Saigo Takamori and the Bible
The most popular and respected in the era of the Meiji Restoration of Japan was Takamori Saigo.
Saigō Takamori (1828 – 1877) was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai.[1] He was born Saigō Kokichi, and received the given name Takamori in adulthood. He wrote poetry under the name Saigō Nanshū.The samurai era of Japan was put an end to through a civil war between the Tokugawa shogun regime and anti-Tokugawa samurai camps that tied up with noblemen and the emperor. The anti-Tokugawa coalition mainly consisted of four feudal domains: Satsuma (presently Kagoshima Prefecture), Chosyu (presently Yamaguchi Prefecture), Tosa (presently Kochi Prefecture), and Hizen (Prefecture Saga Prefecture). Among the four, Satsuma had the strongest samurai forces and the most stable economic base with the most forward-looking feudal ruler Shimazu.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saig%C5%8D_Takamori
Saigo was a samurai who served the feudal lord of Satsuma, namely the house of Shimazu. Specifically Lord Shimazu Nariakira (1809-1858) promoted young Saigo from a mere low-level samurai to one of his entourage. Since US Commodore Perry arrived at Tokyo Bay in 1853, leading his well-armed fleet, to make Japan abandon its closed-door policy, the Tokugawa shogun (namely the king of samurais) and his ministers could not govern Japan as they had done for the past 250 years. The Tokugawa regime was not well prepared for the new era where Japan had to open the nation, establish diplomatic ties with the US, the UK, France and other countries, and cope with foreign pressure. So, this samurai government took the plunge and did what they had never done since its establishment of power in early 1600s; they asked advice from feudal lords who governed their own local domains while being subject to the Tokugawa clan as vassals. And Shimazu Nariakira of Satsuma situated in the most southwest region of Japan was the one who tried to take advantage of this opportunity so as to expand his influence in the central samurai government in Edo (Tokyo). In doing so, Shimazu Nariakira picked up Saigo as his close adviser and one of leading staff.
When Shimazu Nariakira died, his nephew took over the position of the Lord of Satsuma, but the real power was in the hand of a younger brother of Shimazu Nariakira or the father of the new lord. So, Saigo was demoted by the new rulers of Satsuma twice, as they did not trust Saigo from a lower-class of the samurai world of Satsuma. However situations of Japan became so tense. With the Tokugawa shogun losing power, other feudal lords and anti-Tokufgawa samurai came to compete with one another to hold the balance of power. The Satsuma Clan needed a strong leader with real ability to lead samurai forces and handle political games. In this dynamic movement that was shaking dignity of the Tokugawa shogun, Saigo was again asked by the Shimazu family to lead the Clan.
As time went by, other anti-Tokugawa feudal lords and samurai leaders came to admit Saigo's extraordinary caliber. Saigo was not a good swordsman, excellent bureaucrat, eloquent speaker, smart economist, or prudent scholar, but he is a great strategist, tough negotiator, sharp and courageous operator of samurais, and above all a man of faith and humanity. Saigo was not hated by other samurais. Townsmen and farmerss loved his generous-hearted way of living. Saigo didn't try to be rich and honored. But he was determined to put an end to the Tokugawa era.
The civil war that put an end to the Tokugawa samurai regime and paved the way for the Meiji Restoration was won by the anti-Tokugawa samurai coalition that succeeded to take the emperor and noblemen on their side. And everybody admitted that Saigo Takamori achieved the most decisive feat as the de-facto supreme commander of anti-Tokugawa coalition forces.
In the new Meiji Government established in 1868, Saigo took one of top positions. He became the first full general of the imperial military. However, there were many ex-samurais in Satsuma and other local regions who could not secure any positions in the new Government. Those unsatisfactory ex-samurais appealed to Saigo who eventually left the central Government in Tokyo to go back to Kagoshima and accept a petition from those ex-samurais for leading them in a new civil war.
In 1877, Saigo Takamori, as the leader of Kagoshima rebel troops, died in the civil war called the Satsuma Rebellion. It is the last civil war in Japan. Saigo Takamori leading 40,000 anti-Tokyo ex-samurais stood against 300,000 imperial government troops led by generals and politicians who were once Saigo's friends, colleagues, and subordinates.
Despite this tragic incident or due to this tragic civil war, the general public of Japan respected Saigo Takamori who threw out his success in the new imperial Government but had sympathy with ex-samurais who were neglected by the central Government busy in promoting modernization and Westernization of Japan.
So, Saigo Takamori is believed to have a very Japanese mind as he has been respected and loved by the Japanese populace. His presence in the Japanese modern history is unparalleled.
The most well know phrase Saigo Takamori spoke or wrote for any commemoration is "Respect the heaven and love people!" This expression sounds somewhat like Christian. And, indeed, there is a report that Saigo read the Bible, translated into Japanese or Chinese, with enthusiasm. Even there is a legend that Saigo taught the Bible to some citizens in his hometown of Kagoshima.
More interestingly Mao Tse-tung (1893-1976), the founder of the People's Republic of China and once the long-time head of the Chinese Communist Party, is said to be an earnest admirer of Saigo Takamori, though it is unknown if Mao Tse-tung had ever taught the Bible to any Chinese. .
http://www.page.sannet.ne.jp/tsekine/syouzou-saigou.htm
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Luk 7:6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
Luk 7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
Luk 7:8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Luk 7:9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.