Statue of Kogoro Katsura / Site of Choshu Domain Residence

The bronze figure of Kogoro Katsura stands with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, watching over the Takase River. This spot marks the site of the former residence of the Choshu domain, a place where samurai plotted the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. Katsura lived here while navigating the dangerous politics of the eighteen sixties. He spent many nights hiding in a concealed space beneath the floorboards to escape shogunate spies who raided the residence looking for rebels.