During the Edo Period, the official residence of the Shimazu family in Kagoshima was Kagoshima Castle. However, many successive lords stayed at their residence, Sengan-en, when returning from Edo as part of the alternate attendance system.
This residence was made the main family home of the Shimazu clan by Shimazu Tadayoshi, the 29th head of the family and the last lord of the Satsuma Domain. After the Meiji Restoration, the abolition of the feudal domains ended the Satsuma Domain, and Tadayoshi left Kagoshima Castle to live in Tokyo for a time.
Before long, however, he decided to return to Kagoshima and chose Sengan-en as his main residence. In 1884, Tadayoshi carried out a major renovation, restoring the estate to a form befitting the head of the Shimazu family. That appearance has been carefully preserved to this day.
The centerpiece is the grand Audience Hall, facing the front garden. Straight-grained cedar wood was used throughout, with intricate transom carvings and even chandeliers installed. Formal ceremonies and receptions were held here.
Tatami mats line not only the rooms but also the corridors, suggesting how many people once sat in disciplined rows before the family head.
Throughout the residence, you can find decorative nail covers in 11 different designs. Some are crafted in Satsuma pottery and shaped like Sakurajima daikon radishes, while others near the Audience Hall are shaped like bats. In Chinese culture, bats symbolize good fortune, another sign of overseas influence unique to Kagoshima and the Shimazu family.