The Last Samurai: Saigo Takamori and the Satsuma Rebellion

The 19th Century was a tremendously exciting time for Japan. By then, the island country had been isolated from the rest of the world for some three centuries. But now, having been forced to open its doors by the Americans, Japan was exposed to both the wider world as a whole as well as Western ideals. But not everyone welcomed such changes. One who was perhaps the most resistant to such changes was Saigo Takamori, better known to history as Saigo-san, and he'd ultimately lead a rebellion against the Japanese government. But how did this conflict come about? Who was Saigo-san exactly? And how did he and his cause become an enduring symbol of opposition to government tyranny? Find out in the first episode of the new year!