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During your one-day visit to Kagoshima, Japan, here are some recommendations on what to do and see:
Sakurajima: Start your day by visiting Sakurajima, an active volcano located just across Kagoshima Bay. Take a ferry ride to the island and explore the volcanic landscapes, hot springs, and hiking trails. Be sure to check for any safety advisories before visiting the volcano.
Sengan-en Garden: Visit the Sengan-en Garden, a beautiful traditional Japanese garden with stunning views of Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay. Explore the meticulously landscaped grounds, historic buildings, and tea houses.
Shiroyama Observatory: Head to the Shiroyama Observatory to enjoy panoramic views of Kagoshima city and Sakurajima. It's a great spot for photos and to take in the beauty of the surrounding area.
Kagoshima Aquarium: Discover marine life at Kagoshima Aquarium, known for its large Kuroshio Tank showcasing marine creatures from the Kuroshio Current. The aquarium also features dolphin shows and interactive exhibits.
Ishibashi Park: Take a relaxing walk through Ishibashi Park, a beautiful green space in the heart of Kagoshima. Enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, ponds, and cherry blossoms if you visit during the right season.
Kagoshima Chuo Station: If you have time, visit Kagoshima Chuo Station, famous for its unique design shaped like a giant wooden torii gate. It's an architectural marvel and a great place for shopping and dining.
Try Kagoshima Cuisine: Don't miss the opportunity to taste some of Kagoshima's local specialties, such as Kurobuta (black pork) dishes, Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish cake), and shochu (a distilled spirit). Many restaurants in the city offer delicious regional cuisine.
TAUCK PLAN
- Sakurajima ("Cherry Blossom Island")
Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and the symbol of Kagoshima. The volcano smokes constantly, and minor eruptions often take place multiple times per day. Located in the middle of Kagoshima Bay, Sakurajima is the area's most prominent geographic feature, having an elevation of 1117 meters and a circumference of about 50 kilometers.
Before a powerful eruption in 1914, Sakurajima used to be an island in the bay, but the massive lava flow from that eruption created the volcano's current land connection to the Osumi Peninsula in the east. For the majority of travelers, however, the volcano is still most easily accessed by the ferries that run the 3.5 kilometers between Kagoshima Port and the Sakurajima Ferry Terminal.
- Sengan-en Garden (optional)
Senganen Garden is a Japanese-style landscape garden along the coast north of downtown Kagoshima. One of the garden's most striking features is its use of Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay as borrowed scenery. The garden also includes small ponds, streams, shrines and a bamboo grove.
At the center of the garden stands the Iso Residence. The residence was originally built in 1658 along with the rest of the garden, but the current building dates back mostly to a mid 1880s reconstruction. After the end of the feudal age, the Iso Residence became the main residence of the Shimazu family, and its rooms are preserved in the way they were used in the 1890s. The interior of the residence can be viewed at an additional cost (see details).
- Chiran and Chiran Peace Museum (optional)
Tomiya Shokudo was a small eatery in the town frequented by the pilots from the base. The building has been restored as a memorial museum to Tome and the pilots.
Chiran Doll & Toy Museum
Boasting a collection of more than 10,000 items, the Chiran Doll & Toy Museum is the result of 25 years collecting Japanese dolls, large and small, by the owner. The time span covers all the periods from Edo up to the present. Several times a year special themed exhibitions are also held. There is also a patio coffee shop.
Tea World
A small museum and English-style tea room, the museum focuses on the Anglo-Satsuma War of 1863. a one day war which claimed the lives of 13 British sailors and only 5 Japanese.
Toyotamahime Shrine
The only shrine of note in Chiran is located north of the main street. The torii entrance gate is clearly visible. You will see a display of mizukarakuri ningyo. Karakuri means "mechanical" and ningyo means "doll" or "puppet", so they are mechanical dolls, or automata, and were very popular in the Edo Period.
Chiran Castle Ruins
South of the town center and east of the Kamikaze Peace Museum is the site of Chiran Castle. It was constructed at the turn of the 14th century by Minamoto no Yoritomo. In the middle of the 15th century the castle was awarded to the Sata Clan, a branch of the Shimazu.
The Chiran Peace Museum For Kamikaze Pilots in Chiran, Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Kyushu is a thought-provoking, and to many, a controversial museum. It is dedicated to the lives and deaths of 1,036 suicide pilots or kamikaze (more commonly known as tokkoh-tai-in 特攻隊員 in Japanese). These young men, in their teens and early twenties, sacrificed themselves in the name of the Japanese emperor in the latter stages of World War II.
