Kagoshima World Heritage Orientation Centre
The story of Japan's modernisation
In the late 19th century Japan faced pressure from the outside world to open its borders, shaking the feudal society of the Edo period to its core. In response to this pressure Shimadzu Nariakira, lord of Satsuma, started a series of projects to bring modern industrial technology to Japan. Collectively known as the Shuseikan, these modernisation initiatives began with the construction of a Reverberatory Furnace to produce iron cannon next to Nariakira’s residence at Sengan-en.
Sengan-en Guide Reception
Guide tours of Sengan-en are available at the Orientation Center. Please feel free to use this service.
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 by pioneering lord Shimadzu Nariakira.