Sightseeing in Kagoshima
Introducing Kagoshima’s
main tourist spots.
Day trips are possible
except for remote islands.
Reference Link :
・Kagoshima Real Trip
– Kagoshima Prefectural Visitors Bureau
・Kagoshima NAVI
– Official Tourism Website of Kagoshima City
・Kagoshima City Public Transport Guide
Nearby Hot Springs 温泉
Kagoshima, known as a hot spring cities, has about 280 hot spring sources within the city alone.
*Bicycle rentals available.
Kagomma(Kagoshima) Onsen
The nearest hot spring from our inn.
Open until midnight.
It takes about a 15-minute walk
or 7-minute by bicycle.
Yunoyama Onsen ☆ Tattoo Friendly ☆
As the nickname “Hot Spring for Becoming Beautiful” suggests, it has a gentle and soft texture that is known to enhance the beauty of the skin.
It takes about 6-minute by car or 15-minute by bicycle from our inn.
Natural Hot Springs & Sauna Hotel New Nishino (Men Only)
A natural hot spring that springs up right in the heart of the downtown area (Tenmonkan).
Open until midnight. It takes about 7-minute walk from our inn.
Sakurajima 桜島
Sakurajima (island) 桜島
Just 4 km across the sea from Kagoshima City, there is the majestic active volcano “Sakurajima” that continues to emit volcanic smoke.
It is undoubtedly the symbol of Kagoshima.
The Sakurajima Ferry operates 24 hours a day, and it takes about a 15-minute walk from our inn to the ferry terminal.
Please experience the short 15-minute.
Refer Link :
・Japan-guide.com – Sakurajima
・Sakurajima Ferry
Sakurajima Seaside Hotel(桜島シーサイドホテル)
☆ Tatoo Friendly ☆
Spectacular open-air bath with ocean view (mixed bathing)
Sightseeing in the Area
Shiroyama Observatory
城山展望台
This is an observation deck where you can enjoy panoramic views of Sakurajima, as well as Kinko Bay and the cityscape of Kagoshima.
On clear days, you can see as far as Kirishima and Kaimondake mountain in Ibusuki, and the night view is also beautiful.
There are many historical sites related to the Satsuma Rebellion in the surrounding area.
Located on a small hill in the central part of the city, it is an excellent walking course of about 30 minutes one way on a natural promenade from foot of the mountain.
From our inn, take the “Kagoshima City View” sightseeing bus from “Dolphin Port” and get off at “Shiroyama.”
☆ For information on the free shuttle bus to “Shiroyama Kanko Hotel” (no mid-route stops allowed), click here.
Iso Beach 磯ビーチ
A city-renowned beach where you can swim while enjoying a view of Sakurajima right in front of you.
Recently, it seems that sea turtles also come to lay their eggs.
It takes about 20 minutes by bicycle from our inn.
If you take the “Kagoshima City View” bus, you can get off at “Iso Kaishuyokujo-mae” from “Dolphin Port.”
Sengan-en 仙巌園
The villa was built in 1658 by Mitsuhisa, the 19th generation of the Shimadzu family. The garden is a large scale garden with the majestic Sakurajima as a hill and Kinko Bay as a pond, and the vast garden of about 15,000 tsubo (about 1,200 m2) is filled with seasonal flowers and attractive events unique to the daimyo family. The Iso area where Senganen Garden is located was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2015 as part of the “Industrial Revolutionary Heritage of Meiji Japan.
From our inn, you can take the “Kagoshima City View” sightseeing bus from “Dolphin Port” and get off at “Sengan-en Mae.”
Official Website：https://www.senganen.jp/en/
Kagoshima Aquarium
鹿児島水族館
Io World is an aquarium that boasts of its location with Sakurajima right in front of it. The aquarium exhibits 30,000 exhibits of about 500 species of sea creatures from Kagoshima. Whale sharks can be seen up close, and there are many events such as dolphin shows. Other highlights include the “Deep Sea of Kagoshima” and “Jellyfish Corridor,” where you can experience the extraordinary feeling of diving into the deep sea, and the world-class “Umi-Ushi Laboratory,” which conducts research on breeding while elucidating the mysterious ecology.
It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from our hotel.
Kagoshima Fish Market Tour
鹿児島魚市場ツアー
*In Preparation
Kagoshima City Museum
鹿児島市立美術館
The museum has a long history, having opened in 1954. The museum exhibits works by Kagoshima artists who contributed to the development of modern Western-style painting, such as Seiki Kuroda, Takeji Fujishima, Eisaku Wada, Ikuma Arishima, Seiji Togo, Kinosuke Ebihara, and Junji Yoshii, as well as Western art from the Impressionist period to the present, including Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso, Dali, Warhol, and Rodin, and also masterpieces of Satsuma porcelain and Satsuma faceting. The exhibition also features masterpieces of Satsuma porcelain and Satsuma faceted glass.
Official Website : https://www.city.kagoshima.lg.jp/artmuseum/index-english.html
Tsurumaru Castle Goromon Gate 鶴丸城 御楼門
Kagoshima (Tsurumaru) Castle is the residence of the Shimazu clan, whose construction was begun around 1601 by Iehisa, who later became the 18th head of the Shimazu clan and the first lord of the domain. Goroumon, the main gate of the castle, was destroyed by fire in 1873, but has been restored and is approximately 20 meters high and 20 meters wide. It is one of the largest and most majestic gates in Japan. The two shachihoko (or or ornate ornament) mounted on the roof are also the largest in Japan. Reimeikan, the Kagoshima Prefecture History Museum, stands on the site of the Kagoshima (Tsurumaru) Castle Honmaru.
