Shoko Shuseikan Museum — Attraction in Kagoshima

Visited in mid-July 2025

Interesting and surprisingly mind-opening little museum, focusing on the history of the Shimazu clan and more specifically their experimentation of industrialization at the tail end of Edo period (mid-1800s).

The exposition starts with the background and origin of the clan, which was a breakaway group from Kamakura period that ventured all the way to the southern end of the mainland Japan. Satsuma's location, combined with prior trade and exchange of idea with outside world well prior to the Sakoku (isolation period of Japan), as well as limited interaction with some Western powers like the Dutch, planted a seed for modernization. Only at the time that would be the end of Edo period, the clan, spearheaded by Shimazu Nariakira, spurred the initiative for the industrialization by constructing the proto-industrial complex of Sengan-en, experimenting and producing tinted glass (kiriko, 切子) and various metal products. Some of the re-creation of the products are in display. It never ceases to amaze me that in spite of the information limitation, the ingenuity of engineers and tradesmen of Sengan-en resulted on relatively advanced technologies like mid-1800s artillery pieces.

The industrial complex was destroyed multiple times, namely during Anglo-Satsuma war and multiple conflicts between the feudal Satsuma and the Japanese central government. Sadly, after the Seinan War in 1870s, it was curtailed as a form of punishment towards the feudal leaders and its skilled workers dispersed throughout various industrial sites nationwide. One can even say Japan industrialized at the expense of Satsuma domain.

The museum is accessible with Sengan-en complex ticket. Unfortunately due to photosensitivity of many of the artifacts, photography is discouraged...

Awesome display of artefacts, models and documents of the Shimadzu family, their contributions to the modernization of industrial Japan. Also, it shared on the overall transformation of Japan during the...

仙厳園付属の歴史博物館です。 幕末―明治の工場を改造して使っており、雰囲気は抜群。 島津の由来から幕末、明治に至るまでの歴史を豊富な資料で解説しています。 運営元が公立の博物館ではなく、島津家の運営する島津興業なので、島津忠久が源頼朝の庶子である説に対する真相は書かれていなかったり、琉球のまーらん船を中国式にジャンクと呼びならわしたり、鹿児島中心史観で構成されています。

ただし、最後の薩摩藩主島津忠義が明治維新による廃藩置県に反発を示していたりと一方的な明治維新の礼賛ではない所はさすがでした。

歴史講座も充実しています。講座室が照国神社にある島津斉彬・島津久光のブロンズ像の原型になった石膏像に見つめられながら受講できるのは迫力があります。 ただ、黎明館と違って、歴史講座のスケジュールを年度初めではなく1か月前などに発表するので、シフト勤務で調整が必要な方や、遠隔地の歴史ファンなどで飛行機や新幹線・特急・バスの早割が必要な方には少々不便かもしれません。 講師の学芸員の方はサービス精神が旺盛で、割とマニアックな質問にも答えてくれますし、頑固っぽいご老人に『昔我々が足利尊氏像だと信じていた肖像画が最近の学説では違うと言われた。こういう間違いはどうして起きるんだ』という専門外のクレームっぽい質問にも諫めるように対応していたのが印象的でした。 副館長の学芸員の方はたまにTVの歴史講座で薩摩藩の特集を...