Trip to Kagoshima

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.

There was a huge outpouring of support for the neighboring province of Kumamoto

A sculpture by the station

One small interesting sight was Jushin-Ji, a small Buddhist temple in an urban area.

Kagoshima's lovely even in the rain

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.

The 150 pound iron cannon, the most powerful cannon of the late Edo period

A model of the old casting facility. The Shimazu were a leading force in Japan's modernization

A window in the shape of the Shimazu family crest

The Shimazu residence. No photos inside.

The Shimazu clan banner

A garden pond

Satsuma Kiriko glassware

The Cat Shrine. Two of the Shimazu family's cats were enshrined here as Kami

A nice ocean view

The Tsurugane Shrine. Several members of the Shimazu family are enshrined here as kami.

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.

View from the ferry

Tableware from Sakurajima

Shochu

The entrance to the Tsukuyomi Shrine.Living around a volcano naturally gets people praying a lot.

The shrine's main building, a lovely vermillion color.

View of the mountain from the shrine grounds

I found a nice little cafe. The owner can only be described as a hippie.

With an adorable dog named Putti. A bit on the shy side

Very photogenic though

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.