Battle of Shiroyama

Battle of Shiroyama 城山の戦い
Part of the Satsuma rebellion
Japanese depiction of the Battle of Shiroyama. Saigō Takamori can be seen in red and black uniform directing his troops in the upper right corner.
Date September 24, 1877 Location Near Tahara-zaka hill in Kagoshima, Japan Result Decisive victory for the Imperial Army, which ended the Satsuma Rebellion and thus the samurai class.
Belligerents
Imperial Japanese Army	Samurai of Satsuma
Commanders and leaders
Sumiyoshi Kawamura	Saigō Takamori†
Strength
300,000 troops	350-400 samurai
Casualties and losses
unknown	350 (Approximate)

The Battle of Shiroyama (Japanese:城山の戦い) took place on September 24, 1877, in Kagoshima, Japan. It was the final battle of the Satsuma rebellion.

300,000 imperial troops under the command of Sumiyoshi Kawamura armed with rifles, cannon, and Gatling guns engaged several hundred samurai under the leadership of Saigō Takamori. The 300-400 samurai were all that remained of his 25,000 warriors, which had besieged the government garrison in the city of Kumamoto six weeks earlier.

Imperial Japanese Army fortifications encircling Shiroyama. 1877 photograph.

Logistical problems forced Saigō to defend his position with limited musket support, and no cannon. Nevertheless, the samurai, under heavy fire, charged the lines of the imperial army. Sumiyoshi Kawamura, the imperial commander, had not trained his men for a close-quarter swordfight. In just a few minutes a once organized line turned into dischord. Highly skilled samurai swordsmanship prevailed against an army with very little traditional training. For a short time Saigō's lines held. The imperial army would not allow the samurai to get close a second time and finished Saigō's men off at a safe range. Some fell back to higher ground, while others stood and drew the fire of the gatling guns.

The samurai knew that victory was impossible and hoped that they would be pardoned. In an attempt to garner sympathy some on horseback rode in circles with their half dead bodies clinging to the saddle with their legs. Elderly men who had not fought in years donned their helmets for one last ride. For many imperial soldiers the act of shooting an old man was too much. The imperial army emerged victorious, but the samurai won the respect of all those who had witnessed the event.

The situation was now very grim for Saigo. The battle came to a sudden halt when Saigō was hit with a near fatal shot to his femoral artery. A small remnant stood with him, falling back into the nearby woods to a calm place where Saigō could meet his end in peace. One of his fellow samurai assisted him in seppuku before he could be captured.

In 22 February 1889, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saigō posthumously. A statue in Kagoshima's Central Park stands in his memory.

This battle inspired the final scenes of the movie, The Last Samurai.

References

• Dana Jasek. "Satsuma Rebellion ends". Retrieved 2007-02-16.