Indescribable...was Shiroyama (castle mountain). I united with my fellow educators as we made a brisk hike up a winding trail surrounded by sizeable trees, bottle green grass and leafy shrubs. Finally we reached a breathtaking lookout point. It was here that you could see Mt. Sakurajima in all it's glory and realize the true magnitude of the metropolitan area. Picture taking here was simply postcard perfect. It was a crystal clear day and you could see the city skyline for miles. It is here where Mother Nature is at her best that Saigo Takmori committed ritual suicide in 1877.
Things seem to get better and better in Kagoshima. We walked back down the hiking trail in awe. Swiftly, we loaded the chartered bus again and headed to the historic home of the 19th Satsuma Lord to visit his traditional summer villa and tour his glorious garden called, Senganen or Isoteien. This site is a nationally registered scenic beauty and cultural site in Japan. We entered through an ornate and detailed gate that opened to the luscious and manicured grounds. One of the first things that caught my eye was the 150-pound iron cannon and The Tsurugane Shrine, which has more than an 800-year of history with the Shimadzu family.
Senganen is a Japanese style landscape garden, which is beautifully located at the foot of a wooded hill along the coast and uses Mt. Sakurajima as "borrowed scenery". On the grounds is the first gaslight built in Japan. It is in the form of a crane-shaped stone lantern.
This historic villa and home belonged to the Shimazu, the family that ruled Kagoshima for almost 700 years until the end of Japan's feudal age in 1868. We were taken aback as we had the opportunity to tour this historic home. It was simply decorated but was filled with exquisite artwork and ornamental furniture. The formal dining room was adorned with the sparkling Satsuma cut glass. After the tour, we were escorted to the Shuseiso (Tea House) where we participated in a traditional tea ceremony. We had freshly brewed green tea and a sweet snack.
On the Senganen premise is the famous Satsuma Kiriko~The Sengan-en Gallery. This is the moment I had been waiting for, the opportunity to purchase a piece of Satsuma cut glass. I was surprised at how much the glass weighed and how the glass glistened in the sunlight. I was equally surprised by the price of even small pieces of glass. I bit the bullet and purchased a yellow piece of Satsuma glass. I will definitely treasure this keepsake forever or at least until my Visa bill comes.
One of the main differences I noticed early on when comparing the Toyko and Kagoshima was that Tokyo was more westernized with bilingual signs, menus and maps but Kagoshima was totally Japanese. This particular change was challenging but rewarding as well.
We headed to Dolphin Port for dinner. I knew the Colonel and rice was off the list tonight. Therefore, we ate at a local restaurant (I couldn't read the name or menu). It was a type of Japanese Barbecue establishment. Basically, they brought you raw meat and you cooked it on a small heated barbecue pit located in the center of the table. The smoke rose through a vent attached from the ceiling. It brought a new meaning to the term dining out. Nevertheless, it was fun playing Chef Boyardee!
Things seem to get better and better in Kagoshima. We walked back down the hiking trail in awe. Swiftly, we loaded the chartered bus again and headed to the historic home of the 19th Satsuma Lord to visit his traditional summer villa and tour his glorious garden called, Senganen or Isoteien. This site is a nationally registered scenic beauty and cultural site in Japan. We entered through an ornate and detailed gate that opened to the luscious and manicured grounds. One of the first things that caught my eye was the 150-pound iron cannon and The Tsurugane Shrine, which has more than an 800-year of history with the Shimadzu family.
Senganen is a Japanese style landscape garden, which is beautifully located at the foot of a wooded hill along the coast and uses Mt. Sakurajima as "borrowed scenery". On the grounds is the first gaslight built in Japan. It is in the form of a crane-shaped stone lantern.
This historic villa and home belonged to the Shimazu, the family that ruled Kagoshima for almost 700 years until the end of Japan's feudal age in 1868. We were taken aback as we had the opportunity to tour this historic home. It was simply decorated but was filled with exquisite artwork and ornamental furniture. The formal dining room was adorned with the sparkling Satsuma cut glass. After the tour, we were escorted to the Shuseiso (Tea House) where we participated in a traditional tea ceremony. We had freshly brewed green tea and a sweet snack.
On the Senganen premise is the famous Satsuma Kiriko~The Sengan-en Gallery. This is the moment I had been waiting for, the opportunity to purchase a piece of Satsuma cut glass. I was surprised at how much the glass weighed and how the glass glistened in the sunlight. I was equally surprised by the price of even small pieces of glass. I bit the bullet and purchased a yellow piece of Satsuma glass. I will definitely treasure this keepsake forever or at least until my Visa bill comes.
One of the main differences I noticed early on when comparing the Toyko and Kagoshima was that Tokyo was more westernized with bilingual signs, menus and maps but Kagoshima was totally Japanese. This particular change was challenging but rewarding as well.
We headed to Dolphin Port for dinner. I knew the Colonel and rice was off the list tonight. Therefore, we ate at a local restaurant (I couldn't read the name or menu). It was a type of Japanese Barbecue establishment. Basically, they brought you raw meat and you cooked it on a small heated barbecue pit located in the center of the table. The smoke rose through a vent attached from the ceiling. It brought a new meaning to the term dining out. Nevertheless, it was fun playing Chef Boyardee!
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