the time. Ukiyo-e functioned much like modern news media, delivering the latest updates to the public. Thus, ukiyo-e was not merely entertainment, but also serves as a valuable historical record.

About the Ukiyo-e Artist Yōshū Chikanobu

Yōshū Chikanobu (1838–1912) was an ukiyo-e artist active from the late Edo period through the Meiji era. Particularly renowned for his depictions of beautiful women (bijinga), he lived through the turbulent Meiji period and recorded its changing landscape through his prints.

Major historical events like the Meiji Restoration and the Satsuma Rebellion presented ukiyo-e artists with the perfect opportunity to report news to the general public. Today, the works created by Yōshū Chikanobu remain highly regarded as valuable historical documents.

Saigō Takamori: A Frequent Figure in Satsuma Rebellion Prints

Saigō Takamori was a prominent politician and military leader active from the late Edo period to the Meiji era, as well as a central figure in achieving the Meiji Restoration. His life as a man navigating a chaotic era deeply influenced the people of his time.

Saigō resisted until the very end. However, cornered by government forces, he chose to commit ritual suicide (seppuku). His death brought an end to the Satsuma Rebellion.

Having fought to the last and taking his own life rather than settling for a high-ranking position in the new government, Saigō's devotion to the samurai spirit deeply moved the public. He became etched in the minds of the common people as the ultimate "Last Samurai."

He was the ideal subject for ukiyo-e artwork.

See more example of work through which you can experience the world of Satsuma Rebellion here.

- J