Japan Guide
Kyūshū
Museum of the Meiji Restoration
No expense has been spared to recreate the "golden age" of Kagoshima, when Saigō and other local luminaries were instrumental in returning power to the emperor and then spearheading the Meiji reforms. The highlight is a 25-minute son et lumière in which robots – including a wild-eyed Saigō – re-enact scenes from the restoration. The show takes place roughly once an hour in the basement theatre (9.15am–4.30pm) and headsets are available for an English-language translation. Upstairs, don't miss listening to the original version of the Japanese national anthem, recorded by the Satsuma Military Band in 1870, composed a couple of years earlier by an Irish bandmaster, John William Fenton. Opening time: Daily 9am–5pm Price: ¥300