※Restricted Area

In 1814, under Shimazu Narioki, the 27th head of the Shimazu family, nearly 3,900 workers spent three months carving these enormous characters into the mountainside. Together, they read “Senjingan” and stretch nearly 11 meters tall.

The name evokes an immense, towering rock, with white strokes painted in gofun, a pigment made from crushed seashells. Such rock inscriptions are rare in Japanese gardens and reflect strong Chinese cultural influence.

In the name Senjingan, sen (千) conveys great size and hiro (尋) refers to an old unit of length based on an adult’s outstretched arms, together expressing an exceptionally large rock.