Satsuma Restoration leader and principle member of the Meiji government until his death; principle adviser of Shimazu Hisamitsu and close collaborator with Iwakura Tomomi; provided strong central control during the first decade of Meiji in suppression of rebellions of Eto (Saga) and Saigo(Satsuma), assassinated 1878 because of his having had Satsuma occupied by theimperial army after the later’s rebellion against the Meiji government.
Arranged the testing of the former Hitokiri by Saito Hajime in order to determine whether Kenshin could defeat Shishio in battle. Needed to know whether Himura still had the strength he’d had ten years previous.Requested the help of Himura Battousai in preventing Shishio Makoto’s take over of Japan. Begs him to return to Kyoto to stop his successor, as he is the only hope they have left after all other options had been exhausted. Okubo’sassassination by one of Shishio’s men (in the anime and manga) was the catalyst that forces Kenshin’s decision to return to Kyoto to face Shishio, leaving behind Kaoru and the others to become a rurouni once again.