Sights in Kagoshima Ken
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Saigō Nanshū Kenshō-kan
Displays at the Saigō Nanshū Kenshō-kan tell of Saigō Takamori and the failed rebellion. Although the Great Saigō had played a leading part in the Meiji Restoration in 1868, in 1877 he had second thoughts about the curtailment of samurai power and status, and this led to the ill-fated Satsuma Rebellion. Kumamoto's magnificent castle was burnt down during the rebellion but when defeat became inevitable, Saigō retreated to Kagoshima and committed seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment).
Despite his mixed status as both a hero and villain of the Restoration, Saigō is still a towering figure in the history of Japan. His square-headed features and bulky stature are in…
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Sengan-en (Iso-teien)
Starting in 1658, the 19th Shimazu lord laid out this hilly, rambling bayside garden, incorporating one of Japan's most impressive pieces of 'borrowed scenery': the fuming peak of Sakurajima. It was also a strategically important lookout for ships entering Kinkō-wan. Poetry parties took place along the stream in the Kyokusui Garden – participants had to compose a poem before the next cup of sake floated by. Allow at least 30 minutes for a leisurely stroll, more if you visit the Shimazu-ke villa, once a second home of the Shimazu clan. Kimono-clad women guide you through the villa, followed by traditional tea and sweet service. Other teashops around the garden sell jamb…
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Shōko Shūseikan
The museum of Shōko Shūseikan, adjacent to Sengan-en, once housed Japan's first factory, built in the 1850s. Exhibits relate to the Shimazu family - in fact most of the 10,000 items are precious heirlooms, including ancient scrolls, military goods and pottery. The art of kiriko (cut glass) has been revived at an on-site workshop.
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Museum of the Meiji Restoration
Museum of the Meiji Restoration has hourly performances by robotic Meiji-era reformers, including Saigō Takamori and Sakamoto Ryōma. Ask for headphones for English translation – otherwise, it's helpful to have a Japanese speaker in tow.
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C
Kagomma Sentō (Onsen)
Kagoshima boasts no less than 50 public onsen baths. Local favourite Nishida Onsen (M0090; 255-6354; 12-17 Takasu) is just a few minutes' walk from JR Kagoshima-Chūō. Kagomma Sentō (Onsen) is five minutes' walk from the Sakurajima Port.
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D
Reimeikan
Reimeikan has extensive displays on Satsuma history and ancient swordmaking. It's inside the site of Kagoshima's castle, Tsurumaru-jō (1602); the walls and moat are all that remain, and bullet holes in the stones are still visible.
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Kagoshima City Museum of Art
Kagoshima City Museum of Art has a small, permanent collection of works by modern-day Kagoshima painters, as well as some 16th-century porcelains and woodblock prints, and a wonderful collection of Sakurajima paintings.
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Nishida Onsen
Kagoshima boasts no less than 50 public onsen baths. Local favourite Nishida Onsen is just a few minutes' walk from JR Kagoshima-Chūō.
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Kagoshima City Aquarium
Beautiful seascapes brim with your favourite marine life by the harbour, plus dolphin and otter shows. There's great English signage.
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Kagomma Sentō (Onsen)
Kagoshima boasts no less than 50 public onsen baths. Local favourite Nishida Onsen (M0090; 255-6354; 12-17 Takasu) is just a few minutes' walk from JR Kagoshima-Chūō. Kagomma Sentō (Onsen) is five minutes' walk from the Sakurajima Port.
reviewed
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Rotemburo Shrine
Going anticlockwise around the island, Furusato Kankō hotel has a waterside rotemburo-shrine that's accessible for onsen-only visitors, nestled among rocks at the foot of an impressively gnarled 210-year-old tree. Guests wear yukata (bathing kimono) in the water, so that men and women can bathe together. There's a free shuttle service to and from the port, departing roughly every half-hour except during lunchtime and when the onsen is closed.
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Onsen
Kagoshima boasts some 50 bathhouses, most recalling the humble yet atmospheric sentō of old. They include Nishida Onsen, about five minutes' walk from JR Kagoshima-Chūō Station, and Kagomma Onsen near city hall.
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Kirishima-jingū
Picturesque, tangerine Kirishima-jingū has a good vantage point. Though it dates from the 6th century, the present shrine was built in 1715. It is dedicated to Ninigi-no-mikoto, who, according to Kojiki (a book compiled in 712), led the gods from the heavens to the Takachiho-no-mine summit. The shrine is accessible by bus (¥240, 15 minutes) from JR Kirishima-jingū Station.
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Karasujima Observation Point
South of the visitors centre is this observation point, where the 1914 lava flow engulfed a small island that had once been 500m offshore. There's now an ashi-yu (footbath), Japan's second longest.
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Arimura Lava Observatory
Continuing along the south coast, Arimura Lava Observatory is one of the best places to observe the smoky Minami-dake and the lava flow.
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