Japan Heritage Story
“Fumoto - Defense Network of Satsuma Samurai Districts in the Edo Period” was designated as Japan Heritage in 2019. During the Edo period (1603 - 1867), the Satsuma Domain covered an area that corresponds to present day Kagoshima Prefecture and parts of neighboring Miyazaki Prefecture. Headquartered in Kagoshima Castle, the Satsuma Domain was divided into 120 administrative districts. The center of each district was called Fumoto and served as a military outpost to defend the domain from enemies. This system was unique to the Satsuma domain. “Fumoto - Defense Network of Satsuma Samurai Districts in the Edo Period” is centered around Kagoshima Castle and 11 Fumoto, and is made up of a total of 93 tangible and intangible cultural properties.