Spots in Kagoshima

Each spot shows when its facts were last checked against official sources.

By prefecture:

HokkaidoHokkaido (60)

TohokuAomori (30)Iwate (30)Miyagi (40)Akita (30)Yamagata (30)Fukushima (30)

KantoIbaraki (30)Tochigi (30)Gunma (30)Tokyo (30)Kanagawa (30)

ChubuNiigata (30)Ishikawa (30)Yamanashi (30)Nagano (30)Gifu (30)Shizuoka (30)

KansaiMie (30)Kyoto (30)Osaka (30)Hyogo (30)Nara (30)Wakayama (30)

ChugokuHiroshima (30)

ShikokuTokushima (15)Kagawa (30)Ehime (30)Kochi (30)

Kyushu & OkinawaFukuoka (30)Saga (30)Nagasaki (30)Kumamoto (30)Oita (30)Miyazaki (30)Kagoshima (30)Okinawa (30)

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No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaCape NagasakibanaThe cape at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, said in legend to be where Urashima Taro set off for the Dragon Palace, and also called "Ryugu-bana"; sea turtles lay eggs here in summer. The white Satsuma Nagasakibana Lighthouse, the spray of the waves, the blue sea and sky, graceful Mt. Kaimon and the distant outlines of Yakushima and the Mishima islands make up the view, in Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetMinamiosumi, KagoshimaCape Sata ParkThe southernmost cape of mainland Japan, on the 31st parallel north. On Tairin Island, 50 m off the southern cliffs, stands Satamisaki Lighthouse, one of Japan's oldest lighthouses, of British design and completed in 1871 (Meiji 4). In Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park, you may see Yakushima and Tanegashima on clear days. An 800 m nature path (about 20 minutes one way) runs through subtropical plants such as bougainvillea, cycads and banyans.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetMinamikyushu, KagoshimaChiran Peace MuseumChiran (now Minamikyushu) is a place associated with the special attack (tokko) operations, unprecedented in human history, carried out at the end of World War II to reverse the losing battle of Okinawa. The museum displays belongings and materials of Army special attack corps members who crashed their bomb-laden planes into enemy ships, to pass on these historical facts correctly and contribute to lasting world peace; it teaches the misery of war and the value of peace and life so that such tragedy is never repeated.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetMinamikyushu, KagoshimaChiran Samurai Residence GardensThe Fumoto district, representing Chiran, "the little Kyoto of Satsuma": streets lined with neatly clipped hedges of podocarpus and tea, and gardens that borrow the view of Mt. Hahagatake, open to visitors. With winding streets, gates standing before the gardens and gardens cherished since the Edo period, it is a representative "fumoto" (samurai settlement) of Kagoshima, selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (18.6 ha); the seven gardens open to the public are national places of scenic beauty.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaChiringashima IslandAn uninhabited island about 3 km around, some 800 m offshore from Cape Tara northeast of central Ibusuki. At low tide a sandbar appears, and at spring tides, when low tide lasts long, you can walk across. It is said to be named after the old pines whose sound in the wind guided passing sailing ships at night. From March to October, a "sand road" appears at low tide during spring and middle tides.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetYakushima, KagoshimaHirauchi Kaichu OnsenA rare hot spring that wells up from the sea, where you can bathe only for about 2 hours around low tide, twice a day. The water is simple sulphur. By day you look at the sea, and at night you bathe to the sound of the waves under a sky full of stars. There is no changing room, and bathing in a swimsuit or underwear is strictly forbidden.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaIo World Kagoshima AquariumAn aquarium looking straight at Sakurajima, showing about 800 species and 10,000 animals, mainly from the seas around Kagoshima. In the great Kuroshio Tank swim whale sharks (the only ones in Kyushu) and skipjack tuna; there are also "Seas of the Nansei Islands" with tropical fish and live corals, "Deep Sea of Kagoshima", a jellyfish corridor and a rare sea-slug research lab. In the outdoor channel leading to the sea (free area) you can see dolphins swimming freely up close.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaIshin Furusato-kan (Museum of the Meiji Restoration)A history facility that shows the whole of late-Edo Satsuma and the Meiji Restoration at a glance, in Kajiyacho, the birthplace of Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi. Videos, dioramas and robots introduce Kagoshima's history and its pioneers; the highlights are two dramas in the basement hall, "The Road to the Restoration", with life-size robots and multiple screens, and "Satsuma Students, West", about students the Satsuma domain sent to Britain in defiance of the national ban.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetYakushima, KagoshimaJomon SugiOne of the largest old trees among the confirmed Yakusugi, the cedars over 1,000 years old in the forests of Yakushima; theories of its age range from just over 2,000 to 7,200 years. The deep ridges of its surface seem to record its survival through the island's harsh nature, overwhelming those who see it. To protect its roots from being damaged by hikers' feet, a viewing deck has been built close to it.