This historical scene from 160 years ago was reproduced, at the end of the past year, with the unusual Japanese chrysanthemum dolls, inside the Sengan-en garden in Kagoshima.

It represents the meeting between Shimazu Nakiakira, the lord of the Satsuma domain (today’s Kagoshima) and the influential samurai Saigō Takamori. It was a meeting that took place right in this garden, marking the beginning of a series of events that changed Japan a century and a half ago. The scene is also connected to this year’s NHK television taiga drama Segodon, which is about the life of Saigō Takamori.

Sengan-en, Kagoshima

EXIF Info:

Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Old Hina Matsuri dolls