[Kyushu trip] Breath-taking Sakurajima at Kagoshima

Kagoshima is the capital of Kagoshima Prefecture, and it located at the south coast of Kyushu. It also one of the largest cities on the Japanese island of Kyushu. Kagoshima marks the last city on my itinerary during my Kyushu trip.

 

Kagoshima is famous for its beautiful Bay location, as well as the active volcanic island called Sakurajima. Getting there is pretty easy from Hakata by the Kyushu Shinkansen. It took us 3hours to get there with only a stop at Kumamoto. Do note that while there are multiple trains that travel from Hakata to Kagoshima, the earliest Shinkansen service train in the morning is the shortest available train to take for the fastest transit time. All other trains/schedules thereafter will take more than 5 hours, as they will make multiple stops along the way prior to arriving at Kagoshima. We needed to wake up pretty early to catch the earliest train to Kagoshima, as the service departs around 8am-ish from Hakata.

Thankfully, the distance from my hotel to JR Hakata train station is about 5-8 mins walk. We were quite worried that we might miss this train as everyone knows that trains are very punctual and adhere to a strict schedule in japan! Luckily, we boarded this train in the nick of time!

 

 

Our main attraction in Kagoshima was to visit the Sakurajima Volcanic Peninsula. Getting there was rather straightforward. It's a combination of a tram and ferry ride! This is all thanks to Kagoshima's excellent network of public transportation, which is easy to understand for tourists.

 

I took a many random photos of the beautiful view while on the ferry, and I enjoyed the sea breeze very much! 

 

 

This place is definitely a breath-taking destination in Spring. Though I was there during winter, I can imagine how beautiful it must be during the Spring/Summer season.

 

 

 

There was a foot bath at the island, and many locals soaked their feet while chit-chatting away! I would say that Sakurajima is a pretty laid back and peaceful island, although it is surrounded by active volcanoes. 

 

 

 

We bought a day pass, and this pass allowed us to get around the island by hopping up and down the dedicated buses. While waiting for bus, we got ourselves some hot desserts from the vending machine. 

 

 

A good spot to have a pleasant 360 degree view of the mountain!

 

After heading back to the main island of Kagoshima, we took the tram to Tenmonkan Shopping Street for some shopping.

 

No one should miss out on the delicious 'Satsuma-age' when visiting Kagoshima! This is a speciality of Kagoshima, and it is akin to a fishcake with delicious fillings. These range from cheese, corn, and other various choices!

 

We had our dinner at Tenmonkan Shopping Street before heading back to Hakata! The Oyako Don only cost me ¥480 which was about SGD5.80. In my opinion, shopping and dining in Kyushu is related cheaper as compared to Tokyo and Osaka.

 

Next post, back to Hakata - last day in Fukuoka... stay tuned.