Chiran 知覧 is a small town in the middle of the Satsuma Peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu Japan. There is a preserved samurai district with houses and gardens built about 250 years ago. Most of the gardens were built in the 17th century by gardeners brought from Kyoto for the purpose.
Chiran's Seven Samurai gardens at the southern end of Kyushu keep much of its historical character intact.
The preserved samurai district consists of a 700 meter long street. The street itself is very attractive, with the rock walls and hedges of residences and the forested hillsides in the distance. It is also free of telephone cables and parked cars that would detract from the historic atmosphere.
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