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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?


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2015-06-14T17:47:38.933
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2017-07-29T14:31:28.790
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culture love-chunibyo-and-other-delusions
Who is Saigo-san?


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)


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2015-06-14T18:09:19.587
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2015-06-14T18:15:36.060
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he is saigo takamori, most known as the last samurai. he helped imperial army
to end tokugawa successfully and gained position in meiji restoration era but
ended up lead rebellion (satsuma rebellion) because he thought meiji wanted to
end samurai by making law that forbid samurai bring katana in public place and
etc.

tom cruise movie "the last samurai" was inspired by saigo takamori.
(noted:inspired, that means the movie plot was not based on actual history).

and about the dog, i think nothing special about the dog. none of sources that
i read about him talking about his dog at all.


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answer