Ruins of Kagoshima Castle

Ruins of Kagoshima Castle

Kagoshima Castle, located in Kagoshima, was built in 1601 by SHIMAZU Iehisa (1576-1638) , as soon as after TOKUGAWA Ieyasu (1543-1616) won at the battle of Sekigahara and became the ruler of the entire Japan. Kagoshima Castle was the government office and the private residence of the feudal lords of Satsuma Domain, during the Edo Age (1603-1868) .

Please refer the article of "Sekigahara Battlefield"
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/TravelDestinations/Chubu/Sekigahara_E.html

Satsuma Domain was the second largest domain in Japan, and the SHIMAZU Clan was terrifying neighbor feudal lords for their strong army, their boldness and braves.

The ruins of Kagoshima Castle is located at the foot of Mt. Shiroyama. The moat is located to the south-east side and the north-east side of the castle. The below picture shows the moat to the south-east side of the castle.

Satsuma Domain was the second largest domain, but the Kagoshima Castle was very compact. Only the main and the second baileys were located at the castle.

At the main bailey, located to the north side, the "Goromon" Gate was located. The "Goromon" Gate was the main gate of Kagoshima Castle and originally built in 1601. The original gate was destroyed by fire in 1873. In 2020, the gate was rebuilt, as it was in the Edo Age (1603-1868) .

It was 2011, when I visited Kagoshima Castle. Only stone walls of the gate remained. As soon as you cross the moat, the two-storied gate was located.

After passing thought the site of the "Goromon" Gate, you will be in the main bailey. The historical museum, named "Reimeikan", is located at the site of the main bailey.

The statue of "TENSHOIN Atsuhime" (1836-1883) is located in the main bailey. "TENSHOIN Atsuhime" was an adopted daughter of SHIMAZU Nariakira (1809-1858) , who was the eleventh feudal lord of Satsuma Domain. Later, she became the legal wife of TOKUGAWA Iesada (1824-1858) , the thirteenth Shogunate in the Edo Age.

To the south-east of the main bailey, the "Onsumi" Turret was located. You will see the foundation stones of the "Onsumi" Turret.

An old picture of Kagoshima Castle displayed at the castle shows the "Onsumi" Turret in the white circle and the "Goromon" Gate.

Behind "Reimeikan", you will see a Japanese garden. During the Edo Age, the private garden of SHIMAZU Clan was located in the castle. The garden was rebuilt to reproduce the atmosphere of the garden in the Edo Age.

If you walk to the south from the garden, you will see a thatched house. It was built in the 1830s.

The house was a farmer's house, originally located in Kirishima Area, Kagoshima Prefecture. The house consists of two buildings and these two buildings are connected with the "L" shape. Inside the house was very dark and this is the typical farmer's house in this area during the Edo Age.

If you walk further to the south, you will arrive at the second bailey. The second bailey is approximately three meters lower than the main bailey. Along the border between the main and the second baileys, the stone walls continue.

In the site of the second bailey, Kagoshima Prefectural Library is located. The stone walls and the site of the "Yaraigomon" Gate remain the atmosphere in the Edo Age.

Satsuma Domain was the second largest domain. At the end of the Edo Age, Satsuma Domain defeated the TOKUGAWA Bakufu with Choshu Domain. Kagoshima Castle was very compact compared with the size and the power of Satsuma Domain. In the Edo Age, Satsuma Domain closed it's border with neighbor domains and did not allow people from other domains come into Satsuma Domain. Also. Satsuma Domain allows their retainers in their home area to live, which was violate the law of the TOKUGAWA Shognate. These are the main reasons why Kagoshima Castle was compact compared with the size of Satsuma Domain.

How to get there
From Tokyo, take a "Nozomi" bound for Hakata. From Hakata, take a "Mizuho", "Sakura" or "Tsubame" to Kagoshima-Chuo. From Osaka, "Mizuho" and "Sakura" run directly to Kagoshima-Chuo. Take a street car from Kagoshima-Chuo to Shiyakusho-Mae (City Hall). The ruins of Kagoshima Castle is located within a walking distance from Shiyakusho-Mae.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Historical Sites in Kagoshima City
Senganen Garden
Chiran Historical District
Bonotsu
Satsuma-Imaizumi