Spots List

Ajidokoro Imoto

Ajidokoro Imoto

Situated in Nishinoomote City on Tanegashima Island, "Ajidokoro Imoto" is a highly popular traditional Japanese restaurant where contract foodies and locals gather, allowing visitors to luxuriously indulge in regional dishes nurtured by rich nature and fresh seafood caught in the nearby waters of Tanegashima. Its high-level local gourmet delicacies—including famed fresh Mizuika (broadclub cuttlefish) sashimi, specialty local "Asahi-gani" red frogs crabs, and perfectly deep-fried "Nagarame" (small abalone)—are highly praised by international travelers. The wooden, calm Japanese interior is exceptionally comfortable, pairing excellently with authentic sweet potato shochu unique to the island. Embraced by friendly, warm local hospitality, it is an...

Kagoshima
Food
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Tanegashima Development Center Teppo-kan

Tanegashima Development Center Teppo-kan

Situated in Nishinoomote City on Tanegashima Island, the "Tanegashima Development Comprehensive Center Teppokan" is a comprehensive historical museum showcasing the island's rich history and culture, featuring a beautiful architecture styled after a Portuguese passenger ship. Its absolute cornerstone is its well-curated exhibits displaying actual, authentic matchlock muskets (Tanegashima guns) that arrived on the island in 1543 and drastically altered the turbulent history of Japanese samurai, alongside a valuable collection of ancient firearms from around the globe. Offering clear explanations in English for international visitors, it stands as a highly rated destination to spark intellectual curiosity. Visitors can directly touch the...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Tanegashima-Yakushima High-speed Boat Toppy & Rocket

Tanegashima-Yakushima High-speed Boat Toppy & Rocket

Connecting Kagoshima Port, Tanegashima Island, and Yakushima Island dynamically, the "Tane-Yaku Jetfoil Toppy & Rocket" is a high-speed hydrofoil liner that darts across the open sea like skimming water at an astonishing speed of about 80 kilometers per hour. The greatest marvel of this vessel is that the entire hull lifts completely above the sea surface during navigation, allowing passengers to travel across the emerald-green ocean in extreme comfort and safety with almost zero wave-induced swaying. Looking out from the large windows rewards you with wide panoramas of the vast Pacific, and luckier travelers might even spot wild dolphins swimming...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Yakushima Tankan / Iwakawa Orchard

Yakushima Tankan / Iwakawa Orchard

Situated on Yakushima Island, the "Iwakawa Orchard" is a highly popular, gorgeous tourist orchard meticulously cultivating the island's specialty premium citrus fruit, "Tankan," nurtured by the warm southern sun, pure air, and clear water of the World Natural Heritage site. Renowned for their astonishing juiciness, highly intense sweetness, and refreshing aroma, the fruit-picking and freshly squeezed juice experiences here are highly acclaimed by international tourists. Strolling through the orchard wraps visitors in a rich, pleasant fragrance of citrus, profoundly soothing the soul with peaceful countryside landscapes. Touching the warm hospitality of local growers, it is a place to fully relish...

Kagoshima
Food
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Tabata Hamono Seisakusho

Tabata Hamono Seisakusho

Situated in Nishinoomote City on Tanegashima Island, "Tabata Hamono Seisakusho" is a traditional artisan workshop crafting famed "Tanegashima Knives," deeply breathing with the historic master ironworking craftsmanship introduced alongside firearms in the 16th century. Here, international visitors can closely observe the dynamic forge method where skilled artisans hammer glowing, red-hot iron into blades boasting exceptional sharpness and robust durability, an immensely popular experience highlighting Japan's superb manufacturing culture and craftsperson spirit. Crafted to last a lifetime, these beautiful handmade knives serve as premium travel souvenirs, serving as an premier, off-the-beaten-path gem to quietly immerse yourself in traditional Japanese artisan techniques...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Activities
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Kanehama Iron Beach

