Sengan-en

Sengan-en is the former villa and garden of the Shimazu clan, lords of the Satsuma domain, located in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. The grounds cover about 5 hectares and are designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty. It is also a highly worthwhile tourist spot registered as part of a World Cultural Heritage site. The garden was created in 1658 and has been carefully preserved ever since. Seasonal events are held throughout the year, drawing many visitors. Highlights include the Tin Gate (Suzumon), the Iso Residence (Iso-Goten), and the remains of a reverberatory furnace. You can also watch Satsuma Kiriko glass-making on site. The residence was used as a guesthouse in the late Edo and Meiji periods, and its beauty can be moving to see. Tsurumine Shrine is also within the grounds, making it a place where you can easily spend a full day. With abundant flowers and trees, it shows many expressions across the seasons. There are also armor-dressing experiences, including child-sized armor of Shimazu Yoshihiro and Sanada Yukimura. Restaurants serve local Satsuma cuisine, and at Sengan-en tea house you can enjoy sweets as well. Access: about 30 minutes by bus from Kagoshima-Chuo Station.