Who is Saigo-san?


In Episode 7 of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai Ren, Shinka and her friends are
on a school trip in Kagoshima. They see a statue of someone called Saigo-san.
One of the friends complains that he doesn't have his dog, and Shinka tells
her that he doesn't have a dog in Kagoshima.

![saigo-san](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xzhcnm.png) ![no dog in
Kagoshima](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gfcz4m.png)

Later, they find a dog so they can hold it and take a picture in front of the
statue.

Interestingly, Saigo-san appears to have European features. I know that
Kagoshima is on the island of Kyushu at the far south of Japan. The south
[hosted a Dutch enclave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejima) for years after
the foreigners were expelled from Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate. I assume
he's some kind of historical figure, but who is he and what's the deal with
the dog?




This appears to be [Saigo Takamori](http://wiki.samurai-
archives.com/index.php?title=Saigo_Takamori) often know as _the last samurai_
\- and has a film by that very name about him. He is most famous for his
opposition against the Meiji government in the Battle of Shiroyama.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pFodk.jpg)

You can see here his very distinctive brow which is apparent in the scene in
Chuunibyou too.

He has another statue in Ueno, Tokyo that has a dog beside him, which is
probably what they are trying to replicate.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YW9Mtm.jpg)

Kagoshima is his hometown, and there's a statue there in his likeness (without
a dog):

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pK1Ug.jpg)




This appears to be [Saigo Takamori](http://wiki.samurai-
archives.com/index.php?title=Saigo_Takamori) often know as _the last samurai_
\- and has a film by that very name about him. He is most famous for his
opposition against the Meiji government in the Battle of Shiroyama.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pFodk.jpg)

You can see here his very distinctive brow which is apparent in the scene in
Chuunibyou too.

He has another statue in Ueno, Tokyo that has a dog beside him, which is
probably what they are trying to replicate.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YW9Mtm.jpg)

Kagoshima is his hometown, and there's a statue there in his likeness (without
a dog):

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pK1Ug.jpg)

