The Battle of Shiroyama (Sep 24th 1877) The name given for the battle depicted in the movie "The Last Samurai" in which 300,000 imperial troops armed with rifles engaged 25,000 Samurai. This bloody last stand of the Satsuma Rebellion was unsatisfactory for those involved. 12 years after the battle, Emperor Meiji gave Saigo Takamori a full pardon and restored him to his former rank. A statue in Kagoshima's Central Park stands in his memory.