The Iso district, including Sengan-en, was registered in 2015 as part of the World Heritage property “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.”

This designation recognizes Japan’s rapid industrialization from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries in iron and steel, shipbuilding, and coal mining.

The heritage property consists of 23 sites across 8 prefectures and 11 cities.
From Kagoshima Prefecture, the Shuseikan site, Terayama Charcoal Kiln Ruins, and Sekiyoshi Aqueduct were selected. These sites convey the early experimentation that formed the foundation of modern Japan.


※ | What Was the Shuseikan Project?
The Shuseikan Project was a policy initiative by Shimazu Nariakira in the late Edo Period aimed at strengthening the nation and promoting industry.

It included cannon casting, shipbuilding, spinning, glassmaking, and communications research, all centered around the Shuseikan industrial complex.
Though the facilities were heavily damaged during the Anglo-Satsuma War, they were later rebuilt under Shimazu Tadayoshi.

While the project eventually ended, the knowledge and skills cultivated here spread nationwide and played a crucial role in Japan’s modernization.