25 Things to Do in Kagoshima

With many famous spots for autumn leaves and hot springs, the recommended season for sightseeing is from October to November. During this season, you can enjoy the stunning autumn foliage while soaking in hot springs.
Additionally, Kagoshima's autumn cuisine is exceptional.

From Tokyo, you can reach Kagoshima in about 2 hours by plane.
There are also direct flights from major cities like Nagoya and Osaka, making access convenient.
Additionally, regular international flights operate from cities such as Shanghai, Seoul, and Taipei, providing easy access not only from within Japan but also from abroad.

Sakurajima is an active composite volcano located in Kagoshima Bay. It is a symbol of Kagoshima, and part of Kirishima-Yaku National Park. The volcano began to form around 26,000 years ago, and it has had 17 major eruptions. Sakurajima used to be an island, as its name suggests (shima means island), but the lava flow from the 1914 eruption filled the strait between Sakurajima and the mainland, connecting it to the Osumi Peninsula. Even in the present day, Sakurajima has small-scale eruptions nearly daily.

Sengan-en is a Japanese garden made for the Shimadzu family estate by Mitsuhisa Shimadzu in 1658. The grounds boast a sprawling 50,000 square meters in total.
The garden itself uses the “borrowed scenery” technique, incorporating Kagoshima’s coveted spots like the volcano Sakurajima and Kinko Bay as a natural backdrop. Chinese influences are dotted across the garden, nodding at the Shimadzu Family’s international influence and trade via the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Kirishima-Jingu is a shrine that represents southern Kyushu. Founded in the 6th century, it boasts a deep and ancient history.
Kirishima-Jingu was transferred to its present location over 500 years ago, after repeatedly burning down and being rebuilt due to Mt. Kirishima’s eruptions.

Located about 60km south-southwest of Cape Sata in Kagoshima Prefecture, Yakushima was registered as a World Natural Heritage site in 1993. The island, with a circumference of 132km and an area of 505 square kilometers, is full of mountains over 1,000m high, including the highest peak in Kyushu, Miyanoura-dake, which is 1,936m high. 90% of the island is covered with forests, earning it the nickname "Alps on the Sea".

It's the largest of Kagoshima's outlying islands. This is an island of deep forests colored with subtropical plants and emerald green coral reefs. Whale watching, diving, and other marine activities are popular here. The island's natural wilderness, home to rare animals, was registered as a World Natural Heritage site in 2021.

The history of the airbase for Kamikaze pilots dates back to 1941, just before the Pacific War started, when a military flight school was established. As the Japanese situation worsened at the end of World War II, a ground war broke out in Okinawa, which became the front line in the defense of the mainland. A suicide attack operation was launched, and planes took off from here carrying bombs to ram into U.S. warships that appeared in the waters of Okinawa. The Chiran Peace Museum is a place which teaches us the stories of the young men who died in this operation, revealing the tragedy of war and the preciousness of peace.

Kirishima-Onsen Hot Spring Village is a generic name for hot springs located in the southwestern part of the Kirishima mountain range at elevations between 600m and 850m above sea level. Each hot spring offers different qualities and benefits.

Located at Kagoshima Port, the Io World Kagoshima City Aquarium offers stunning views of the iconic Sakurajima volcano across Kinko Bay. The aquarium is home to approximately 10,000 creatures from 800 species, primarily those inhabiting the waters of Kagoshima, including the Kuroshio Current and the Nansei Islands. The "Kurosio Great Water Tank" is a major draw, featuring fish like whale sharks, tuna, and bonito that travel with the Kuroshio Current.

Kaimondake, Lake Ikeda, Unagiike, and other magnificent natural landscapes shaped by volcanic activity define the scenic beauty of Ibusuki City in Kagoshima Prefecture. Nestled along the Fushime Coast in the Yamagawa area, the "Healthy Land" onsen facility is home to the highly popular Tamatebako Onsen, a day-use open-air bath with breathtaking views.

"Suna-mushi" is a method of bathing that entails visitors soaking themselves in hot sand heated by a hot spring that emerges from the seashore.
Since about 300 years ago, this Japanese-style sauna has been popular among the locals.

The city of Ibusuki, settled at its perch on the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture, is a destination brimming with hot springs and over 1,000 unique spring sources across the city. This unique geothermal area was once shaped by volcanic activity, remaining today as a hub for traditional hot spring baths and the globally rare "sand bath" found only in Ibusuki.

