The Japanese Satsuma students were a group of young men, variously stated to be 15 or 19 in number, who left the Satsuma province of Japan in 1865 to study in Britain. They had to travel secretly, as it was against the law at that time for any Japanese to leave Japan without government consent, which they would not have been given. Japan at that time was in the grip of a civil war that led to the Meiji restoration in 1868.

The Japanese inscription on the reverse of this CdV is the name of one of the leading students, Yoshinari Hatakeyama. As cover when leaving Japan all the students had to adopt different names, and Hatakeyama took the name Kozo Soogiwoora. This is the name written in English beneath the Japanese inscription.

This photograph by the Southwell Brothers shows four of the students. Hatakeyama is thought to be the one sitting back in the chair.

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