was a Japanese singer and actor. As a singer, he was known as one of the three "Gosanke" (referring to gosanke, the three great Tokugawa houses), along with Yukio Hashi and Kazuo Funaki. The stage name was based on the Meiji Restoration one of three heroes, but also the Kagoshima Local hero Takamori Saigo.
Saigà  made his debut in 1964 with the song "Kimi Dake o", for which he won a Japan Record Award for best new artist.
As an actor, he has portrayed people as varied as 20th century Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka (in the 1983 film Shà Âsetsu Yoshida Gakkà Â) and 16th century samurai Katakura Kagetsuna (in the 1987 NHK Taiga drama Dokuganryà « Masamune). A native of Kagoshima, he has played the roles of native sons such as Kuroda Kiyotaka and Saigà  Tsugumichi, but his characters also include Tokugawa Ieyasu, Yagyà « Jà «bei and Hattori Hanzà Â. His roles in Chà «shingura tales have included Mà Âri Koheita (1985).
Saigà  has starred in various prime-time television series. These include Edo o Kiru, Genkurà  Tabi Nikki Aoi no Abarenbà Â, Abare Hasshà « Goyà  Tabi, and Abare Isha Ranzan. NHK has tapped him for various Taiga drama roles as well. Among them are Mà Âri Hiromoto (in Mà Âri Motonari, 1997), Sanada Yukimura (Aoi Tokugawa Sandai, 2000), and Honda Masanobu (NHK's Taiga drama Musashi, 2003) in addition to Katakura Kagetsuna. Other NHK roles have included the contemporary daytime drama Niji no Sekkei (1964) and the uncle of the title character in the asadora Wakaba (2004âÂÂ05).
On 21 February 2022, Sun Music, Saigo's management company, made an announcement that he died after a long battle with prostate cancer in Tokyo, on 20 February.