Kagoshima

Nagisa Park, a coastal park with volcanic stones, is a short walk from Kagoshimal cruise terminal and suits a quick visit. With more time, join a bus tour to Sakurajima’s distant, spectacular lava fields from earlier eruptions. Several excellent viewpoints show this natural wonder at its best.

Downtown Kagoshima’s Tenmonkan area is approximately 8 kilometers away. Local buses operate, although a taxi or shuttle may be easier for tourists.

A Firemen’s band often performs a farewell concert.

Bring a printable map.

Kagoshima is Kyushu’s southernmost major city and Kagoshima Prefecture’s capital. Mild weather, palm-lined streets, relatively hot-tempered residents and Sakurajima, its equivalent of Vesuvius, invite comparison with its Italian sister city, Naples.

Trams link the two stations and city centre. The circular tourist bus, “Kagoshima City View”, calls at the main attractions, including Senganen and the Sakurajima ferry pier.

With a One-day Pass, you may use city trams, city buses and City View buses without limit throughout the day.

The Sakurajima–Kagoshima harbour ferry runs frequently, around the clock, and the crossing takes about fifteen minutes. From Sakurajima harbour, Yunohira Lookout is a two hours walk or a 15 minutes drive and looks back towards both Kagoshima harbour and the volcano. Other viewpoints allow a closer look. As Sakurajima is an active volcano, tourists must remain at least 2 km from the crater.

When you board a taxi, the driver remotely opens and closes the vehicle’s left rear door. Do not open or close it yourself. You should not tip taxi drivers, because the service is included in the price.

If you do not speak Japanese, or the destination is unfamiliar, give the taxi driver the precise address on paper or, better, point it out on a map. Japan’s address system is often confusing even to local taxi drivers.

Satsuma specialities include ningyo, or Japanese dolls, cards printed with volcanic-ash ink and Satsuma kiriki fine-cut glass. Local silk is turned into clothing, handbags and wallets. Kagoshima is probably best known for Satsuma pottery, produced in the area for more than 380 years. It comes in black and white forms: elegant white Satsuma was used by the upper class, whereas townspeople used black pottery daily.

The yen is Japan's currency, with ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 notes alongside ¥500, ¥100, ¥50, ¥10, ¥5 and ¥1 coins.

Japanese ATMs are increasingly useful, with most allowing overseas-account withdrawals; post offices have ATMs as well. Major credit cards work at most stores and restaurants in large cities, but take adequate cash for rural travel. Japan remains strongly cash-based, and some stores, hotels and restaurants—regardless of where they are—refuse credit cards.

Avoid tipping, which is considered rude.

Cafes offering free WiFi to customers are appearing across the country. Prices differ: some coffee shops provide free Wi-Fi, while others charge hourly for cable-enabled PCs.

Japanese shops and department stores usually open every day, including national holidays except New Year’s, from 10:00 or 10:30am until 7:30 or 8:00pm. Some specialist shops shut on Sundays and holidays. Department stores may close one irregular day each week, but differing closure days mean shoppers can still find open stores.

Japan public holidays.