This episode is the first of two looking at the life and times of Saigo Takamori, otherwise known as the Last Samurai (not Tom Cruise), and an enormous influence on Japan in the 19 and 20th Centuries.   For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode! You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app. Sources:

• Japan Info 
• Encyclopedia Britannica 
• Nippon.com 
• National Geographic 
• Samurai Wiki
• Wikipedia