Chiran Samurai Residences

Touted as the “Little Kyoto of Satsuma”（薩摩の小京都）, the old Samurai residences of Chiran（知覧武家屋敷）, with their beautiful hedges and stone walls, were built in the mid 18th century. The seven residence gardens open to visitors are built against the backdrop of the majestic Mt. Hahagatake（母ヶ岳）, and one of them is built in the Chisen (water-filled pond) style（池泉式）, while the remaining six are built in the Karesansui (dry garden) style（枯山水式）.