So, having a few days off for Golden Week, I decided to take a short trip to Kagoshima. It's not far, just a bit to the south of Nagasaki, with the bus ride taking me about 5 hours. Kagoshima is a fairly popular vacation spot, with a lot scenic views and fascinating history. It was the home of several figures I admire, including Shimazu Yoshihiro and Saigo Takamori.
I arrived late at night, and the next day the weather was lousy. It wasn't going to be much of a day for sightseeing, but I did take a short trip around the city.
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| There was a huge outpouring of support for the neighboring province of Kumamoto |
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| A sculpture by the station |
One small interesting sight was Jushin-Ji, a small Buddhist temple in an urban area.
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| Kagoshima's lovely even in the rain |
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| Found this cute sculpture at the Taniyama Tram Station |
Day two was a lot more eventful, with the weather much better. The rain had stopped, and the sun was extra hot just to make up for it. A nice time to go to the Shimazu family's estate at Sengan-En. I walked around the gardens, took a tour of the residence, and enjoyed a tea ceremony.
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| The 150 pound iron cannon, the most powerful cannon of the late Edo period |
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| A model of the old casting facility. The Shimazu were a leading force in Japan's modernization |
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| A window in the shape of the Shimazu family crest |
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| The Shimazu residence. No photos inside. |
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| The Shimazu clan banner |
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| A garden pond |
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| Satsuma Kiriko glassware |
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| The Cat Shrine. Two of the Shimazu family's cats were enshrined here as Kami |
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| A nice ocean view |
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| The Tsurugane Shrine. Several members of the Shimazu family are enshrined here as kami. |
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| A tin roofed gate at Sengan-en |
After Sengan-en, I stopped by a small onsen, but for obvious reasons no pictures.
After that, I took a ferry over to Sakurajima, a famously beautiful volcanic island. It's a popular tourist destination, and I'd love to visit it again. One thing that surprised me was how well inhabited it is.
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| View from the ferry |
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| Tableware from Sakurajima |
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| Shochu |
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| The entrance to the Tsukuyomi Shrine.Living around a volcano naturally gets people praying a lot. |
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| The shrine's main building, a lovely vermillion color. |
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| View of the mountain from the shrine grounds |
I found a nice little cafe. The owner can only be described as a hippie.
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| With an adorable dog named Putti. A bit on the shy side |
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| Very photogenic though |
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| Another good view of Sakurajima |
After enjoying a delicious pot of Tulsi tea at the cafe, I took the ferry back to Kagoshima. Things were starting to get late, but I made sure to stop by a bar. I wasn't about to leave without tasting some of Kagoshima's famous shochu. I had a good time talking with the bartenders about the history of Kagoshima and its various clans. I hope to return sometime, there's still plenty I didn't get to see. I had to get up early the next morning to catch the bus back to Nagasaki.
