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Taiwanese tourists to Japan

Tourists from Taiwan pose for a photo in front of a statue of Ryoma Sakamoto, a famed 19th-century historic figure who played a key role in Japan's transition from feudal rule to modern statehood during the Meiji Restoration, in Kochi, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025.

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Taiwanese tourists to Japan

Tourists from Taiwan pose for a photo in front of a statue of Ryoma Sakamoto, a famed 19th-century historic figure who played a key role in Japan's transition from feudal rule to modern statehood during the Meiji Restoration, in Kochi, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025.

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Taiwanese tourists to Japan

Tourists from Taiwan listen to a guide in front of a statue of Ryoma Sakamoto, a famed 19th-century historic figure who played a key role in Japan's transition from feudal rule to modern statehood during the Meiji Restoration, in Kochi, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025. ==Kyodo

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Snow in western Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 23, 2022, shows a statue of legendary samurai Sakamoto Ryoma in the western Japan city of Kochi, dusted with snow.

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Same type of pistol Sakamoto Ryoma used to carry

KOCHI, Japan - This undated photo shows a Model 2 Army Revolver by Smith & Wesson, the same type of pistol which Takasugi Shinsaku gave to Sakamoto Ryoma, two historical figures who contributed to modernizing feudal Japan. The pistol was donated to the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum in Kochi City operated by the Kochi prefectural government and will be shown in an exhibition in late August 2010.

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Emperor, Empress visit Kyoto National Museum

KYOTO, Japan, Oct. 24 Kyodo - Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visit the 150th Year Commemorative Special Exhibition on Japanese national hero Sakamoto Ryoma at Kyoto National Museum in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto on Oct. 24, 2016.

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Scroll shows sword-wielding skill license given to historical hero

KYOTO, Nov. 12 Kyodo - Photo taken in Kyoto, western Japan, on Nov. 7, 2015, shows a scroll certifying the skill in wielding a "naginata" long-handled sword given to historical hero Sakamoto Ryoma in the waning years of the Edo period (1603-1867). The name of his lover, Chiba Sana, is among a list of names that also includes Chiba Shusaku, founder of the Hokushin Ittoryu school of swordsmanship.

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People join hands to link two Ryoma statues

KOCHI, Japan - Some 750 people join hands to link two statues of Sakamoto Ryoma, around 540 meters apart, in Kochi on Nov. 16, 2014. Ryoma is a historical figure known for his contribution to Japan's modernization marked by the end of the feudal government.

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Statue of Sakamoto Ryoma's sister built in hometown

KOCHI, Japan - A statue of 19th-century revolutionary Sakamoto Ryoma's elder sister Otome (L), built next to his statue in the courtyard of Ryoma's Hometown Museum in Kochi, western Japan, is unveiled on Nov. 15, his birthday, in 2014.

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Japan emperor visits imperial museum

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Emperor Akihito views exhibits for the Imperial Repository of Books and Writings at the Imperial Palace's Museum of the Imperial Collections in Tokyo on Oct. 15, 2010. The exhibits included a note written in the 19th century by revolutionary Sakamoto Ryoma. (Pool Photo)

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'Ryoma-den' to be aired in Taiwan, S. Korea, Thailand

TOKYO, Japan - Actor and musician Masaharu Fukuyama speaks in a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 14, 2010 , as NHK's serial television drama ''Ryoma-den'' (Ryoma Story), featuring 19th century revolutionary Ryoma Sakamoto played by Fukuyama, will be aired in Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand.

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'Ryoma-den' drama cast finishes shooting

TOKYO, Japan - Masaharu Fukuyama, who played legendary revolutionary Ryoma Sakamoto in the drama ''Ryoma-den,'' receives flowers after the final shoot at the headquarters of Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, in Tokyo on Oct. 11, 2010.

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Pep rally for Japan national team for World Cup

TOKYO, Japan - Coach Takeshi Okada and the 23-member squad of the Japanese national team for soccer's World Cup finals in South Africa attend a pep rally for them at Samurai Blue Park in Tokyo on May 22, 2010. The temporary park, with a large statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, a samurai famous for brokering the alliance between the Satsuma and Choshu clans during the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, opened the same day as a venue for the team's supporters with events and public viewing planned.

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Pep rally for Japan national team for World Cup

TOKYO, Japan - Coach Takeshi Okada and the 23-member squad of the Japanese national team for soccer's World Cup finals in South Africa attend a pep rally for them at Samurai Blue Park in Tokyo on May 22, 2010. The temporary park, with a large statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, a samurai famous for brokering the alliance between the Satsuma and Choshu clans during the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, opened the same day as a venue for the team's supporters with events and public viewing planned.

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Copies of forged Meji Era photo fetching high prices

KOCHI, Japan - This forged group photo showing 44 kimono-clad people wearing swords together with a foreign adult and child is fetching up to 300,000 yen mainly via the nternet, officials of Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum said Jan. 23.

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Great Bear star sign in swordsmanship license for historical hero

Photo taken on Nov. 7, 2015, shows a Great Bear star sign inscribed in a scroll certifying the skill in wielding a "naginata" long-handled sword given to historical hero Sakamoto Ryoma in the waning years of the Edo period (1603-1867). The scroll lists the names of several related people, including his lover Chiba Sana and Chiba Shusaku, founder of the Hokushin Ittoryu school of swordsmanship. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Statue of Sakamoto Ryoma polished by fans

A statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, a prominent figure in the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, is polished by 22 publicly selected fans on May 27, 2015, the 88th anniversary of its erection in the western Japanese city of Kochi. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Tokyo Olympic torch relay

Actress and singer Wakako Shimazaki (L) holds the Olympic torch in front of a statue of 19th century historical figure Ryoma Sakamoto in Kochi, western Japan, on April 19, 2021, kicking off the day's Tokyo Olympic torch relay.

