Sightseeing Trains, Gardens, & Museums

Kyushu’s most southern prefecture, Kagoshima (鹿児島), is a wonderful place full of attention-grabbing bits of Kagoshima historical past, tradition, and subtropical magnificence, lots of that are simple to entry by its public transit community. From the small metropolis trams within the city centre to the scenic sightseeing prepare alongside Kagoshima’s coast, there are loads to pack right into a day journey of the Kagoshima area. Right here we’ll have a look at varied nice spots to go to, together with attractive out of doors gardens, insightful cultural experiences, and a few scrumptious locations to cease for meals:

Amami no Sato: Southern-Fashion Gardens and Cultural Reveals

First up is Amami no Sato, a backyard and villa that recreates the character, tradition, and way of life of the Amami islands, a series of islands a part of  better Ryukyu Islands together with Okinawa . Earlier than coming into, you’ll be greeted by a standard thatched roof constructing. Then, should you go round to the best of the constructing, you may go up some steps to see a small mannequin recreation of the Amami way of life.

The primary part of the grounds is devoted to Amami crops and displays. On a quiet day, you may hear the birds and would possibly even come throughout a couple of as you discover the gardens with over 70 sorts of crops and bushes. There are recreations of Amami Island life within the thatched huts of the Showa period (1926-1989) and a small exhibit of the instruments for every day life and work. There are additionally spots to be taught concerning the mud dyeing strategies which are used for Kagoshima’s well-known textile, Oshima Tsumugi.

After strolling by means of the palms and distinctly southern panorama, you’ll end up in a standard Japanese backyard. The backyard was designed underneath the idea of Japan’s “highway islands.” The trail represents the islands between Kagoshima and Okinawa, the pond represents the ocean, and the stones signify the small chain of islands. There’s additionally a man-made hill created to signify Mt. Kaimondake, typically known as “The Fuji of Satsuma”.

Contained in the Oshima Tsumugi Museum is a workshop of craftspeople making Oshima Tsumugi, a fantastically patterned textile that makes use of mud-dyeing and hand-weaving strategies. There are over 30 steps to the method, so it might probably take as much as two years to finish one piece!

After studying the way it’s made, you may see some lovely examples of the material within the museum, participate in a dyeing or weaving expertise, or browse the souvenirs.

Getting there: 12-minute journey from JR Kagoshima Chuo Station to JR Taniyama Station (谷山駅) by way of the JR Ibusuki Makurazaki Line, or take town tram line 2 from Kagoshima Chuo Station, switch to the tram line 1 at Korimoto, and get off at Taniyama. It’s a further 12-minute stroll to Amami no Sato

IL MOLE: Western Fashion Dishes Utilizing Kagoshima Elements

When you’ve had your fill of the cultural sights of the gardens, it’s time to have your fill of some scrumptious meals! IL MOLE is situated on the second ground, with charming workers and a cultured cabana vibe greeting you on the entrance. Its structure is impressed by Amami custom, and palm bushes encompass lovely terrace seating. Though the title “IL MOLE” sounds prefer it is perhaps Italian, it’s really from the Amami dialect “imōle” (いもーれ), that means “welcome.” The restaurant was designed to really feel like a tropical resort area with out leaving Japan’s primary island.

I made a decision to go along with the Women’ Lunch Course (2,300 yen). It was a 5-course meal that includes differences due to the season of Kagoshima components, beginning with a fragile amuse-bouche plate that included kurobuta (Kagoshima Berkshire pork) paté, curried fish, and prosciutto, adopted by corn soup, bread, the primary beef dish, a berry mousse and tea for dessert. I feel my favorite was the meat with the Japanese-style onion sauce!

The Women’ course was sufficient to fill me up with out being uncomfortably full, and the environment was hushed however snug, with a mix of Kagoshima and western décor all through. There are many different mouth-watering course choices, and this can be a pretty spot for an opulent lunch or dinner.

Getting there: 12-minute journey from JR Kagoshima Chuo Station to JR Taniyama Station (谷山駅) by way of the JR Ibusuki Makurazaki Line, or take town tram line 2 from Kagoshima Chuo Station, switch to the tram line 1 at Korimoto, and get off at Taniyama. It’s a further 12-minute stroll to Amami no Sato

Kagoshima Prefectural Museum of Tradition REIMEIKAN: Find out about Kagoshima Historical past and Tradition

Heading again to town centre, the Kagoshima Prefectural Museum of Tradition REIMEIKAN (鹿児島県歴史・美術センター黎明館) is a good place to be taught extra about Kagoshima tradition and its historical past. You’ll know you’re in the best place once you come throughout this spectacular gateway that marks the doorway to the previous web site of Kagoshima Citadel. The gateway is known as Goroumon and was initially in-built 1601 as a part of Kagoshima Citadel, which feudal lords as soon as walked underneath. Though it was misplaced to a fireplace in 1873, it was restored to its former glory in 2020, and now its doorways are open year-round. As well as, you may stroll to Remeikan to see the life-sized replicas of the onigawara ogre tile and shachi, a carp statue, atop the gateway roofs.

