Northern England to the South of Japan: An Unlikely Japanese Warrior

The Shimadzu clan ruled over the land and people of Kagoshima for over 700 years from the Kamakura period (1185-1333) until the end of the Edo period (1603-1868). Presently in its 32nd generation, the Shimadzu family is one of Japan’s oldest and most famous warrior clans.

Sengan-en is a traditional garden and stately home in Kagoshima built by the 19th head of the Shimadzu family, Mitsuhisa, in 1658. This time we join Alex Bradshaw, Head of Overseas Business for Shimadzu Ltd., Director of Overseas Communications for Kagoshima Prefecture, and CEO of travel consultancy GOTOKU for a chat about his journey to Japan.

Find out how he joined Jigen-ryu, one of the most secretive schools of traditional swordsmanship in Japan, if cultural appropriation is a problem in Japan, and how he hopes to promote the Kagoshima region to the world.

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Sengan-en

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Jigen-ryu Swordsmanship Museum

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People of Kagoshima

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