120-Minute Course
A Garden Where the History and Nature of Satsuma Intersect: Beauty and Tranquility
１ Site of the Reverberatory Furnace・Kagoshima World Heritage Orientation Centre
Samurai used pictures from a Dutch textbook and combined traditional Japanese craftsmanship with Western knowledge to build a furnace 20 metres high which was used to melt iron and produce cannons.
Find out why Kagoshima was among the first regions of Japan to modernise in the late 19th century, and the reason why Nariakira chose to build a factory complex next to Sengan-en at the Kagoshima World Cultural Heritage Orientation Centre.
２ Main Gate
Built in 1895 as the new entrance to the gardens. The gate is made of camphor wood and is constructed in the Yakuimon style, featuring the crests of the Shimadzu family under the gable roof.
３ Tin Gate
The original main gate to the gardens, featuring a roof made of Kagoshima tin. Only the lord and his heirs were allowed to use this gate; all other family members used another entrance nearby.
４ The House
Take a stroll around the house lived in and loved by generations of the Shimadzu family, and enjoy the private view over the gardens, Kinko Bay, and Sakurajima beyond. The house features a fascinating mix of Japanese, Chinese and Western influences, and is built from flawless 1,000-year-old Yakushima cedar.
５ Bogakuro Pavilion・Senjingan
This pavilion was used to attend to important guests and was a gift from the King of Ryukyu, presented as tribute to the Satsuma domain in the early 17th century.
11-metre-high characters into the cliff face in 1814. Carving characters into rocks is a Chinese custom, and is unusual to see in a Japanese garden.
６ Kagoshima Cultural Experiences at Sengan-en
Unique cultural experiences to enhance your visit to the house and gardens of the Shimadzu clan
Experience the history and culture of Kagoshima for yourself against the backdrop of the gardens of Sengan-en and active volcano Sakurajima. Learn about warrior culture, arts and crafts, and discover the soul of the samurai of Satsuma. Unforgettable memories of your visit to the historic house and gardens of the mighty Shimadzu clan.
７ Shoko Shuseikan Museum
Follow the course of the Shimadzu family over 800 years, and see how the international relations they forged led to the development of industrialisation in modern Japan. The Shoko Shuseikan Museum is housed in the oldest stone factory building in Japan, built in 1865.
８ Shimadzu Satsuma Kiriko Glassworks・Isokōgeikan
Watch master craftsmen blow and cut Satsuma Kiriko crystal glass right before your eyes at the Shimadzu Satsuma Kiriko Glassworks, then marvel at the pinnacle of Kagoshima’s traditional craftsmanship at the gallery shop next door.
