My First Visit to Kagoshima Japan

In around 2017, I was walking through Shinjuku Train Station in Tokyo and there were many Japan Tourism posters throughout the station showing various cities around Japan. I saw the poster for Kagoshima and instantly knew I had to visit. The image of Kagashima city right next to the towering Sakurajima Volcano. I love volcanos so I knew I had to go to Kagoshima to see this sight for myself. It would not be until 2023 until I first arrived in Kagoshima.

I visited Kagoshima in August 2023. I picked to stay at the Kagoshima Sun Royal Hotel as it had an awesome view directly across to Sakurajima. It meant that I was a few kilometers outside the city centre but I really wanted to have a room with a view of the volcano. Little did I know, August is not the best time to visit Kagosahima due to Typhoon season. Out of 4 nights staying in Kagoshima, I was locked in the hotel for 2 nights due to a Typhoon. The rest of the the time the sky was cloudy so I never got to see Sakurajima in all her glory. I could smell the sulphur fumes in the air so knew she was there but never got to see her. The first morning, the 2nd pic below was the best view I got of Sakurajima from my room.

The first night I had arrived at my hotel around 11pm, so only got to check in and go to sleep. When I awoke, I pulled back the curtains hoping to get my first glimpse of the famous volcano but that pic above is what I got to see. The view from the Sun Royal Hotel is not as impressive as the pics on their website leads you to believe but it is still one of the closest hotels with the best views of the volcano.

First morning it was quite windy and there were Typhoon warmings, with it expected to arrive late afternoon. I knew I would only get out for a short morning tour of Kagoshima. 2nd thing on my list of things to do in kagoshima, was to try the best Tonkatsu in Japan at the famous restaurant simply called Kurobatu. Kurobatu is the name of the type of pork found in Kagoshima, famous in Japan for the most delicious pork. I caught a taxi into the town centre which only took around 10 minutes, got out at Kagoshima Train Station and walked my way though the city to Kurobatu Restaurant which is found in Tenmonkan nightlife area.

The walk along the way was interesting. Kagoshima is a very nice city, small city with a population of only around 600,000 people. There was plenty of street sculptures, interesting architecture and the pretty Ōyodo River running through the city centre.

After my walk through the city, I arrived at the Kurobatu Restaurant and had the best Tonkatsu meal I have every had. This wasn’t so expensive either at 1100 Yen for the set meal. The Kurobatu pork is a really tasty pork and Kurobatu Restaurant make some excellent Tonkatsu.

After the excellent meal, the wind was picking up so I got a taxi back to my hotel where I stayed for the next 40 hours, locked in the hotel due to the Typhoon.

Tourist Attractions in Kagoshima

After 2 nights locked in my hotel, the last full day in Kagoshima, the Typhoon had passed and it was actually a nice day, still a bit windy but the sun was shining. I only had 1 day to do as much as I could, and it was a joy to be outside of my hotel room.

In the morning I went to probably the 2nd best tourist attraction on Kagoshima (after Sakurajima Volcano), The Kagoshima City Aquarium. They have a Whale Shark in the main tank at the aquarium and this was the first time seeing a whale shark, so this was definitely a highlight of my trip.

After the Aquarium, I headed back to Tenmonkan area, which is a nightlife area but during the day is a shopping district. I headed to Nigiwai Street in Tenmonkan which is an undercover shopping street. There are a few of these undercover streets in Tenmonkan.

After my visit to Tenmonkan, I headed back to Kurobatu Restaurant for more delicious Tonkatsu. I did not know when I would be back in Kagoshima, so my this was my last opportunity to eat more of the best tonkatsu in Japan. This time I went for their special Black Tonkatsu, which is coloured black with charcoal from Sakurajima volcano. It doesn’t really change the taste, just makes it black

Afte lunch, I headed back to my hotel for a rest, then came back to Tenmonkan to check out the night life. At night, Tenmonkan reminds me of a tiny version of Kabukicho in Tokyo. The streets are lit up with neon signs, there are loads of Gentlemen’s Club which are sort of out of bounds to foreigners. I just walked around the streets then found a very cool Yakitori bar to have a few beers and some excellent Yakitori.

So that was my first visit to Kagoshima. I did miss out on alot as I was locked in my hotel for 2 days, but I still got enough taste of Kagoshima to know that I like that city. I really want to go back and explore more of the city. Next time I hope to see Sakurajima in full and I will make the ferry ride to go over to the island that the volcano is on. And ofcoruse I will go gack to Kurobatu Restaurant and also find a good Shabu-shabu restaurant, as the 2nd best food in Kagoshima is the Kurobatu Shabu-shabu. I can’t wait till my next visit to Kagoshima.

Getting Around Kagoshima

Kagoashima is only a small city so it very easy to get around. Walking in an option as the city is fairly flat. Taxis are easy to flag down and are not so expensive.

The best way to get around Kagoshima, is on their extensive tram system. The trams in Kagoshima are very cute. Some of the trams are old historic tram cars but still functional. Best thing about the trams in Kagoshima, is you can just use your credit card / debit card to pay for your fare. Just jump on, tap your card, then tap off again at the end of your trip and it calculates your fare. Easy!

Getting to Kagoshima

Kagoshima has an airport and a major train station service by a Shinkansen Bullet train.

I flew into Kagoshima International Airport from Naha Okinawa. If you are already in Japan, the domestic flights into Kagoshima, you can fly from Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe,Matsuyama, Fukuoka, Okinawa and direct from many of the Okinawan Islands.

For international routes, you can fly to Kagoshima from Seoul Korea, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Take note, the Kagoshima airport is 39 Kilometers from the city centre. You can take a taxi but it will cost you close to 10,000 Yen. There are airport shuttle buses that regularly leave the airport and drop you right into the centre of Kagoshima, including at the Kagoshima Central Station.

For the Shinkansen Bullet Train, I got the train to Nagasaki but you can go to many desinations in Kyūshū island including Fukuoka. The Kyushu Shinkansen Train is not as fast as the Shinkansen that operates on Honshu Island (ie Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto) but still the Kyushu Shinkansen top speed is 260Km/h, so still pretty fast.

There is also a ferry service that travels between Kagoshima and Okinawa. This is particular good as it is cheap and if you are taking a car to or from Okinawa, the ferry will transport your car.