Katsu Kaishu Museum Exhibition Showcases Newly Revealed Documents in Tokyo, Discusses Saigo Takamori, Telegraphs

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, October 10, 2025

A special exhibition that preserves and passes down the historical legacy of Katsu Kaishu is currently being held at the Ota City Katsu Kaishu Memorial Museum in Tokyo. The exhibition unveils, for the first time, documents that highlight the compassionate personality and forward-thinking endeavors of Katsu Kaishu (1823–1899), a high-ranking retainer of the Tokugawa shogunate.

One highlight is a document Kaishu wrote in 1885, called “Saigo Torataro Isshin no Tenmatsu” (The chronicle of Saigo Torataro), in which he discussed Saigo Takamori and his son, Saigo Torataro. In it, Kaishu reflected on Takamori, whom he greatly respected, noting how Takamori was defeated by Meiji government forces during the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion and stigmatized as a traitor.

The document also records Kaishu’s support for Torataro, who suffered hardship after his father’s death. In 1884, Torataro was granted an audience at the Imperial Court and received permission from Emperor Meiji to study abroad. Kaishu expressed how deeply moved and joyful he felt upon hearing the news.

The exhibition also features a letter written in 1855 by Okubo Tadahiro, a senior shogunate official, addressed to Kaishu. The letter advised Kaishu, who had been ordered by the shogunate to experiment with telegraph machines, to “begin work as early as tomorrow since you have received the command.” While it was already known that Kaishu was the first Japanese to conduct telegraph experiments, this letter serves as valuable supporting evidence.

The special exhibition runs until Nov. 9. Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays, or the following day if Monday falls on a national holiday.