Whether you are just visiting on a day trip from Fukuoka – or have several days in the city, you will be able to experience the highlights of Kagoshima. Kagoshima is often compared to Naples in Italy, which has a similar mild climate and also has a dramatic backdrop of an active volcano! It is the perfect place for an onsen experience, with hot water from underground volcanic springs.

As one of the southernmost cities in Kyushu, Kagoshima offers a pleasantly mild climate, palm-lined streets, and lovely beaches, in addition to being a modern university city.

Photo: Travel In Culture

The city has a popular shopping arcade, world-class gastronomy of fresh seafood from the local fish market, a variety of museums (such as the Kagoshima City Museum of Art, the Reimeikan Museum, and the Museum of the Meiji Restoration) and cultural events, including the annual Ogionsaa festival in July and Kagoshima’s winter illumination. It is a unique place to learn about the culture and history of the past and delve into fascinating samurai culture with stunning samurai castle ruins and gardens.

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Kagoshima is thus rich in feudal and samurai history and played an important part in the Meiji Restoration in 1868. At the time, Satsuma was a province of Japan in southern Kyushu, corresponding to the present-day western half of Kagoshima Prefecture. The city was the seat of the Shimazu clan, one of Japan’s most significant feudal families, who ruled the city from the 12th century until 1868. Warriors from the Shimazu clan participated in the overthrow of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603–1867), and the clan had a key role in establishing the new imperial government.

From Kagoshima Port, you can take the small ferry to Sakurajima, Kagoshima’s volcano peninsula.

Many visitors arrive at Kagoshima on the Sakura Shinkansen train from Fukuoka/Hakata or by Shinkansen from other cities in Japan.

Portable shrine for the traditional festival Ogionsaa in July in front of the station | Photo: Travel In Culture

Just outside Kagoshima Chuo Station, you are already thrown into the history of Japan. You will be met by the Wakakisatsuma Monument created by Shinya Nakamura in 1982. The sculpture represents the 19 Satsuma students who defied an overseas travel ban in 1865 and travelled in all directions out into the world – to Europe and America. Later, they returned to Japan with new knowledge about technology and ideas for development and became the symbol of freedom in the ‘new Japan’ after the end of the Shogunate. Thus, Kagoshima played a significant role in the modernisation of Japan.

The Wakakisatsuma Monument | Photo: Travel In Culture

Another iconic sight just behind the Amu Plaza is the big wheel that sits atop the station’s mall. A ride offers stunning views of the city, the bay and Kagoshima’s volcano just off the city.

Locals running towards the port in 1863 when the British fleet made its arrival | Photo: Travel In Culture

Around the city, you will see statues placed on the streets, each telling a significant part of Kagoshima’s history.

The walk from the train station down to the sea will take you past a number of these statues. Next to the statues, the historical context is often explained in English. ‘Meeting’ the characters and reading the boards is an excellent way to gain insight into the region’s past.

Kuroda Seiki on his way to the port to paint the erupting volcano in 1914 | Photo: Travel In Culture

You will stumble upon two local samurai in 1858 discussing the issue of the succession of the Shogunate and the future of Satsuma in Japan. Other statues illustrate locals running towards the port in 1863 when the British fleet arrived (known as the Anglo-Satsuma Battle) and Kuroda Seiki on his way to the port to paint the erupting volcano in 1914. Today, his pictures are kept in the Kagoshima City Museum of Art.

You will also come across the bronze statue of Okubo Toshimichi (1830-1878), a samurai and statesman who negotiated peace after the battle with British ships and helped overthrow the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate before being assassinated in 1878. He played an active role in the modernisation of Japan and is known as one of the Three Great Nobles of the Meiji Restoration.

Kagoshima City Aquarium | Photo: Travel In Culture

Down by Kagoshima Bay, you will immediately spot the Kagoshima City Aquarium, located next to the ferry terminal at the Waterfront Park. The building is an architectural curiosity, which contains 7 floors of exciting sea life. The Kuroshio Tank has a wide variety of marine life and species from the Kuroshio Current, including whale sharks. Also, the Dolphin Pool is popular with the thousands of visitors who come to discover ‘local’ marine life from Kagoshima Bay (Kinko Bay) and beyond. Other marine species include tuna and captivating, colourful fish and shellfish.