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaKagoshima Castle Goromon GateKagoshima (Tsurumaru) Castle, the residence of the Shimazu clan begun around 1601 by Iehisa, later the first lord of the domain, consisted of a mountain castle behind (Shiroyama) and a residence at its foot. The "Goromon" gate at the front of the residence was lost in a fire in 1873 (Meiji 6) and rebuilt in 2020 as the largest castle gate in Japan. The gate and stone walls are lit up every day from sunset to 22:00, changing with the time and season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKirishima, KagoshimaKareigawa StationA retro wooden station building over 100 years old, opened in 1903 (Meiji 36) and a registered tangible cultural property. The station bento "Hyakunen no Tabi Monogatari Kareigawa", ranked first for three years running in JR Kyushu's Kyushu Ekiben Ranking, is also popular (sold in the station building on weekends and holidays).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKirishima, KagoshimaKirishima Onsen Village (Maruo)The general name for the hot springs dotted southwest of the Kirishima mountains: nine hot springs, large and small, all between 600 and 850 m, with a variety of spring types. Nearby are the forest therapy road, Maruo Falls, Nunobiki Falls, Senjojiki and a rock bath said to be the oldest in Kirishima, and many inns and hotels make it a base for sightseeing in Kirishima; the autumn leaves are also beautiful.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKirishima, KagoshimaKirishima-jingu ShrineA shrine enshrining Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the hero of the myth of the descent of the heavenly grandson, said to date from around the 6th century. Beyond an approach wrapped in quiet greenery stand vermilion-lacquered buildings; the present buildings were donated in 1715 by the Satsuma lord Shimazu Yoshitaka, and the main hall, offering hall and worship hall were designated National Treasures in 2022. Nearby are autumn-leaf spots and scenery such as the Shinsuikyo gorge.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaKurokami Buried ToriiThe great eruption of Sakurajima on January 12, 1914 (Taisho 3) buried the Kurokami area in ash and pumice; the 3 m torii of Haragosha Shrine (Kurokami Shrine) was buried leaving only its top beam. The mayor of Higashi-Sakurajima village decided not to dig it out, to pass on the threat of eruption to later generations, so it remains as it was. The torii and the gatepost of the Nagano family's house were designated a prefectural natural monument in 1958; beside them stands an old akou tree that miraculously survived.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaLake IkedaKyushu's largest caldera lake, formed by ancient volcanic activity: 15 km around and up to 233 m deep, born about 5,700 years ago and shaped into its present form by six eruptions, counting the surrounding area. Many giant eels up to 1.8 m long and 20 kg, a natural monument of Ibusuki, live here, and the mysterious creature "Issie" is said to live in it. Flowerbeds on the shore bloom through the year, with rape blossoms in full bloom in January.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKirishima, KagoshimaMaruo FallsA magnificent waterfall 23 m high and 16 m wide beside Route 223 from Maruo Onsen towards Kirishima Shrine. It is a rare "hot-water waterfall" formed from the spring water of nearby Einoo and Iodani hot springs: in autumn the spray shines against the autumn leaves, and in winter steam rises from the falls. The milky-blue water has a unique atmosphere, and when lit up at night the spray reflects the lights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaMt. KaimonAn active volcano 924 m high, a double volcano with a lava dome on a stratovolcano. Its neat summit and gentle ridges earned it the name "Satsuma Fuji", and it is counted among the "Nihon Hyakumeizan" (100 mountains of Japan). With no other mountains around, its cone can be seen from most of southern Satsuma. From the top you can see Kirishima, Sakurajima and Lake Ikeda to the north and Yakushima and the Mishima islands to the south; the climb of about 5 km one way takes about 3 hours.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKirishima, KagoshimaMt. Takachiho-no-mineA 1,574 m stratovolcano where the legend of the descent of the heavenly grandson is told, the second peak of Kirishima, with the "Ama-no-Sakahoko" spear on the summit and a superb view. The foot and slopes are covered with primeval forest of red pine, fir, hemlock and oak mixed with deciduous trees, giving fresh green in spring, Miyama-kirishima azaleas in early summer, autumn leaves and rime ice in winter. The trail from Takachiho-gawara to the summit is part of the Kyushu Nature Trail.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetMinamiosumi, KagoshimaOgawa FallsA waterfall 46 m high and 60 m wide on the upper Ogawa River in the Nejime district of Minamiosumi. A walking path of about 1,200 m with a moderate slope leads from the car park to the basin, with spring water seeping from the rocks and rest spots along the way; you can take in the sheer cliffs filling your view, the silky underground water running down the rock face and the 46 m fall. It was a filming location for NHK's "Segodon" and the film "Kingdom", and in April 2023 a path usable with pushchairs and wheelchairs was completed. There are two viewpoints: the upstream viewpoint above the basin and the Ogawa Falls viewpoint along the path.