Kagoshima-shi

Asia

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Japan

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Kagoshima-shi

Kagoshima City is the capital of Kagoshima Prefecture, situated at the southwestern tip of Kyushu Island, Japan. Famous as the "Naples of the Eastern World," this city is known for its warm climate, bay location, and iconic stratovolcano, Sakurajima. Kagoshima City is steeped in history from the Meiji Restoration and offers various popular tourist attractions, such as the Kirishima Mountains and the Satsuma Peninsula.

Renowned as the home of the active volcano Sakurajima, Kagoshima City is a must-visit when the mountain is dormant. You can reach the island by ferry or kayak. The area features several tourist attractions, including hot springs, short hiking trails, foot baths, and museums.

Your visit to Kagoshima City would be incomplete without exploring the Sengan-en Garden, a Japanese-style landscaped garden. Here, you can enjoy panoramic views of Sakurajima, along with a river, bamboo forest, koi pond, shrines, and the Iso Residence in the garden's center. There's a small shrine dedicated to cats where you can write wishes for your friends or cats on special wooden plaques. Additionally, you can visit museums, galleries, restaurants, and souvenir shops offering a variety of local crafts.

Beyond the natural attractions, Kagoshima City is home to the Kagoshima City Aquarium, featuring tens of thousands of marine creatures from approximately 500 species. The main attraction here is the Gigantic Kuroshio Fish Tank, showcasing whale sharks and tuna following the Kuroshio Current. Additionally, you can witness other attractions, such as dolphin and sea lion shows.

Travel Tips for Kagoshima-shi

What you need to know before traveling here

Getting Around Kagoshima-shi

A guide to Kagoshima-shi's local transportation

City Bus

Kagoshima City View Bus

Tram

Kagoshima offers four bus companies that can be your preferred choice to get around Kagoshima City. The majority of buses operating in the city are Shiei (City Bus), which runs from 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM. To use this bus service, you can take a single journey with a minimum fare for adults of 180 yen. However, you can also use a one-day travel card, which costs around 600 yen.

Practical Tips for Kagoshima-shi

Things to prepare and best way to visit

What are the top things to do in Kagoshima City?

You shouldn't miss a visit to Shiroyama Park when in Kagoshima City. This park is situated in the center of Kagoshima City, spanning over Mount Shiroyama. One of the most popular attractions in this park is the Shiroyama Observatory, allowing you to witness the spectacular views of the Sakurajima volcano and Kagoshima Bay. For the best experience, it's recommended to visit the Shiroyama Observatory in the evening.

Kagoshima City also offers other interesting tourist attractions, such as Tenmonkan, the largest entertainment district in Southern Kyushu. Here, you can indulge in a variety of cuisines offered at numerous restaurants and cafes along this street. Additionally, you can shop at various boutiques, souvenir shops, and department stores that are always bustling with visitors. No need to worry, as this entire street is covered with an arcade, allowing you to enjoy your excursion even in the rain.

Soaking in hot springs in Japan is also a must-do activity. When visiting Kagoshima City, make your way to Furusato Hot Spring Town, an open-air onsen resort on Sakurajima that allows you to soak while enjoying the serene views of Kinko Bay.

What are the best places to visit in Kagoshima City?

As one of the top attractions in Kagoshima City, The Reimeikan Museum presents a wide range of exhibitions covering Kagoshima's history from ancient times to the modern era. Here, you can see various popular attractions, such as the statue of the hero Saigo Takamori, a leader of the Meiji Restoration in the late 1860s, and dioramas depicting Kagoshima City in the early Showa Period.

Apart from that, a cultural tourist attraction you can visit is the Kirishima Jinja Shrine, known as the "home of the gods." This shrine was built to commemorate the protagonist in the legend of Japan's founding, Ninigi-no-mikoto. You can stroll through the garden while admiring the stunning shrine buildings.

For those who love animals, a visit to Hirakawa Zoological Park is a must. Here, you can observe native Kyushu wildlife and other animals, including bears, koalas, zebras, and giraffes. You can interact with the animals or take a bus shaped like an animal to tour the area.

What to eat in Kagoshima City?

Kagoshima City is renowned for its distinctive local cuisine, Kurobuta and Kuroushi, which literally translates to "black pork" and "black beef." Kurobuta refers to Berkshire pork originally imported to Kagoshima about 400 years ago, while Kuroushi cattle were bred locally in Kagoshima. You can savor Kurobuta prepared as tonkatsu or shabu-shabu and relish Kuroushi in the form of steak.

Another menu worth trying is Kame No Te, literally meaning "turtle hand." However, this dish features barnacles that latch onto ocean rocks, which are harvested to be cracked open with "nails" and eaten, resembling the appearance of a turtle hand.

Although not a food item, when visiting Kagoshima City, you should sample Shochu. This distinctive Kagoshima alcoholic beverage is made from local sweet potatoes (satsumaimo), which you can enjoy either with ice or mixed with hot water.

When is the best time to visit Kagoshima City?

Kagoshima has a subtropical climate with consistently warm weather, higher than some other regions in Japan. The best time to visit Kagoshima is during the fall season, from March to May, to enjoy the beautiful cityscape with ideal temperatures.

How much time should I spend in Kagoshima City?

To explore Kagoshima City itself, spending 1-2 days is sufficient to have a comprehensive travel experience in the city. However, if you plan to travel outside Kagoshima City, extending your trip to 3-4 days would be ideal.

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