Southern Kagoshima Area 南薩
Ibusuki 指宿
In Ibusuki, located at the southernmost tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, you can enjoy natural sand bath, which are rare in the world.
Refresh your mind and body with a steam sand bath that has great detox effects!
Approximately 1 hour by train from JR Kagoshima Chuo Station to JR Ibusuki Station.
Steam Sand Bath Saraku
You can enjoy steam sand bath while looking out at the South China Sea.
Chiran 知覧
A town with historical legacies such as samurai residences with gardens from the Edo period and the “Chiran Tokko Peace Museum” located at the site of a kamikaze (special attack) base towards the end of the Greater East Asia War.
Chiran Town in Minamikyushu City, often referred to as “Satsuma’s Little Kyoto.”
It takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes by bus from our inn, starting from “Kinsei-cho.”
Refer Link :
・Chiran Special Attack Peace Museum 知覧特攻平和会館
・Chiran Samurai Residence Garden 知覧武家屋敷庭園
Island Trip
Tanegashima(Island) 種子島
Tanegashima Island is famous as the place where guns were once introduced from Portugal and is now home to Japan’s largest space rocket launch site. It is a scenic island with rich nature, historical spots, and many traditions. Marine sports such as sea kayaking and diving can be enjoyed year-round on the beautiful shallow beaches, and surfers from all over the country gather at Tanegashima Beach (Nishinoomote City), where the rough waves of the Pacific Ocean lap the shore, and many people move to the island.
Yakushima (Island) 屋久島
Yakushima Island is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The island has a history of life beyond imagination, with Jomon cedars that are over 2,000 years old and taiko rocks that have existed since before human settlement. The island receives a large amount of precipitation, and beautiful moss-green moss can be seen everywhere on the island. Stepping into the jungle is like stepping back in time to a prehistoric age. Snorkeling and diving in the ocean and kayaking along the rivers will make you feel as if you are one with nature.
Tokara Islands トカラ列島
The archipelago consists of 12 islands, seven inhabited and five uninhabited, scattered between Yakushima and Amami Oshima. On Suwanose-jima, an active volcano still spews forth its smoke; Kabuseki-jima, an island of gods symbolized by the masked god Boze surrounded by sheer cliffs; Kuchino-jima, a treasure trove of flora and fauna where nature remains; Kohoro-jima, an island made of raised coral; Takarajima, an island of romance where the legend of pirates’ treasures remains; and Heijima, an island associated with the legend of the Heike clan. Each island is a place where unique culture lives on and tickles the hearts of unexplored areas enthusiasts.
Mishima Village 三島村
The entire island of Takeshima is covered with bamboo. Iwo Jima is home to an active volcano, Mt. Kuroshima Island was recognized as a Japan Geopark in 2015 in recognition of the diverse nature and culture of each of the three islands.
Amami Oshima 奄美大島
Kuroshio no Mori Mangrove Park, also known as the Galapagos of the East, offers canoeing for a real adventure experience. The Kuroshio Forest Mangrove Park offers canoeing for a real adventure, paragliding, diving without a license, snorkeling, night safaris, and many other activities. At “Heart Rock,” a crystal clear emerald blue tide pool in the shape of a heart, and at the Amami Marine Exhibition Hall, you can even meet baby sea turtles.
Kikaijima 喜界島
Kikai Island was formed by the uplift of coral reefs. The island is unique in the world in that it is still rising by about 2 mm per year. As a symbol of the island, the hedges of the houses in the Aden community on the east side of the island are all made of coral. The island is warm throughout the year, and the sight of hibiscus and bougainvillea flowers and many butterflies flitting about is tranquil. The sugar road through the sugar cane fields is famous as a filming location for movies and TV programs.
Tokunoshima 徳之島
Blessed with a mild climate, Tokunoshima is said to be a “treasure house of living things” with many rare creatures that can only be found on the island. The mild climate is also comfortable for people, and the island is also known as the island of longevity and fertility. The Kanamizaki Cycad Tunnel, a 200-m-long tunnel lined with large cycad trees, is one of Tokunoshima’s most popular tourist spots. In the ocean, visitors can enjoy marine sports such as surfing, diving, and snorkeling.
Okinoerabujima 沖永良部島
It is an island of raised coral reefs and is called “the island of flowers and limestone caves. In spring, gerabu lilies are in full bloom, and many people enjoy fishing, snorkeling, and other marine sports. It is also a historical spot where Saigo Takamori spent about a year and a half. It has the largest banyan tree in Japan, mysterious limestone caves, and tropical and subtropical flowers at any time of the year in a very mild climate. The island is also conveniently located with a large supermarket and a general hospital.
Yoron Island 与論島
Yoron Island is a small island with a circumference of about 20 km, but there are more than 20 beaches with spectacular views in the island. Every beach has a different atmosphere and a sense of natural splendor that makes you forget the hustle and bustle of the city. Boasting some of the world’s most beautiful water, Yoron Island is also an ideal environment for diving, and you can dive all year round. As a resort area, you can enjoy a full range of hotels, gourmet food, leisure activities, and other amenities with peace of mind.
