The large gate before you was built in 1895, during the Meiji Period, when Sengan-en became the main residence of the Shimazu family. Its imposing appearance reflects the dignity of the family head’s home.
At the center of the gate is the famous Maru ju-mon,（a circular design enclosing a form resembling the kanji for “ten”） the Shimazu family crest. Originally, it consisted only of a cross without the surrounding circle. The circular form is believed to have been added around the end of the Sengoku Period.
There are several theories about why the Shimazu family adopted a cross as their crest. One links it to a Chinese custom of drawing a cross to ward off misfortune. Another suggests it was granted by Minamoto no Yoritomo to Shimazu Tadahisa, the founder of the Shimazu family.
On either side of the crest, you’ll also see the paulownia emblem, another Shimazu family crest. This emblem is said to have been granted by the noble Konoe family of Kyoto, reflecting the Shimazu family’s deep historical roots and connections.
Shimazu Tadahisa, founder of the Shimazu clan, served under Minamoto no Yoritomo and had close ties to the noble Konoe family. Through these connections, he was entrusted with managing a large estate in southern Kyushu known as Shimazu-shō, from which the Shimazu family took their name. It is also said that their paulownia crest came from this relationship.