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Woman in news: Curator sending out info on revolution hero Ryoma

Yukie Maeda, a curator at the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum in Kochi, western Japan, talks on Nov. 10, 2015, about the prominent figure in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate in the late Edo period (1603-1867). The 180th anniversary of Ryoma's birth was celebrated on Nov. 15. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Representative of Ryoma's Sakamoto family appears at fan gathering

Masahiro Sakamoto (R), the 10th head of Sakamoto family known for Sakamoto Ryoma, who played a major role in dethroning the Tokugawa shogunate toward the end of the Edo period, is introduced as Kochi Prefecture's special tourism envoy during an event in Kochi, western Japan, on Nov. 14, 2015, a day before the 180th anniversary of the birth of Ryoma. About 500 fans from across Japan and abroad gathered for the event. Standing in the left is Kochi Gov. Masanao Ozaki. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Man in news: Head of Sakamoto Ryoma museum stands by his statue

Kenshiro Mori, head of the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum in Kochi, western Japan, strikes a pose on Sept. 2, 2015, by the statue of the leader in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan between 1603 and 1867. He has paved the way for a sweeping refurbishment of the museum targeting reopening from January 2018. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan emperor visits imperial museum

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Emperor Akihito views exhibits for the Imperial Repository of Books and Writings at the Imperial Palace's Museum of the Imperial Collections in Tokyo on Oct. 15, 2010. The exhibits included a note written in the 19th century by revolutionary Sakamoto Ryoma. (Pool Photo) (Kyodo)

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'Ryoma-den' drama cast finishes shooting

TOKYO, Japan - Masaharu Fukuyama, who played legendary revolutionary Ryoma Sakamoto in the drama ''Ryoma-den,'' receives flowers after the final shoot at the headquarters of Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, in Tokyo on Oct. 11, 2010. (Kyodo)

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'Ryoma-den' to be aired in Taiwan, S. Korea, Thailand

TOKYO, Japan - Actor and musician Masaharu Fukuyama speaks in a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 14, 2010 , as NHK's serial television drama ''Ryoma-den'' (Ryoma Story), featuring 19th century revolutionary Ryoma Sakamoto played by Fukuyama, will be aired in Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand. (Kyodo)

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Same type of pistol Sakamoto Ryoma used to carry

KOCHI, Japan - This undated photo shows a Model 2 Army Revolver by Smith & Wesson, the same type of pistol which Takasugi Shinsaku gave to Sakamoto Ryoma, two historical figures who contributed to modernizing feudal Japan. The pistol was donated to the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum in Kochi City operated by the Kochi prefectural government and will be shown in an exhibition in late August 2010. (Kyodo)

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Pep rally for Japan national team for World Cup

TOKYO, Japan - Coach Takeshi Okada and the 23-member squad of the Japanese national team for soccer's World Cup finals in South Africa attend a pep rally for them at Samurai Blue Park in Tokyo on May 22, 2010. The temporary park, with a large statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, a samurai famous for brokering the alliance between the Satsuma and Choshu clans during the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, opened the same day as a venue for the team's supporters with events and public viewing planned. (Kyodo)

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Pep rally for Japan national team for World Cup

TOKYO, Japan - Coach Takeshi Okada and the 23-member squad of the Japanese national team for soccer's World Cup finals in South Africa attend a pep rally for them at Samurai Blue Park in Tokyo on May 22, 2010. The temporary park, with a large statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, a samurai famous for brokering the alliance between the Satsuma and Choshu clans during the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, opened the same day as a venue for the team's supporters with events and public viewing planned. (Kyodo)

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People join hands to link two Ryoma statues

KOCHI, Japan - Some 750 people join hands to link two statues of Sakamoto Ryoma, around 540 meters apart, in Kochi on Nov. 16, 2014. Ryoma is a historical figure known for his contribution to Japan's modernization marked by the end of the feudal government. (Kyodo)

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Former Nagasaki Bugyosho office and Shihan school

This photo is taken from around Shofukuji Temple. The buildings in the center are the former Nagasaki Bugyosho in Tateyama and National Nagasaki Normal School that had just been built in 1874. This is a rare photo of the original building of Nagasaki Bugyosho. In 2005, the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture was built at this site. Kameyama Shachu established by Sakamoto Ryoma in 1865 is visible in Irabayashi in the back.==Date:about 1874, Place:Nagasaki, Photo:Ueno Hikoma?, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images)

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The Glover House and garden

The Glover residence and the garden at Minamiyamate No. 1. The house was built in 1863 and was the residence of Thomas Glover who came to Nagasaki in 1861 as a representative of Jardine, Matheson & Company. It is the oldest western-style building in Japan. The garden is well maintained. Many historical figures such as Sakamoto Ryoma, Ito Shunsuke and Inoue Bunta among others had business talks here.==Date:about 1874, Place:Nagasaki, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images)

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Emperor, Empress visit Kyoto National Museum

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visit Kyoto National Museum in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto on Oct. 24, 2016. The Japanese imperial couple observed the 150th Year Commemorative Special Exhibition on Japanese national hero Sakamoto Ryoma. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Photo believed to be wife of Sakamoto Ryoma found in Tokyo

KYOTO, Japan - Photo is believed to be that of Oryo, the wife of Sakamoto Ryoma (1835-1867), a pro-imperial activist who was assassinated in 1867. The photo was found recently in Tokyo and will be shown at an exhibition on Ryoma at the Kyoto National Museum in Kyoto from Aug. 1 to Sept. 2, along with two other photographs also thought to be of Oryo. Ryoma is a favorite historical figure in Japan.