The Satsuma Rebellion (Seinan Sensō 西南戦争, 'Southwestern War') was a revolt of the Satsuma clan samurai against the Imperial Japanese Army. The rebellion was led by Saigo Takamori, an earlier field marshall and a minister in the government. In January 1877, the government sent a naval unit to disarm Kagoshima, a key city in the Satsuma domain. The unit was attacked by Saigo and his men. By February, Saigo had 40,000 men fighting against government-led forces in the city of Kumamoto. The battle lasted six weeks, and lowered the number of Saigo's men to 400.

The rebellion was finally crushed by the Japanese Imperial Army in the Battle of Shiroyama on September 24, 1877. It was one of the last battles between samurai and a modern army using firearms.

The movie The Last Samurai is loosely based on the events of the Satsuma Rebellion.

Further reading

Henshall, K. (2001). A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower. New York City, NY: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-23370-1