Due to the active Sakurajima volcano, the bay abounds with spectacular sea creatures that thrive in the volcanic environment. The rocky coastline of Sakurajima Peninsula and the volcanic rocks of the inland bay create a stunning seascape and seabed that is home to some truly spectacular marine life. Hydrogen sulphide from underwater volcanic vents creates a unique environment with optimal conditions for an infinite number of fascinating marine species in the 200-metre-deep bay.

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Taking the ferry to the peninsula just across the bay is the gateway to exploring the famous Sakurajima volcano, which is an integral part of Kagoshima’s existence and history. In fact, Kagoshima is perhaps best known for Sakurajima, one of the most eruptive volcanoes in Japan. The inhabitants of Kagoshima and especially of Sakurajima live – and have long lived in a symbiosis with the volcano. They have utilised the fertile volcanic soil to grow crops and the thermal resources of the hot springs for onsen relaxation.

However, disastrous eruptions have occurred several times throughout history, and often, the island settlers (Sakurajima was an island until 1914) have fled from larger eruptions. Most recently, a catastrophic eruption occurred at the beginning of the 20th century in 1914. Despite the disadvantages of living by the volcano, the advantages seemingly outweigh them. Thus, people continue to live on the ‘edge’ of the volcano with the risk that a disaster might strike tomorrow.

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The peninsula has a visitor centre with information about the volcano, its geology and history, and an introduction to the challenges of living at Sakurajima. Afterwards, you can experience the hot springs at the public foot baths at the Nagisa Lava Trail – or Sakurajima’s onsen baths.

Shiroyama Park in Kagoshima offers excellent views of Sakurajima from the Shiroyama Observatory.

On the mainland, opposite the volcano, is the original domain of the Shimazu clan. The clan were feudal lords who ruled Japan from the 12th century until the Meiji Restoration (1868). Senganen Garden is a traditional landscape garden that was designed in 1658 with bamboo groves, shrines, and streams. The garden design incorporates the surroundings, Kagoshima Bay and Sakurajima, as natural extensions.

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A visit to the garden offers an opportunity to discover how a prosperous samurai family used to live. The garden grounds also include some buildings with the technological and industrial development that paved the way for modern Japan. Industrial production of cannons, glassware and even large ships took place here.

Minato Odori Park | Photo: Travel In Culture

Minato Odori Park, in front of the City Hall, is a picturesque urban park with a belt of lawns that is one of the natural access points to or from the port. The City Hall, now a landmark in the city, is an impressive brick building and cultural property dating back to 1937.

Kagoshima is the scene of several annual festivals. In winter, an illumination festival takes place around Minato Odori Park. The park is always a favourite photo spot, but especially in winter when the trees are lit up by thousands of lights, it is a major attraction. During December and January, 120,000 lights illuminate the fountain and the City Hall.

Tenmonkan | Photo: Travel In Culture

Tenmonkan is a shopping and entertainment district with a plethora of restaurants, bars, cafés, and department stores. The covered street is Kyushu’s oldest and largest shopping arcade – and a focal point of the city. It is a very convenient place to shop when the weather is bad or there is ash falling from the nearby volcano.

Portable shrine for the traditional festival Ogionsaa in July | Photo: Travel In Culture

The famous shopping arcade is named after an astronomical observatory (Tenmonkan) that was built here in 1779 by the 25th lord of the Shimazu clan. The observatory was used for astronomical observations behind the ‘Satsuma Calendar’, a calendar intended for agricultural planting and harvesting purposes.

The Okuninushi Shrine is a beautiful little shrine in the district.

The Okuninushi Shrine | Photo: Travel In Culture

Tsurumaru Castle, also known as Kagoshima Castle, was the domain of the Shimazu clan. The ruins and the remaining stone walls still give an excellent impression of how powerful the family was in the past. In 2020, the Goromon Gate was reconstructed and thus appears today as it did in Kagoshima’s heyday in the Edo era.

There is an on-site museum with original artefacts on display that tell the story of the past and provide a rare insight into the life of the Shimazu clan.

You can read more about Sakurajima in the Culture and History of Sakurajima Volcano

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