In Kagoshima, deep in the south of Kyushu, across the bay from a smoking active volcano, lies the stately home of one of Japan’s most powerful samurai clans, the Shimadzu clan. Sengan-en is a stately home and landscape garden along the coast north of downtown Kagoshima, Japan. The gardens cover over 12 acres and include calming ponds, gently bubbling streams, mysterious shrines, tea rooms, a bamboo grove, and a mountain hiking trail. A walk to the top of the trail takes about 30 minutes one direction, but it is certainly worth it for the breathtaking panoramic view of the bay and Sakurajima from the top. This ticket also includes access to the Shoko Shuseikan Museum and the Shimadzu Satsuma Kiriko Glassworks.
