Changes

The city centers on a neighborhood called Kanmachi (上町), the location of which makes it an important strategic point for connecting [[Satsuma province|Satsuma]] and [[Osumi province|Ôsumi provinces]], and for governing both. When the Shimazu were based at Shimizu castle, many of their retainers maintained mansions in this area, forming the core from which the castle-town expanded. The Kanmachi neighborhood then began to develop into its current form once the Shimazu relocated to Uchi castle.<ref name=kanmachi/>

The city centers on a neighborhood called Kanmachi (上町), the location of which makes it an important strategic point for connecting [[Satsuma province|Satsuma]] and [[Osumi province|Ôsumi provinces]], and for governing both. When the Shimazu were based at Shimizu castle, many of their retainers maintained mansions in this area, forming the core from which the castle-town expanded. The Kanmachi neighborhood then began to develop into its current form once the Shimazu relocated to Uchi castle.<ref name=kanmachi/>

The region first appeared on European maps as "Cangoxina."<ref>Gallery labels, [[Shokoshuseikan|Shôkoshûseikan]], Kagoshima.</ref> Once Tsurumaru (Kagoshima) castle was built, the city began to grow all the moreso. During the [[Edo period]], the population of the city was around 58,000.<ref>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 28.</ref> Samurai comprised a significant proportion of the city's population, perhaps as much as 90% at times, and lived chiefly in three sections of the city: six neighborhoods of Kanmachi (上町), twelve in Shimomachi (下町), and four in Nishidamachi (西田町). Roughly 5,000 [[Chonin|commoner townsmen]] also lived in the castle town, but as the domain government exercised strong control over the local economy, a very significant portion of merchants and the like operating in the city were either low-ranking samurai or ''[[goyo shonin|goyô shônin]]'' (merchants in the service of the lord/domain).<ref name="reimei">Gallery labels, Reimeikan Museum of History & Culture, Kagoshima.</ref><ref>Plaques on-site at [[Kagoshima castle]].</ref>

The region first appeared on European maps as "Cangoxina."<ref>Gallery labels, [[Shokoshuseikan|Shôkoshûseikan]], Kagoshima.</ref> Once Tsurumaru (Kagoshima) castle was built, the city began to grow all the moreso. In the 1550s, the city's population was around 4,000;<ref>Plaques at Gionnosu Park.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15253350795/sizes/k/]</ref> by the mid-[[Edo period]], it had grown to around 58,000.<ref>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 28.</ref> Samurai comprised a significant proportion of the city's population, perhaps as much as 90% at times, and lived chiefly in three sections of the city: six neighborhoods of Kanmachi (上町), twelve in Shimomachi (下町), and four in Nishidamachi (西田町). Roughly 5,000 [[Chonin|commoner townsmen]] also lived in the castle town, but as the domain government exercised strong control over the local economy, a very significant portion of merchants and the like operating in the city were either low-ranking samurai or ''[[goyo shonin|goyô shônin]]'' (merchants in the service of the lord/domain).<ref name="reimei">Gallery labels, Reimeikan Museum of History & Culture, Kagoshima.</ref><ref>Plaques on-site at [[Kagoshima castle]].</ref>

Kagoshima was also home to the [[Ryukyu-kan|Ryûkyû-kan]], a branch office of the [[government of the Ryukyu Kingdom]], and Ryukyuan officials are said to have wandered the city freely, at least at certain times; indeed, the people of the city are said to have been quite accustomed to Ryukyuan personal and cultural presence, and most Edo period depictions of the city or its port show Ryukyuan ships in the harbor. Contact with Ryûkyû meant some considerable influence from Ryukyuan culinary culture, for example, and the predominance of sweet potatoes and pork in local cuisine stems from this Ryukyuan influence. However, for the [[Shimazu clan]] at least, if not for the common people of the city, Ryukyuan influence also meant the introduction of elements of elite Chinese culture. In contrast to [[Nagasaki]], where the Chinese influence was that of commoner merchants from southern China, Kagoshima enjoyed, indirectly via Ryûkyû, elite cultural influences from the Beijing Imperial Court itself. Chefs at the Ryûkyû-kan, for example, prepared food such as would be prepared in the Ryukyuan royal court, or the Chinese Imperial court.<ref>"Kagoshima wo aruku" 鹿児島を歩く, ''Momoto'' モモト 14 (April 2013), n.p.</ref>

Kagoshima was also home to the [[Ryukyu-kan|Ryûkyû-kan]], a branch office of the [[government of the Ryukyu Kingdom]], and Ryukyuan officials are said to have wandered the city freely, at least at certain times; indeed, the people of the city are said to have been quite accustomed to Ryukyuan personal and cultural presence, and most Edo period depictions of the city or its port show Ryukyuan ships in the harbor. Contact with Ryûkyû meant some considerable influence from Ryukyuan culinary culture, for example, and the predominance of sweet potatoes and pork in local cuisine stems from this Ryukyuan influence. However, for the [[Shimazu clan]] at least, if not for the common people of the city, Ryukyuan influence also meant the introduction of elements of elite Chinese culture. In contrast to [[Nagasaki]], where the Chinese influence was that of commoner merchants from southern China, Kagoshima enjoyed, indirectly via Ryûkyû, elite cultural influences from the Beijing Imperial Court itself. Chefs at the Ryûkyû-kan, for example, prepared food such as would be prepared in the Ryukyuan royal court, or the Chinese Imperial court.<ref>"Kagoshima wo aruku" 鹿児島を歩く, ''Momoto'' モモト 14 (April 2013), n.p.</ref>