The museum constructing has three flooring, with flooring one primarily devoted to Kagoshima historical past, two for folklore, and three for arts and crafts.

The primary ground takes you on a journey of Kagoshima by means of the ages, from prehistoric instances to the fashionable day. First, you might be greeted by the crops and bushes that after dominated the panorama, adopted intently by a reproduction of an historical model of the thatched huts used within the Yayoi Interval (300 BC–250 AD). Then it’s onto medieval instances, the place you may be taught concerning the formation of the Satsuma Area, the as soon as highly effective feudal clan of Kagoshima, and Japan’s southern gateway to Okinawa. Subsequent, it has varied thrilling displays, just like the Web site of Shibushi Citadel duplicate, a number of artworks, scrolls, and maps. Then you may progress to the early fashionable instances part, the place you’ll discover a show of Kagoshima Citadel and a full of life mannequin show of the Tenmonkan in its heyday as the favored downtown space of the Nineteen Twenties.

The second ground is filled with attention-grabbing hand-crafted items used for festivals and celebrations, together with UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage items known as the “Mendon” and “Boze”, costumes and masks. Lastly, the third ground is full of artworks from varied intervals, divided into western model portray and sculpture, Satsuma swords, Japanese portray and calligraphy, and Satsuma Ware pottery. This ground has a particular exhibit part and an “experiential studying room” for hands-on actions.

The museum has a relaxed environment that permits you to discover leisurely, with English explanations and a “pocket curator” audio information that you should utilize to be taught concerning the spots as you stroll round.

Getting there: 4-minute tram journey from Kagoshimaekimae on the Kagoshima Metropolis Tram to Asahidori tram station and a further 9-minute stroll to Kagoshima Prefectural Museum of Tradition REIMEIKAN

CHIN JUKAN POTTERY Tea Room and Cafe: A Pottery Café on the Museum Grounds

In any case that studying, there’s an ideal place to let the knowledge sink proper throughout the Kagoshima Prefectural Museum of Tradition REIMEIKAN constructing: the CHIN JUKAN POTTERY Tea Room and Cafe (CHIN JUKAN POTTERY喫茶室). The café is on the entrance of the museum and is a shiny, minimalist area the place you may browse their pottery or sit down for a break with a view.

CHIN JUKAN POTTERY Tea Room and Cafe has a historical past of over 400 years in making pottery, specialising in Satsuma Yaki, a sort of pottery from the Satsuma area. Regardless of their lengthy historical past, they make attention-grabbing fashionable takes on conventional types, corresponding to cute apple sugar pots that embellish the café.

The café has a small however tasty menu good for a lightweight meal or snack, that includes a couple of Kagoshima gadgets, like their scorching canine with domestically produced sausage, on their signature pottery. I ordered a tankan mandarin juice and their candy potato cheesecake, as tankan and candy potato are each specialities of the area. The tankan juice was candy and easy, like an orange and mango drink, and the cheesecake was a mildly candy basque-style cheesecake with a blueberry accent.

This all made for an ideal break in opposition to the beautiful view of the Sakurajima volcano and the Goroumon gates!

Getting there: 4-minute tram journey from Kagoshimaekimae on the Kagoshima Metropolis Tram to Asahidori tram station and a further 9-minute stroll to Kagoshima Prefectural Museum of Tradition REIMEIKAN

Ibusuki no Tamatebako: Experience the Kagoshima Coast on a Luxurious Sightseeing Practice

Earlier than reaching our subsequent vacation spot at Flower Park Kagoshima, the easiest way to get there may be by utilizing the Ibusuki no Tamatebako sightseeing prepare. This prepare is a vacationer attraction in itself!

From the second you see the two-carriage prepare, you already know it gained’t be your atypical prepare journey. The prepare has a easy black-and-white design, the place the white facet faces the ocean, and the black facet faces the mountains. The title and design is impressed by the outdated folktale of Urashima Taro, wherein the fisherman opens a forbidden treasure field known as the tamatebako, turning him into an outdated man. 

The prepare has common paired seats, counter seats going through the coast, and a small relaxation space at one finish with a settee and child space. The inside is decked out with Kyushu cedar wooden and vibrant seat covers, contrasting the monochrome exterior with a heat and welcoming environment.

The prepare has a small snack cart with authentic snacks like chocolate bread, pudding and sweets, however I made a decision to go for the native speciality “sub soup” to check out my little cup holder. The soup is a speciality that makes use of Ibusuki honbushi, a top-quality bonito, to make an umami-rich gentle soup full of honbushi fish flakes. Regardless of a couple of bumpy areas alongside the way in which, my soup remained intact! 

The journey could be very snug, and many retains you occupied. There’s a number of area for luggage, and a few folks even have suitcases, so you may simply take the sightseeing prepare to proceed your travels in Ibusuki.

Getting there: Board from JR Kagoshima Chuo Station to JR Ibusuki Station.

