Satsuma Day

What Is Satsuma Day?

June 17th is "Satsuma Day" (薩摩の日, Satsuma no Hi) in Japan. It is said to come from the 17th day of the 6th month of Keiō 2 (1866), when British Minister Sir Harry Parkes visited the Satsuma domain and was welcomed with a lavish banquet at Sengan-en (Iso Garden) in Kagoshima. The organization that established the day and its purpose are not clear, but it is often introduced as a symbol of the exchange between Satsuma and Britain at the end of the Edo period.

Parkes's Visit to Kagoshima

Parkes's visit showed how actively the Satsuma domain was engaging with the outside world in the final years of the shogunate.

• Arrival with three warships: The day before, on the 16th, three Royal Navy warships under Admiral King appeared in Kinkō Bay (Kagoshima Bay) carrying about 300 men.
• An invitation from Komatsu Tatewaki: The invitation to Parkes is said to have been written by Satsuma's senior retainer, Komatsu Tatewaki.
• A return courtesy: The visit is also said to have been a return courtesy for the 19 envoys and students Satsuma had sent to Britain the previous year, in 1865.

A Five-Hour Banquet

The banquet at Sengan-en reportedly lasted five hours, with 45 delicacies from the mountains and the sea. Along with sake, champagne, sherry, brandy, and beer were served. That the two sides, who had exchanged fire in the Anglo-Satsuma War only three years earlier in 1863, could now meet so warmly shows how quickly the political situation was changing.

Satsuma and Britain at the End of the Edo Period

• The Anglo-Satsuma War (1863): Triggered by the Namamugi Incident of the previous year, Satsuma forces and a British squadron fought in Kagoshima Bay.
• Growing closer: Having recognized each other's strength in battle, Satsuma and Britain quickly deepened their relationship afterward.
• The Satsuma students in Britain: In 1865, Satsuma defied the shogunate's ban on overseas travel and sent young men to Britain, including Mori Arinori, who later became Japan's first Minister of Education.

The Name "Satsuma"

Satsuma is the old name of the province centered on what is now western Kagoshima Prefecture. The name lives on not only as a historical term but also in foods and crafts such as satsuma-imo (sweet potatoes), Satsuma-yaki pottery, Satsuma kiriko cut glass, and satsuma-age fish cakes.

How to Spend Satsuma Day

• Read about the relationship between the Satsuma domain and Britain in the late Edo period
• Look up historic sites in Kagoshima such as Sengan-en
• Enjoy foods that carry the Satsuma name, such as sweet potatoes or satsuma-age

A Day to Remember Satsuma's Flexibility

Satsuma Day is a day to remember how, only three years after the Anglo-Satsuma War, the Satsuma domain was lavishly entertaining the British minister. Recognizing the strength of a former opponent and learning from it — that flexible attitude helped pave the way to the Meiji Restoration.