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You don’t see a lot of articles on Kagoshima in most travel magazines out of Europe and North America. In fact, we seldom read about Japan outside of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka for that matter. Maybe, maybe, the odd references to Okinawa, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Hiroshima but again, for the most part, Tokyo dominates our collective frame of reference of Japan.
As well it should. After all, metro Tokyo has more than 35 million people. This makes the capital of Japan number one in terms of city population. Perhaps most notably however, Tokyo is tops on the planet with a metro Gross Domestic Product of U.S. $1.5 trillion. Impressive.
Japan however, is more than Tokyo. Likewise, the United States of America is more than New York City. There is life in France outside of Paris and it behooves tourists to discover Great Britain beyond London. In this very spirit, we take a look now at ten must-see attractions in the the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture.
10. Kagoshima Prefectural Museum of Reimeikan Culture
One facet of Kagoshima’s allure is geography. The city of just over 600,000 people is the southernmost urban community on the island of Kyushu. As a result of this relative isolation in Japan, Kagoshima has very distinct cultural and linguistic traditions. With that in mind, definitely hit up the Kagoshima Prefectural Museum of Reimeikan Culture to get a veritable history lesson on the area.
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9. Tsurumaru Castle Ruins
As far back as the 12th century, the Shimazu clan of territorial lords ran roughshod over what is now Kagoshima Prefecture. Tsurumaru Castle was the main base of operations for the feudal rules. The ruins of the Kagoshima castle now contain the Prefectural Museum and many other points of interest.
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8. Ibusuki
While Kagoshima the city offers much to see and do, phenomenal day trips within the prefecture abound. One incredible gem is the nearby town of Ibusuki, which doubles as a natural thermal spa resort. While here, check out the marvelous Ibusuki Experimental Botanical Garden.
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7. Yakushima
Yakushima is 500 km2 of pristine UNESCO World Heritage beauty. More than 300,000 tourists (mostly Japanese) visit the island’s warm-temperate ancient forest every year.Well worth the relatively short trip south from Kagoshima.
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6. Bansei Tokko Peace Museum
The remarkable and diminutive Bansei Tokko Peace Museum in Kagoshima Prefecture preserves the legacy of 201 soldiers and kamikaze pilots at Bansei Air Base who lost their lives in battle between March and July 1945.
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5. Kagoshima-jingu Shrine
Kagoshima-jingu is a venerable monument in Hayato-cho, Kagoshima Prefecture. The shrine has many priceless artifacts on display but is most famous for a gigantic, sacred camphor tree thought to be 800 years old.
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Built by Shimazu Mitsuhisa, a 17th century Kagoshima ruler, as a villa refuge in 1658, Iso-teien Garden provides a stellar view of Kinko Bay and Sakurajima volcano beyond.
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3. Cuisine
If you live to eat, Kagoshima Prefecture is the place for you. As a foremost agricultural area within Japan, Kagoshima is profuse with markets that sell traditional, regional goods. Restaurants tend to reflect local ingredients, with heavy emphasis on staples like black pork (think Berkshire pig), black beef (similar to Matsusaka beef from Mie Prefecture), fish, seafood, yams and tropical fruit. For a memorable experience, try Kagoshima’s famous shochu.
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2. Kirishima-Yaku National Park
One of Japan’s most beautiful and unusual national parks is Kirishima-Yaku. The 548 km2park contains volcanic summits, caldera lakes, waterfalls, remarkable flora and therapeutic thermal pools. Our favorite point of interest in the park? Cape Sata, the southernmost tip of mainland Japan. All in all, a brilliant region of to explore.
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1. Sakurajima
Kagoshima’s dominant landmark is without question, the ominous and spectacular Sakurajima. Part of Kirishima-Yaku National Park, the active composite volcano towers above the city and provides unbelievable photo ops, a perpetual threat of danger and delicious daikon. Sakurajima erupts constantly and has been known to spread ash clouds all over the area. A powerful burst of lava in 1914, the most powerful eruption in twentieth-century Japan in fact, literally altered the map forever. As a result, Sakurajima, once a small island, now connects with the Osumi Peninsula.
Check out excellent hotel rates in Kagoshima.
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