Indeed, gardens, nature and flowers have always been a big part of my interest but little did I realise that Senganen garden was one of great historical value. It was actually built in 1658 by a weathy and one of the most powerful feudal clans during the Edo period. They ruled the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima) for almost 700 years until the end of the feudal age in 1868 and continued to be influential into the modern era as some of the earliest adopters of Western science and technology. And its name was given after Xian Yan in China ((仙巌园 is pronounced "Sengan" in Japanese).
Senganen was a Japanese style landscape garden beautifully located at the foot of a wooded hill along the coast near Kagoshima. It featured some beautiful former residential buildings, small ponds, streams, shrines and bamboo grove. Visiting the interior of the residence required a paid tour that included tea and a snack at the end though. It was a well-kept site and from the gardens, we could even see very clearly, Sakurajima out in the bay.
We took our time strolling leisurely along the garden path and streams... taking in the harmonised elegance of the garden elements - trees, carefully trimmed plants, lawn, flagstones, leaves, flower petals, bridges, shrines and all. There seemed to be a seamless combination of architecture, plant and stone arrangements that subtly reflect a respect for nature and some philosophical representations of Zen. One could easily forget the passage of time by basking in the simplicity and tranquility of the garden's beauty.
However, the appreciation was marred slightly by the rain of ashes from Sakurajima - which resulted in a thin layer of grey colour downcast being formed everywhere we moved. Finally, tired from the walk, we took a small break at a stall within the garden with 两棒饼 and green tea. It was a local specialty where the mochi was grilled prior to being drizzled with either miso or shoyu sauce. I totally abhorred the taste of it but WY actually liked the miso version. For once, both WY and my palate didnt agree! I stuck to my decision and would not advise anyone to even giving it a try. :-p
We did not have much time left for the visit to the museum in view of the closing time. We could not understand a word since everything was in Japanese but at least, I could see the vast efforts and heart put into the works of display and description.
Physically drained and hungry, we headed back to the city area to look for food. The malls at Tenmokan were large with many retail outlets. They looked attractive but we were too tired to explore and ended up resting at a seat looking at the people passing by.
Eventually, the hunger pangs proved too much to bear and we dragged our heavy feet to explore further. We were pleasantly surprised to find an abundant offering of Kagoshima specialties. We chanced upon a shop selling Satsuma Age ( Oden) and another selling hotpot and grilled black pork/black beef. WY certainly wanted to try the grilled offerings but being a sweet soul, he chose the Satsuma Age knowing I was yearning for something piping hot and simple.
The small restaurant was simply furnished with a cosy wooden theme and filled with locals. We tried ordering via the Japanese menu but gave up thereafter. The service staff was patient and friendly, allowing us to place our order direct from where they were cooking the age. We tried to order grilled Kurabuta and a Kurabuta salad arrived instead. We didnt mind a bit since the salad and the grilled Kurabuta ( tasted almost like crispy and gragrant bacon)went down very well with the age. Satsuma age, as all may well be aware, is a fried fish cake made from fish past, salt, sugar, and other spices and molded into several shapes. The locals ate it plain or lightly roasted and dipped in ginger and soy sauce or mustard and soy sauce. It tasted delicious in oden, udon or Nimono (stewed dishes). Our selection was varied and it certainly turned out to be a rejuvenating and satisfying dinner.
Knowing that I was yearning for something to complete this nice hearty dinner, WY quickly bought a piece of a freshly baked sweet flour pancake Imagawayaki as dessert. It was warm and moist and each bite was filled with nicely ground sweet red bean paste. Needless to say it was heavenly and I was a totally happy person thereafter............ :-D
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