Kanehama Iron Beach

Situated on the eastern coast of Tanegashima Island, "Kanehama Beach" (Kanehama Kanehama Kaigan) is a gorgeous, scenic shore beautifully blending pristine white sands and lush greenery, pounded by dynamic, raw waves of the Pacific Ocean. Widely renowned worldwide as a "surfing sanctuary" where serious domestic and international surfers gather to touch world-class, exceptionally high-quality and stable waves year-round, the coast exudes a welcoming, refreshing local surf culture with stylish surf cafes and shops lining the area. Completely removed from urban noise, it serves as an excellent tropical island paradise for global travelers wishing to leisurely watch the beautiful waves and...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Yakushima Environmental and Cultural Village Center

Yakushima Environmental and Cultural Village Center

Conveniently located right in front of Miyanoura Port, the gateway to Yakushima, the "Yakushima Environmental Culture Village Center" is a stylish, modern cultural facility featuring an all-glass facade where visitors can enjoyably learn about the mechanisms of the World Natural Heritage island's overwhelming nature and its uniquely rich culture at the very start of their journey. Inside the facility, a massive, large-scale screen introduces the island's steep mountain ranges, pristine clear streams, and rich flora and fauna through dynamic, high-definition videos, deeply moving international tourists. It offers comprehensive tourist information for the entire island, the latest hiking path updates, and...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Okawa Falls

Situated in the western part of Yakushima and selected among Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls, "Ohoko Falls" is a grand, magnificent waterfall representing the island, boasting an overwhelming volume of water and the largest drop on the island at about 88 meters, continuously awing nature-minded global travelers. The sight of massive amounts of water crashing down violently along a steep, giant cliff of granite while producing a thunderous roar and fierce white spray is pure power. Because visitors can walk remarkably close to the plunge pool, you can directly feel abundant negative ions and a cool, refreshing breeze against your entire...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Akaogi Castle Culture Heritage Museum Gessotei

Akaogi Castle Culture Heritage Museum Gessotei

Situated in Nishinoomote City on Tanegashima Island, the "Akaogi Castle Culture & Heritage Museum Gessotei" is a beautiful historical museum showcasing the island's rich history and traditional culture, utilizing a prestigious house of a chief retainer of the Tanegashima clan built during the Edo period (Kansei era). Featuring a magnificent wooden structure, international visitors can closely feel the deep spirituality of samurai culture through its well-curated exhibits of valuable ancient documents and traditional crafts. Experiencing local hospitality—savoring fragrant local tea and sweet regional confectionery while gazing at a gorgeous Japanese garden—is immensely popular. Escaping commercial tourism, this quiet, hidden historic...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Activities
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Sarukawa Banyan Tree

Sarukawa Banyan Tree

Hidden away in the dense forests slightly inland from Anbo in the eastern part of Yakushima, the "Sarukawa Banyan Tree (Sarukawa no Gajumaru)" is a peerless, off-the-beaten-path scenic spot showcasing an overwhelming explosion of untouched, primitive natural life force. Protruding complexly as if to entangle rugged rock faces, the sight of multiple giant aerial roots spreading powerfully like a massive living creature instantly draws walking hikers into the mystical world of a fantasy film. Pushing through the beautifully moss-covered paths, which are intentionally left undeveloped to retain an adventurous thrill, wraps visitors in abundant negative ions and deep forest silence,...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Yahazudake Shrine

Yahazudake Shrine

Perched on the Yahazu Cape at the northern tip of Yakushima in the Isso district, "Yahazudake Shrine" is a peerless, off-the-beaten-path ancient sanctuary built completely inside a massive coastal sea cave hammered by dynamic waves of the Pacific Ocean. Long revered by locals as a guardian deity of maritime safety, the sacred torii gate and shrine pavilion standing strictly within the dim depths of the cave envelope visitors in an overwhelming spiritual aura and profound silence the moment they step inside. Gazing back outward from the cave's entrance rewards you with a brilliantly gleaming view of the ultramarine ocean framed...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Island Guest House HOPE

Island Guest House HOPE

Situated on Tanegashima Island, "Island Guest House HOPE" is a highly popular tropical island lodge (guest house) where a refreshing southern breeze blows, with a gorgeous emerald-green sea spreading right before your eyes. Warm, friendly local staff welcome visitors like family, and stepping inside reveals a cozy, relaxing space filled with the soothing warmth of natural wood. Its ultimate highlights include exquisite island cuisine luxuriously prepared with fresh locally caught seafood, brand-name meats procured from contract farms, and home-grown vegetables, capped by blissful nights gazing upon an unobstructed, star-filled night sky. It serves as a premier, cozy hideaway for active...

