🗺️ Old Kagoshima Spinning Factory Engineer's Residence旧鹿児島紡績所技師館

At that time, the Satsuma Domain lord, Shimazu Nariakira, strongly advocated the establishment of a spinning industry to produce the canvas needed for Western sailing ships for his "Kagoshima Institute Project." After Nariakira's sudden death, his adopted son, Tadayoshi, established Japan's first Western-style spinning factory, the Kagoshima Spinning Company, in the 3rd year of Keio (1867). The former Kagoshima Spinning Company engineer's residence, also known as the "Ijinkan," served as the dormitory for the seven British engineers recruited at that time. This wooden building, designed in the British colonial style with a balcony, is said to have been designed by the British and constructed by Japanese craftsmen. It is an important building that showcases the history of Western architecture in Japan and is a structure that harmoniously integrates both Japanese and Western styles, employing the shakkanhō measurement system. In addition to being an important cultural property of the nation, the building is also one of the components of the "Meiji Japan Industrial Revolution Heritage." Inside the building, historical materials and photographs of Japan's earliest Western-style spinning factory are displayed, along with antique furniture that recreates the atmosphere of that time.

The dormitory of the British engineers hired back in the day. It showcases historical materials and photos of Japan's earliest Western-style spinning factory. Through the explanatory panels of the architectural ruins within the park, visitors can easily understand its historical significance on-site. There is a monument commemorating the ruins of the Kagoshima Spinning Company. Nearby, there are many other places worth visiting, such as the Shoko Shuseikan and Sengan-en.