Siege of Kumamoto castle

Battle of Kumamoto Castle

Imperial Japanese Army officers of the Kumamoto garrison, who resisted Saigō Takamori's siege, 1877

Date	February 19 - April 12, 1877
Location	Kumamoto, Japan
Result	Decisive Imperial Japanese victory

Belligerents

Imperial Japanese Army

Samurai of Satsuma

Commanders and leaders

Tani Tateki, Yamagata Aritomo, Kuroda Kiyotaka

Saigō Takamori

Strength

4,400 troops in Kumamoto; 90,000 reinforcements

20,000 samurai

Casualties and losses

unknown

heavy

The Siege of Kumamoto Castle (熊本城強襲, Kumamotojō kyōshō) from February 19 to April 12, 1877, in Kumamoto, Japan, was a major battle of the Satsuma Rebellion.

After the opening of hostilities between Satsuma and the Meiji government, Satsuma military leader Saigō Takamori announced his intention of marching on Tokyo to speak with Emperor Meiji and to rid the government of corrupt and venial politicians. The route to Tokyo was via Kumamoto, the site of a historic castle, and the primary garrison town for the Imperial Japanese Army in Kyūshū. The leaders of the Meiji government were aware that the loss of Kumamoto meant that all of Kyūshū would fall to Satsuma forces, and this loss would fan a rebellion across other parts of Japan as well.

The Satsuma vanguard crossed into Kumamoto Prefecture on February 14 and the Commandant of Kumamoto Castle, Major General Tani Tateki sent word to Satsuma governor Oyama that any attempt by Satsuma soldiers to cross Kumamoto would be met by force. Tani had 3,800 soldiers and 600 policemen at his disposal. The defenders included a number of men who would later rise to positions of great prominence in the Japanese military, including Kabayama Sukenori, Kodama Gentarō, Kawakami Soroku, Nogi Maresuke and Oku Yasukata. However, as most of the garrison of Kumamoto castle was from Kyūshū, and as many of the officers were natives of Kagoshima, their loyalties were open to question. Rather than risk desertions or defections, Tani decided to stand on the defensive.

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