Kagoshima is nicknamed the "Hawaii of Japan" due to its volcanic landscape and warm climate. Photo / 123rf
Kagoshima is nicknamed the "Hawaii of Japan" due to its volcanic landscape and warm climate. Photo / 123rf
Set at the southwestern tip of Kyushu island, Kagoshima is not (yet) a staple of international visitors’ Japan bucket lists. Go now, because it’s on the verge of a tourism boom, writes Elise Morton
Oh, Hiroshima, is that what you said? Or perhaps you meant Kyoto? Nope, we said Kagoshima. This under-the-radar city – and its subtropical surroundings, where bamboo and pine forests rub shoulders with palm trees – is worthy of a spot on your next Japan itinerary.
Known as the Hawaii of Japan for its volcanic landscape, warm climate and relaxed outlook (though this is a title hotly contested by the country’s even more southerly Okinawa Islands), Kagoshima is home to the active Sakurajima volcano, endless tea gardens, a unique food culture, and a storied history as capital of the feudal Satsuma province.
Alas, this period in Kagoshima’s story is unrelated to the eponymous small, sweet citrus fruit – the area around the Sakurajima volcano is, though, famed for its tiny komikan mandarins. With healthy road trip snacks sorted, read on to plan your Kagoshima odyssey.
Kagoshima's subtropical surroundings, where bamboo and pine forests rub shoulders with palm trees – is worthy of a spot on your next Japan itinerary. Photo / Getty Images
What to do in Kagoshima
Stand in awe of Sakurajima
With its imposing form the emblem of Kagoshima, the Sakurajima volcano stands across the Kinko Bay from Kagoshima. From the city, views of Japan’s most active volcano – which smokes constantly and erupts more than daily – can be enjoyed at Shiroyama Park, while the Yunohira and Arimura observation decks, on the wooded slopes of the volcano itself, offer the chance to get up close and personal with Sakurajima and the Taisho lava field. For easy access from the city, take the 15-minute ferry between Kagoshima Port and the Sakurajima Ferry Terminal. Fun fact: Sakurajima used to be set on an island, but became connected to the mainland after an eruption in 1914.
Kagoshima is known as the Hawaii of Japan for its volcanic landscape, warm climate and relaxed outlook. Photo / 123rf
Soak up Satsuma history
Satsuma – present-day Kagoshima – played a pivotal role in unifying and modernising Japan. The streets of Kagoshima city are dotted with monuments to the pioneers of the 1868 Meiji Restoration, while those wanting to dig deeper should head to the Meiji Restoration Museum. To get a taste of feudal Japan, wander around the stately home and traditional Japanese gardens at Sengan-en, which belonged to the powerful Shimadzu clan, before heading west to visit the museum and artisans keeping the traditions of Satsuma pottery alive at the Chin Jukan Kiln.
Kirishima-jingu shrine, one of Japan's oldest, is set amidst a legend-rich forest. Photo / 123rf
Experience an onsen – with a difference
Taking a dip in an onsen (hot spring) is high on the list for most visitors to Japan, but a drive south of Kagoshima city to Saraku at Ibusuki promises a unique spa experience: sand-bathing. Don a traditional yukata (summer kimono), before being buried in the warm beach sands, heated by the natural hot springs. If the numerous health benefits – including detoxifying qualities and improved circulation – aren’t enough to tempt you, perhaps you’ll be drawn by Ibusuki’s cute city mascot, the Pokémon Eevee.
Drive south of Kagoshima city to Saraku at Ibusuki for a unique spa experience: sand bathing. Photo / 123rf
Discover Japan’s creation story
One of Japan’s oldest Shinto shrines, Kirishima-jingu is set amid the trees at the foot of Mt Takachiho. A visit here means not only the chance to enjoy the contrast of the shrine’s colourful architecture against the dense, legend-rich forest and observe talented calligraphers, but also to trace the story of Japan’s very founding. Kirishima-jingu enshrines the deity Ninigi-no-Mikoto, a central figure in Japan’s creation mythology.