Kagoshima
Accommodation
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Yakushima Densho-gura Hombo Shuzo

Yakushima Densho-gura Hombo Shuzo

Located on the island of Yakushima, "Hombo Shuzo Yakushima Densho-gura" is a historic boutique shochu distillery where artisans craft authentic sweet potato shochu using traditional methods handed down since the Meiji period, utilizing the exceptionally pure water nurtured by the island's World Natural Heritage forests and its unique warm climate. Designated as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property, the historic distillery allows intellectually curious international visitors to closely observe traditional craftsmanship, including old-style handmade koji preparation and robust "Kametsubo" (large clay pot) fermentation. The premium shochu created here, such as "Daishizen," is renowned for its rich aroma and deep flavor,...

Kagoshima
Food
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Kirishima City

Located in the north-central part of Kagoshima Prefecture, "Kirishima City" is a highly energetic, premier tourist destination that compactly gathers the volcanic energy of the majestic Kirishima Mountain Range and the rich marine bounty facing Kinko Bay. The city deeply breathes with the historic romance of ancient Japan, from the national treasure "Kirishima Jingu Shrine"—the legendary ground where the gods of Japanese mythology descended—to being the site of Japan's very first honeymoon enjoyed by the famous samurai Sakamoto Ryoma. Packed with attractions including the "Kirishima Onsen Village" emerging from untouched primitive forests, luxury hot spring resorts, and the "Kirishima Open-Air...

Kagoshima
Area Info
Sightseeing
Activities
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Minamisatsuma City

Minamisatsuma City

Embracing the western coast of the Satsuma Peninsula facing the East China Sea, "Minamisatsuma City" is a vibrant coastal city rich in grand marine scenery and deep historical romance, featuring the dynamic rias coastline of "Bonotsu" and the white sands of "Fukiagehama," one of Japan's longest beaches. Globally renowned as the landing ground where ancient envoys and the holy monk Ganjin arrived, a historic atmosphere breathes deeply throughout the streets. Furthermore, the city hosts the "Fukiagehama Sand Craft Festival" every spring, a world-class sand art festival where massive, incredibly detailed sand sculptures created by global artists completely awe international tourists....

Kagoshima
Area Info
Sightseeing
Activities
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Tadamoto Park

Situated atop a beautiful rolling hill in Isa City, "Tadamoto Park" is a prestigious, historical park constructed to commemorate Niina Tadamoto, a legendary master commander of the feudal Satsuma Domain during the Warring States period, selected among Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. The ultimate highlight comes in spring when a stunning, 2-kilometer tunnel of sakura forms, created by over a thousand Somei Yoshino cherry trees bursting into full bloom simultaneously. At night, the festive culture where countless lanterns are lit to illuminate a dreamy nocturnal panorama of the blossoms is immensely popular among international tourists. Also offering a magnificent,...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Activities
Spring

Okinoerabujima

Situated in the southern part of the Amami Archipelago, "Okinoerabu Island" is a hidden, coral-raised tropical paradise rising into global prominence as the "Island of Flowers and Limestone Caves," packed with mysterious subterranean wonders. The island houses over 200 massive limestone caves beneath its surface, and the authentic "caving (cave exploration)" tours—where active visitors push through a crystal-like underground galaxy equipped with just a helmet—immensely captivate serious adventure seekers worldwide. On the surface, vast fields of gorgeous local Erabu lilies bloom alongside endlessly transparent seas offering top-tier diving with excellent sea turtle encounter rates. This hidden paradise allows visitors to...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Yoron Island

