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It is said that Shigehide desired to bring more commerce and trade into the domain, and believed that greater merchant activity was essential for a prosperous [[jokamachi|castle town]]; as a result, he relaxed the domain's strict border policies, known as the strictest in the realm, and sometimes even referred to as "the closed country within the [[sakoku|closed country]]."<ref>Gallery labels, [[Reimeikan Museum]], Kagoshima, Sept 2014.</ref> He showed a strong interest in European culture and knowledge, calling upon a number of [[VOC|Dutch]] factors to talk with him at [[Satsuma Edo mansion|his Edo mansion]], including [[Hendrik Doeff]] in [[1806]], [[Johannes Frederik van Overmeer Fisscher]] in [[1822]], and [[Philipp Franz von Siebold]] in [[1826]]. He is also said to have acquired some proficiency in writing in the Dutch language.
It is said that Shigehide desired to bring more commerce and trade into the domain, and believed that greater merchant activity was essential for a prosperous [[jokamachi|castle town]]; as a result, he relaxed the domain's strict border policies, known as the strictest in the realm, and sometimes even referred to as "the closed country within the [[sakoku|closed country]]."<ref>Gallery labels, [[Reimeikan Museum]], Kagoshima, Sept 2014.</ref> He showed a strong interest in European culture and knowledge, calling upon a number of [[VOC|Dutch]] factors to talk with him at [[Satsuma Edo mansion|his Edo mansion]], including [[Hendrik Doeff]] in [[1806]], [[Johannes Frederik van Overmeer Fisscher]] in [[1822]], and [[Philipp Franz von Siebold]] in [[1826]]. He is also said to have acquired some proficiency in writing in the Dutch language.
Shigehide established a number of academic institutions within the domain, including the [[Zoshikan|Zôshikan]] and [[Enbukan]] - schools for training in both military & literary arts - in [[1773]], a medical college (''Igaku-kan'') the following year, and in [[1779]], an astronomical observatory and mathematics academy called the Meiji-kan; later renamed [[Tenmonkan]], this site grew to become the chief center of urban culture in [[Kagoshima]].<ref>Plaques on-site at Tenmonkan.</ref> Shigehide also oversaw the construction of botanical gardens on [[Amami Oshima|Amami Ôshima]], on the grounds of [[Kagoshima castle]], and also in Edo, for the study of herbs and medicines. He also played a role in the editing or compilation of a number of scholarly volumes, including a book on [[Chinese language]] called ''Nanzan zokugo kô'' 南山俗語考; a book on birds called ''Chômei binran'' 鳥名便覧; one on local products of Ryûkyû, entitled ''Ryûkyû sanbutsu shi'' 琉球産物志; a history of Satsuma and the Shimazu, called ''Shimazu kokushi'' 島津国史; and a volume on famous sites in Satsuma, called ''Sappan meishô shi'' 薩藩名勝志; among others.
He also had a strong interest in [[Chinese language]], and often visited the [[Obaku|Ôbaku]] [[Zen]] temple [[Manpuku-ji]] in [[Uji]] when on his way to or from [[Edo]]. The abbots of Manpuku-ji were Chinese, and the temple was perhaps the only place in Japan, outside of [[Nagasaki]], where one could go to study Chinese. On a number of occasions, he also had envoys from the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] present lectures or demonstrations, or converse with him, in Chinese.<ref>Liao Zhenpei 廖真珮, "Ryûkyû kyûtei ni okeru Chûgoku kei ongaku no ensô to denshô" 琉球宮廷における中国系音楽の演奏と伝承, in Uzagaku no fukugen ni mukete 御座楽の復元に向けて, Naha, Okinawa: Uzagaku fukugen ensô kenkyûkai 御座楽復元演奏研究会 (2007), 104-105.</ref>
Shigehide established a number of academic institutions within the domain, including the [[Zoshikan|Zôshikan]] and [[Enbukan]] - schools for training in both military & literary arts - in [[1773]], a medical college (''Igaku-kan'') the following year, and in [[1779]], an astronomical observatory and mathematics academy called the Meiji-kan; later renamed [[Tenmonkan]], this site grew to become the chief center of urban culture in [[Kagoshima]].<ref>Plaques on-site at Tenmonkan.</ref> Shigehide also oversaw the construction of botanical gardens on [[Amami Oshima|Amami Ôshima]], on the grounds of [[Kagoshima castle]], and also in Edo, for the study of herbs and medicines. He also played a role in the editing or compilation of a number of scholarly volumes, including a book on Chinese language called ''Nanzan zokugo kô'' 南山俗語考; a book on birds called ''Chômei binran'' 鳥名便覧; one on local products of Ryûkyû, entitled ''Ryûkyû sanbutsu shi'' 琉球産物志; a history of Satsuma and the Shimazu, called ''Shimazu kokushi'' 島津国史; and a volume on famous sites in Satsuma, called ''Sappan meishô shi'' 薩藩名勝志; among others.
In [[1787]], he stepped down in favor of his son, [[Shimazu Narinobu]]. In his retirement, Shigehide took on the [[art-name]]s (''gô'') Nanzan and Eiô. He remained thoroughly involved in matters of domainal governance & administration in his retirement, and indeed after Narinobu's administration began to reverse Shigehide's own policies, and his progress in improving the domain's finances, in [[1808]] Shigehide had a number of chief retainers exiled or killed in what has come to be known as the [[Kinshirokukuzure Incident]]; the following year, he forced Narinobu to abdicate the lordship, being replaced by his son (Shigehide's grandson) [[Shimazu Narioki]].
In [[1787]], he stepped down in favor of his son, [[Shimazu Narinobu]]. In his retirement, Shigehide took on the [[art-name]]s (''gô'') Nanzan and Eiô. He remained thoroughly involved in matters of domainal governance & administration in his retirement, and indeed after Narinobu's administration began to reverse Shigehide's own policies, and his progress in improving the domain's finances, in [[1808]] Shigehide had a number of chief retainers exiled or killed in what has come to be known as the [[Kinshirokukuzure Incident]]; the following year, he forced Narinobu to abdicate the lordship, being replaced by his son (Shigehide's grandson) [[Shimazu Narioki]].
