Description: (Statesman)
Katsu Kaishū was a prominent Japanese statesman, naval engineer, and military commander who played a key role in Japan's transition from the Tokugawa shogunate to the Meiji period. Advocating for modernization and westernization, he was instrumental during the Bakumatsu period and the Meiji Restoration. Kaishū served as a commissioner in the Tokugawa navy, chief negotiator for the bakufu, and a significant commander during the Boshin War. His surrender of Edo to Imperial forces was a pivotal moment in Japanese history.