Kagoshima 鹿児島市

Kagoshima (Japanese: 鹿児島市) is the capital of Kagoshima Prefecture, which is located on the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan. The city has a population of 606,000 people, as of 2010.

Kagoshima was an important medieval port city during the Edo period (1603-1867). It was the capital of the Satsuma Domain, the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country during that time. In 1549, Kagoshima became the first place where Japan came into contact with Catholic missionaries when St Francis Xavier arrived. Until the imposition of bans against Christianity in the late 16th century, Kagoshima was one of the main centers of Christian missionary activity.

Japan's industrial revolution is said to have started in Kagoshima when seventeen young men of Satsuma defied the Tokugawa ban on foreign travel and went first to England and then to the United States, returning to share the benefits of Western science and technology. A statue stands at the Kagoshima railway station in tribute to them.

The Shinkansen bullet train service reached Kagoshima in 2004, linking it to Shin-Yatsushiro Station. This will eventually be extended north to Hakata Station in Fukuoka, and join the Sanyo Shinkansen line.

Kagoshima, Japan


Sakurajima the volcano, at sunset, over Kagoshima

Planning your trip to Kagoshima

The most convenient way to reach Kagoshima is by flight. Kagoshima Airport is about an hour from downtown Kagoshima. Japan Airlines and ANA offer regular flights to Kagoshima from most cities in Japan.

As of 2004, the Kyushu Shinkansen train now covers 126 kilometers until the Shin-Yatsushiro station. By 2011, it is expected to link all the way to Hakata Station in Fukuoka. Until then, you can take the Relay Tsubame limited express train to Shin-Yatsushiro, and then board the Kyushu Shinkansen Tsubame train. The Kyushu Shinkansen Tsubame bullet train is timed to leave the station 3 minutes after the arrival of the Relay Tsubame.

Planning your travel within Kagoshima

There are streetcars that provide transportation around the city of Kagoshima. They cost ¥160 per ride.

The Kyushu-Shinkansen bullet train at Shin-Yatsushiro Station

Places of Interest in Kagoshima

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