Chiran samurai gardens, Kagoshima, Kyushu

Chiran samurai residence street

Nice podocarpus and tea tree hedges; elegantly curved streets always swept clean; seven gardens from the Edo period open to the public; Chiran tea served at the Mori garden is tasty. The lantern that can be transformed into an umbrella or even a weapon is pretty and clever. This used to be a samurai town where they disciplined themselves and farmed when not on duty. Sometimes they accompanied their lord to Kyoto, who was entrusted Chiran by the Shimazu lord who reigned the whole Satsuma or present Kagoshima Prefecture. That's the way they learned Kyoto culture and first class gardens with aesthetic use of local tastes were made.

The Mori garden; the other six are dry landscape gardens.

The lady at a small store at the central parking lot is always friendly and welcoming visitors. Love the place and people.