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKirishima, KagoshimaOnami PondA mountain 1,411 m high that is popular as relatively easy to climb, with a crater lake 1.9 km around and 11 m deep at the top, known for the legend of "Onami". The pond lies at 1,241 m; the trail runs through primeval forest of fir and hemlock and is well kept to the top, and a path goes round the pond in about 2 hours. In early spring, witch hazel blooms along the crater wall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaSakurajimaThe symbol of Kagoshima: a compound active volcano formed by the North and South peaks, still sending up smoke and ash, and rare in the world. It is 1,117 m high, about 52 km around, and was joined to the Osumi Peninsula by the eruption of 1914 (Taisho 3). It is about 15 minutes by ferry from Kagoshima Port; the Sakurajima Visitor Center near the port explains its great eruptions and changing landforms, and the Yunohira Observatory is the highest point the public can reach.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaSengan-en GardenA villa of the Shimazu family built in 1658 by Mitsuhisa, the 19th head, a large garden that uses majestic Sakurajima as its artificial hill and Kinko Bay as its pond. Flowers bloom through the seasons across about 15,000 tsubo, with sights such as the "Crane Lantern" used in gas-lamp experiments and a shrine to cats. The Iso area around it was registered in 2015 as part of the World Cultural Heritage "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetYakushima, KagoshimaShiratani UnsuikyoA Yakushima natural recreation forest designated as a "recreation forest", a place where people and forests meet, where even those not confident of their stamina can see Yakusugi cedars over 1,000 years old and the island's primeval forest. In spring, the view from Taiko-iwa rock of mountain cherries, fresh green and Mt. Miyanoura, the highest peak in Kyushu, is refreshing. There are three courses: Yayoi-sugi (60 minutes), Bugyo-sugi (3 hours) and Taiko-iwa return (4 hours).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaShiroyama ParkA small hill 107 m high in the middle of the city, rich in nature with large camphor trees, ferns and other temperate and subtropical plants, with walking trails. The observatory looks over Sakurajima, Kinko Bay and the city, and the night view is also famous. As the site of the last battle of the Satsuma Rebellion, it has many related historic sites, and was designated a national natural monument and historic site in 1931 (Showa 6).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetIsa, KagoshimaSogi Falls ParkA great waterfall where the Sendai River and its tributaries, flowing through the Okuchi Basin, pour towards the Tsuruda Dam. Rising among strange rocks, it is 210 m wide and 12 m high; in spring cherry blossoms and azaleas add colour, in summer the flow is at its most powerful, and in autumn ginkgo and maple leaves stand out vividly over the water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaTenmonkanThe busiest downtown district in southern Kyushu, named after "Meijikan" (also called Tenmonkan), a facility for astronomical observation and calendar-making built in 1779 by Lord Shimazu Shigehide. Shops serve local food such as black-pork tonkatsu, Kagoshima ramen and "shirokuma" shaved ice, with cafes and souvenir shops; the streets have arcades, so you can eat and shop without getting wet on rainy days.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaTosenkyo Somen NagashiThe birthplace of the rotating "somen nagashi" (flowing noodles), visited by about 200,000 people a year from all over Japan. Somen nagashi using spring water from upstream and bamboo channels began here in 1962 (Showa 37), and the rotating device was registered as a design in 1970 (Showa 45). Using cool, plentiful spring water chosen in 1996 as one of the "100 Water Villages", it serves somen nagashi all year round.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetYakushima, KagoshimaYakusugi LandHiking courses set in a vast forest 15 km from Anbo village, with five courses of 30, 50, 80, 150 and 210 minutes to choose from by interest and stamina. On the 150-minute course you meet "Boshi-sugi", about 2,600 years old, 9.0 m around and 31.1 m tall, in a mature forest full of giant Yakusugi cedars.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaYamakawa Sand Bath "Sayuri"A sand-steam bath on the Fushime coast, where hot springs bubble up naturally everywhere and Mt. Kaimon can be seen. You lie in a hollow dug in the beach, sand is heaped over you and the heat of the spring warms your whole body, like a natural sauna; after 10-15 minutes you start to sweat. With only the sound of the waves, you take a quick bath after coming out of the sand. It reopened after renovation on December 5, 2024.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaYunohira ObservatoryAt 373 m on the fourth station of Sakurajima's North Peak, the highest of the island's observatories and the highest point the public can reach. You look up at the rugged slopes of the South Peak sending up smoke, and down on Kinko Bay and the city of Kagoshima, with the Kirishima mountains to the north and Mt. Kaimon to the south. The night view of the city across the bay is also recommended; it is a stop on the "Sakurajima Island View" loop bus.Official check: 26 Sept 2026