region image
21°

Kagoshima

Sunny climate set to a Sakurajima backdrop

About Kagoshima
Photo: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com

Top Attractions in Kagoshima

Around Kagoshima

Kagoshima City

Kagoshima City

Kagoshima City is set against the backdrop of Sakurajima, an active volcano and the city's icon in Kagoshima Prefecture. The ...

Kagoshima
Kirishima

Kirishima

Kirishima, the second biggest city in Kagoshima Prefecture, is a magnet for hikers due to its combination of mountainous trai...

Kagoshima
Yakushima

Yakushima

Yakushima island of Kagoshima Prefecture is located off the southern coast of Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island. The small,...

Kagoshima

Top Articles

Upcoming Kagoshima Events

Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon 2025

Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon 2025

Kim

Nanohana are a symbol of spring's impending arrival in Japan, and their vibrant yellow hues add a colorful dose of cheer to a...

Kagoshima
Tsunuki Distillery Festival 2024

Tsunuki Distillery Festival 2024

Kim

If you have an interest in what happens behind the scenes of liquor making, head to the Tsunuki Distillery Festival. The fest...

Kagoshima
Maenohama Cosmos Festival 2024

Maenohama Cosmos Festival 2024

Kim

Each year in early November, the town of Maenohama in Kagoshima Prefecture is home to a cosmos festival. Along with the spaci...

Kagoshima

Where to eat in Kagoshima

Places to stay in Kagoshima

Dormy Inn Kagoshima

Dormy Inn Kagoshima

Maren Pauli

Stay at Dormy Inn Kagoshima and enjoy a great location close to the main station and with easy access to the ferry terminal!

Kagoshima
Chisun Inn Kagoshima

Chisun Inn Kagoshima

Peter Sidell

In Kagoshima city on Japan's Kyushu island, Chisun Inn is a good value, well located business hotel, within easy reach of tra...

Kagoshima

Latest Kagoshima Reports

Remote Kirishima 2023

Remote Kirishima 2023

Rey Waters

Kirishima boasts the first National Park in Japan and has lots of great hiking trails with scenic views throughout the park. ...

Kagoshima
Close

About Kagoshima

Kagoshima
Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Kyushu
Island Kyushu
Capital Kagoshima
Population 1,706,242
Area 9,188.10 sq. km

If you love history, Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿児島県, Kagoshima-ken) is the place to go. Christianity was first introduced to Japan in Kagoshima by Francis Xavier, and Western technology entered Japan at Tanegashima in the form of muskets. But perhaps most notably, the powerful Satsuma Domain, which ushered in the Meiji Restoration, was located in Kagoshima; not surprisingly, the leader of the Satsuma Rebellion, the revered Saigo Takamori, was born there as well. Kagoshima also houses the somber Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots.

History aside, the southernmost prefecture of Japan (excluding Okinawa) is famous for Yakushima Island, a World Heritage Site; the island is noted for its majestic Yakusugi trees and is an excellent hiking location. The great volcano of Sakurajima, one of the most active in the world, towers over the city.

Some of Japan’s best sake is brewed in Kagoshima from their Satsuma sweet potatoes. 

Around Kagoshima

Close