Kaimondake, located at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, is a 924-meter active volcano ranked among Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. The peak towers with a perfectly symmetrical cone shape that’s visible from much of southern Satsuma, earning it the nickname "Satsuma Fuji," as a cherished as a symbol of Ibusuki.

Yurigahama Beach is a sandbar located about 1.5 kilometers off the coast of Oganeku Beach on Yoron Island. It appears only during low tide from spring to autumn, depending on the tides, making it a "phantom beach." Its appearance varies in time, location, and size, and once the tide rises, it vanishes back into the sea.

Taking advantage of the mild climate unique to southern Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture grows a wide range of tea varieties and boasts the largest share of tea production in Japan.
This store, located along the city's main road, commercializes its original blend of tea leaves and promotes the charm of Kagoshima-grown tea to people of all ages.

You can taste Kanpachi (amberjack) called "Umi no Oukan," grown in Kinko Bay, one of the best fishing grounds in Kagoshima Prefecture, located on the south side of Sakurajima.
The kanpachi is fed with tea and shochu lees produced in Kagoshima Prefecture, and grows healthily in a safe and secure environment close to nature. These kanpachi have no fishy smell and are characterized by their clear, beautiful flesh.

A popular ramen restaurant with long lines of customers even before it opens, it has several branches in the prefecture in addition to its main store in Tenmonkan.
The main ingredient of the signature "Tontoro Ramen" is pork char siu, which is made of the neck part of a pig, and only a small amount of it can be obtained from a single pig.

Tenmonkan is Kagoshima's largest downtown area and stretches around the arcade street of Temmonkan Hondori. Even on rainy days or when there is ash fall from Sakurajima volcano, the arcade protects the area, making it a pleasant place to shop and stroll. It is an important area for shopping around Kagoshima, where you can find all kinds of Kagoshima’s specialties such as Satsuma-age, Karukan confection, Shirokuma shaved ice, and Imojochu (potato shochu drink), which are major souvenirs of Kagoshima.

This shopping mall is located in a high-rise tower in the redevelopment area of JR Kagoshima Chuo Station, the gateway terminal to Kagoshima, and offers a wide variety of stores from the 1st to 7th floors, ranging from household goods to fashion, lifestyle and beauty.

The commercial facility has a natural atmosphere with a green exterior wall, and the interior is decorated with Kagoshima timber and Satsuma porcelain tiles, giving it a local flair from the moment you enter.

This onsen ryokan is located halfway up Mt. Takachihonomine on the border of Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures. All rooms have a view overlooking Sakurajima and the Kirishima Plateau, allowing guests to experience the magnificence of nature.

A high-class hot spring ryokan located along the Amori River, which is home to wild birds, sweetfish and carp, and seasonal flowers and plants in the grounds of approximately 10,000 tsubo (approx. 33,000 sqm) welcome you.
The "Ishikura," a massive stone building, is eye-catching, while the "Honkan (Main building)" has a luxurious atmosphere, each with an open-air bath, Sukiya-zukuri style, or modern design, all with ingenious and sophisticated interiors that are impressive.

This is a famous ryokan that has been ranked No. 1 for 38 consecutive years by travel industry professionals for its Japanese-style kaiseki course meal.
The hotel boasts a wide variety of rooms, from special rooms to Japanese-style rooms with a view of a Japanese garden and Japanese-Western-style rooms with beds, all of which offer a luxurious and relaxing time with the cordial hospitality of the nakai-san (hostess) in charge.

The store specializes in famous local confections of Kagoshima, including "Karukan" made from wild yams.
The company operates directly managed stores in Kagoshima, Fukuoka, and Miyazaki, and also has tenants at major airports and famous department stores. The company has an extensive repertoire of Japanese and Western confections, including bestsellers and newcomers, and a wide range of products on the sales floor.

Karukan, made mainly from Jinenjo, a type of wild yam, is a Japanese confectionery that has been loved in Kagoshima Prefecture.
It was first made in the late Edo period (1603-1867) by the first owner of the long-established "Akashiya" under the orders of the feudal lord Nariakira Shimazu, who developed the more than 300-year-old "Karukan" into its current form.
Since then, the tradition has been passed down through seven generations.

Yamafuku Seika is known for its dedication to using local Kagoshima ingredients in its products, including traditional confections like karukan made with natural mountain yam from the Kirishima mountain range, as well as sweet potato-based treats like pies and sweet potato pastries. Among its offerings, the "Satsuma Sweet Potato Tart" stands out as one of the most popular items, made with 100% Kagoshima sweet potatoes, the highest-producing region in Japan.