One of Tokyo's most iconic bronze statues, standing at the entrance to Ueno Park. Unveiled on December 18, 1898, it was sculpted by Takamura Koun and depicts Saigo walking his dog Tsun to go rabbit hunting. Approximately 3.7 meters tall (about 12 meters including the pedestal). The famous anecdote goes that Saigo's wife Itoko, attending the unveiling, remarked 'My husband's face did not look like …

The bronze statue of Saigo Takamori was conceived as a symbol of the restoration of honor for Saigo, who died as an 'enemy of the court' after leading the Satsuma Rebellion against the Meiji government in 1877. The movement toward its construction gained momentum when an imperial amnesty, issued in …