No. 17, Saigo Takamori ; Lives of Modern People, A Supplement of the Yamato Newspaper ; Kinsei jinbutsu shi, Yamato shinbun froku: Dai jushichi Saigo Takamori

The Japanese rebel and statesman Takamori Saigo (1827-1877) was the military leader of the imperial forces against the shogunate leading to the Meiji restoration. His growing discontent with the curtailment of the privileges of the samurai class and the imperial policy of westernization led to his eventual revolt against the Meiji government in 1877. He took his own life during the final battle with government troops which ended the rebellion. The print depicts a more tranquil moment in his life. Takamori presents a combination of western and traditional influences: he wears a western shirt and collar under a traditional kimono and carries both a cane and a samurai's katana in his sash. He walks a spotted hound on a leash.