Kagoshima might be far from the usual itineraries due to its distance from the main cities, but for me, this is definitely a point in its favor. Famous for crafts like Satsuma yaki pottery and Satsuma kiriko glassware. It is also the origin of Kurobuta black pork and Satsuma mikan.
Introduction to Kagoshima
The town is located on Kyushu, Japan’s biggest southern island. It is the last stop on a nine-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo (alternatively, it can be reached by a one-hour flight). Other famous cities nearby are Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Beppu, so Kyushu deserves a trip on its own.
The area’s tropical climate is very particular to Japan. It allows palm trees and tropical fruits to coexist with pine trees and bamboo, which is due to the influence of one of the country’s most active volcanoes: Sakurajima.
The region’s history is very rich, from the Hayato Indigenous people to the Shimazu clan, which ruled the Satsuma domain. Here, the Meiji Restoration began after a failed samurai rebellion led by Saigo Takamori.
Visit Kagoshima’s traditional spots
- Most beautiful gardens include: Sengan-en Garden (former residence of clan, you can see samurai houses and a museum), Shiroyama Park, Ishibashi park, hike in the UNESCO Yakushima
- Interesting shrines are: Terukuni jinja ( with a bird-shaped tree), Kuromaki ( with a shrine gate buried by volcano ashes)
- Best museums are: the Museum of the Meiji Restoration (interactive sounds, lights, robots), Reimeikan History Museum, Kagoshima City Museum of Art (a collection of modern Western paintings and traditional crafts like Satsuma pottery and Satsuma Kiriko cut-glass)
- Other experiences include: Chiran Samurai District (edo era houses with Japanese gardens), Ibusuki onsen (geothermal water just beneath the sand), sunamushi onsen, Hashiyu foot onsen
Crafts and where to buy them
- Famous handicrafts of this area are: Oshima tsumugi fabrics, kawanabe butsudan (Buddhist altar), Satsuma yaki pottery, Satsuma kiriko glassware
- Suggested shops: Kagoshima Brand Shop, Shimadzu Satsuma Kiriko Gallery Shop
Festivals
- Ohara matsuri in November
Food – local products and dishes
- Famous local products are: Kurobuta black pork (for shabu shabu, tonkatsu), Sweet potatoes (largest producer in Japan), Satsuma mikan, dried seaweed, giant radish
- Traditional dishes: Satsuma-age (fried fishcake), Karukan (sweet bun of Japanese yam and karukan flour filled with bean paste), Torisashi (raw chicken), Kagoshima Ramen (with kurobuta pork)
- Recommended places: Chin Jukan Pottery Cafe