Flower Park Kagoshima: Discover the Tropical Vegetation of Kagoshima

When you’re off the prepare to Ibusuki, hop on the bus reverse the station to go straight to the Flower Park Kagoshima. Earlier than you head in, I extremely suggest stopping by Mango no Mori café, the place you may see the mangoes being grown on-site and check out their varied dishes (like mango-topped ice cream and mango curry) made utilizing their home-grown fruit.

Get your ticket within the foyer and discover out what flowers bloom on that day so you already know what to look out for. I visited throughout winter, however regardless of the season, there have been nonetheless a number of attention-grabbing shows. One of the notable was their big Yr of the Rabbit show within the seasonal flower subject spot. It was the proper place to get a terrific shot of Mt. Kaimondake within the background.

There are additionally seasonal shows in entrance of the central greenhouse in a roofed backyard. After I visited, there was an extravagant show of tulips, full with a mini windmill. The greenhouse behind it’s full of tropical crops like banana bushes and carnivorous crops.

The park additionally has a western-style backyard, a viewpoint to look out throughout the ocean, and a butterfly home.

Although I spent two hours on the park, I may have simply stayed there longer. For those who like strolling, botany, or bird-spotting in winter, this can be a nice choice to spend at the very least half a day.

The one option to get right here by public transport is by bus, which solely goes thrice every day. There’s a useful tourism desk at JR Ibusuki Station, so you may ask for a timetable or instructions there. The route is at present not on Google Maps, so right here is the bus data (as of February 2023):

Getting there: 50-minutes from JR Kagoshima Chuo Station to JR Ibusuki Station (by way of the Ibusuki no Tamatebako sightseeing prepare) and a further 33-minute bus journey to Flower Park Kagoshima cease

Akune Station: Your Kagoshima Northern Base

Up to now we’ve lined spots which are simply accessible within the metropolis centre and southern tip of Kagoshima. For those who’re heading additional north, Akune Station will assist you to plan and begin your journey northwards. Much like the Tamatebako sightseeing prepare, because it has a heat picket inside and full of life designs throughout, from the seat covers to the Akune-focussed wall artwork.

The station was not too long ago redesigned by famend architectural designer Eiji Mitooka, incorporating the normal picket aesthetic of the previous station however reinvigorating it with new areas to relaxation and calm down. The place is full of totally different cosy rooms just like the restaurant, store, varied seating areas, a children’ area, and even a small library full with Studio Ghibli artwork books.

The station looks like a sightseeing spot, but it surely’s a terrific place to start out exploring Akune, as there’s a vacationer data centre proper outdoors on the best as you exit and a sake brewery on the best on the opposite facet of the tracks. Akune Station can also be a helpful cease should you’re planning on visiting Kagoshima’s Izumi metropolis, referred to as a terrific winter getaway for birding and Japanese crane lovers. It’s additionally on the way in which from Kagoshima-Chuo to our subsequent cease.

Getting there: The shortest journey time is roughly one hour: from JR Kagoshima Chuo Station, take the Kyushu Shinkansen to JR Sendai Station, switch to the Hisatsu Orenji Railway, after which to Akune Station.

Iwashi Chaya: Specialist Sardine Restaurant in Kagoshima

Our last spot is a bit more out of the way in which, because it’s a few 30-minute stroll from the closest station or about 5-10 minutes by taxi. Nevertheless it’s a terrific place to replenish earlier than exploring northern Kagoshima. Iwashi Chaya will get its title after its speciality fish, iwashi, or sardines. Earlier than I got here to Japan, my picture of sardines was one thing salty that solely ever comes packed in a tin. However Iwashi Chaya has utterly modified my perspective on the fish.

To take advantage of your time at Iwashi Chaya, order the Iwashi Zen set meal to get sardines in as many variations as potential. The meal consists of contemporary sardine sashimi served with lemon and miso vinegar, a typical Kagoshima technique. It additionally has iwashi nitsuke (sardines simmered in a candy soy-based sauce), Kagoshima rice, kakiage (blended tempura), miso soup, and a few pickled sides. For those who’re not prepared for that dedication to sardines, you may strive one among their different set meals. You possibly can even ask for sardines within the sashimi meal should you like.

The restaurant is a comfy native spot with a couple of table-and-chair seats, however most seats are at little tatami cubicles. You’ll discover that the place is embellished with Kagoshima paraphernalia, and the components are as native as potential.

Getting there: 20-minute prepare from Akune Station to Nishi-Izumi Station by way of the Hisatsu Orange Railway, then a 33-minute stroll or 10 minute taxi journey to Iwashi Chaya.

Attending to Kagoshima

For those who’re visiting Kagoshima from Tokyo, the quickest route is to go by airplane. While you arrive at Kagoshima Airport, there may be an Airport Limousine bus that goes on to town centre and takes about 40 minutes (1,400 yen). From Fukuoka’s JR Hakata Station, take the quickest Kyushu Shinkansen, Mizuho for a 76-minute prepare to JR Kagoshima Chuo Station.

These are only a few of the attention-grabbing spots that you just pack right into a day journey in Kagoshima, so hopefully they are going to make for nice leaping off factors on your southern Japan journey!

Sponsored by: Kagoshima Prefectural Guests Bureau