As this fascinating and highly important study shows, the controversy surrounding Saigo arose and continues today because Dai Saigo - 'The Great Saigo' - and the historical Saigo Takamori who lived in Japan between 1827 and 1877 are two very different characters. One is the myth, the other the man behind it, who has until now remained largely unknown, not just in the popular mind but even in the minds of Japan's professional historians. Returning to primary sources, the author reconstructs the historical Saigo from the clues he has left behind in his own words and deeds, disentangling him from the mythic Dai Saigo in order to provide the first accurate account of the career of one of the most widely known and admired figures in Japanese history.