Takamori Saigo beliefs?

Takamori Saigo was was the oldest son of a lower-ranking samurai family. He was born on Feb. 7, 1827, in Kagoshima. As a young man, he was interested in both Wang Yangming Confucianism and Zen Buddhism, both of which stressed the importance of acting on individual conscience. He briefly attended the domain academy before becoming a minor domain official. Saigo believed that major domestic reforms were necessary in order to meet the challenge of the West.