What to eat
Thanks not least to its relatively isolated location at the southern end of Kyushu, Kagoshima has developed a distinct – and renowned – cuisine. The region’s “must-try” delicacies are packed with vibrant flavour and indicative of its rich natural bounty, from fertile farmland to seas flush with fish.
Kurobuta (black pork)
Getting its name from the colour of the pig, as opposed to the meat, kurobuta (meaning black pork) is a Kagoshima speciality. The succulent, marbled meat might be considered the wagyu of pork, with its high quality owing not least to the pigs’ diet: the region’s famous sweet potatoes (which you, too, can sample, in the form of icecream, sweets or simply roasted as a street snack). Try kurobuta in a deep-fried tonkatsu cutlet at Taketei Taniyama, as part of a shabu shabu hotpot at Hachiman, or with Kagoshima’s distinctive ramen (which combines the classic pork bone broth with chicken stock, and sometimes dried fish, kelp and mushrooms) at Tontoro.
Kagoshima is renowned for its black pork, fed with the region's famous sweet potatoes. Photo / 123rf
Satsuma-age fishcakes
Though popular throughout Japan, the satsuma-age fishcake – as the name suggests – originates from the historical Satsuma region. The deep-fried dish’s rich flavour comes from surimi (minced fish) paste and a roster of potential extras, including squid and veggies (including burdock root and wood-ear mushrooms). Crucially, the fishcake is fried in rapeseed oil and seasoned with local spirit shochu, sake rice wine and brown sugar. Pick up this fishy snack from Agetataya on Tenmonkan Street.
Kurozu black vinegar
Across the bay from Kagoshima city, Fukuyama has a rich tradition of vinegar production – such that you’ll notice a tangy vinegar-y aroma on the wind, and an abundance of black earthenware pots. Discover the traditional open-air brewing method and sample dishes that use this treasured ingredient at Kakuida restaurant, Japan’s first black vinegar restaurant. The adjoining brewery has been making black vinegar since the end of the Edo period, with informative tours and tastings available.
What to drink
Green tea
Kagoshima is the second-largest tea-producing prefecture in Japan, but is taking the lead when it comes to organic farming and innovation. Seemingly endless tea gardens adorn the rolling hills, with family-run businesses carefully cultivating sencha (green tea for infusion) and tencha (used to make matcha, powdered green tea).
One such firm is Nishi Cha, run by the Nishi family in Kirishima for three generations and headed by Toshimi Nishi. The co-founder of an international matcha cafe chain, Nishi is nonetheless passionate about local tea production in his home region, and is part of a dynamic consortium of farmers (snappily named the Kagoshima Tea Farmily) that aims to bring Kagoshima tea to the world. Visiting Nishi Cha means an escape to the countryside, getting to know the work of one of Japan’s few Rainforest Alliance-certified tea producers, sipping matcha with anko (red bean) biscuits and bringing home adorably designed bottles of matcha, with homemade honey and chocolate-covered sweet potato candy to boot.
Other top spots to sip on tea include the Nenrindo tea house next to the Great Tea Tree Park and Susumaya Chaten in the heart of Kagoshima city.
Kagoshima's tea culture is thriving, with the region being the second-largest tea-producing prefecture in Japan. Photo / 123rf
Shochu
No trip to Japan would be complete without trying the local firewater, shochu. Don’t let the name – literally translating to “fiery liquor” – put you off: this relatively mellow distilled drink usually comes in at about 25 per cent alcohol, and can be made from rice, barley and buckwheat. Kagoshima’s variety, however, is made from local sweet potatoes (satsumaimo). Enjoy on the rocks, with soda or hot water.
Whisky
Japan is making a name for itself in the world of whisky, and Kagoshima is no exception. Pop in to the Kanosuke distillery for a guided tour, including details of how the forward-thinking brand is incorporating elements of traditional shochu production into its whisky making, including ageing the whisky in shochu casks. End the tour with a tasting in the zen-inducing Mellow Bar, with views of the sea. Whisky not your thing? Kanosuke also makes gin with notes of green tea, and zesty flavours such as tangerine.