Situated at the southernmost tip of Kagoshima Prefecture and floating right before the eyes of Okinawa, "Yoron Island" is a stunning, coral-raised tropical island paradise surrounded by an endlessly transparent, emerald-green sea acclaimed as "Yoron Blue." The absolute highlight here is "Yurigahama," a miraculous phantom white sand bar that reveals itself from under the sea exclusively during low tides of spring tides, praised by beach lovers worldwide as the last terrestrial paradise on Earth. The island exudes a lovely exotic charm with Greek Mykonos-style chalk-white buildings lining the streets, complemented by traditional hospitality cultures like "Yoron Kenpo." Completely removed from...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Koshikijima Islands

Koshikijima Islands

Beautifully floating in the East China Sea to the west of the Satsuma Peninsula, the "Koshikijima Archipelago" consists of three main islands—Kamikoshiki, Nakakoshiki, and Shimokoshiki—with the entire area designated as a quasi-national park, offering a hidden paradise rich in dynamic, untouched coastal scenery. The ultimate hallmark here is its academically invaluable geological art sculpted by nature, featuring towering vertical cliffs over 200 meters high layering precious strata dating back about 80 million years to periods like the Cretaceous, alongside the globally rare "Nagame no Hama" gravel bar. Connected entirely by beautiful grand bridges in 2020, it is immensely popular among...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Honohoshi Beach

Honohoshi Beach

Situated at the southernmost tip of Amami Oshima in Setouchi Town, "Honohoshi Beach" is a highly unique, wild scenic coast that breaks away from conventional sandy shores, pounded by fierce, dynamic waves of the Pacific Ocean. The standout hallmark here is that the entire shoreline is blanketed in massive, rounded stones called "Tamaisi," beautifully polished over long stretches of time by raw waves. The awe-inspiring phenomenon where waves wash in and out, causing countless stones to rub together and echo a thunderous sound like an ancient percussion instrument, is pure power that utterly awes international tourists. Bordered by sharp sea...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Kakeromajima

Floating just a stone's throw away across the Oshima Strait from the southern tip of Amami Oshima, "Kakeromajima Island" is the ultimate hidden resort island embraced by pristine, beautiful subtropical nature and a sea boasting a mysterious depth of blue known as "Kakeroma Blue." Within the calm bays surrounding the island spread gorgeous emerald-green coral reefs with outstanding visibility, offering world-class diving, sea kayaking, and snorkeling. The island strongly retains its unique ancient "Shima (village) culture," and the rustic streetscapes of villages where giant banyan trees stand tall are pure nostalgia. It is a paradise where you can completely forget...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Napoleon Rock

Towering offshore from the rugged, sheer coastal cliffs of Shimokoshiki Island within the Koshikijima Archipelago, the "Napoleon Rock" is a miraculous, giant odd rock formation rising about 127 meters high out of the raw waves of the East China Sea. Just as its name suggests, its silhouette seen from the side looks astonishingly identical to the facial profile of the French Emperor "Napoleon," standing as a humorous and overwhelming masterpiece of natural artistry that continuously astounds adventurers worldwide. The contrast between the sheer cliffs layering precious Cretaceous strata and the deep blue ocean is exceptionally photogenic, and the view looking...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Toroki Falls

Situated in the southern part of Yakushima, "Toroki Falls" is a miraculous, highly unique coastal waterfall where pure water flowing from the island's lush primeval forest plunges "directly into the ocean (Pacific Ocean)," one of only two such occurrences in all of Japan. Though featuring a compact drop of about 6 meters, the sight of it dynamically pouring white water spray into the azure sea while carving through red granite cliffs is a magnificent display of natural artistry. From the beautifully developed observation deck on the opposite bank, a premium angled view captures the rough rock face of Mt. Mochomu...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Chikura no Iwaya

Chikura no Iwaya

Situated in Minamitane Town on Tanegashima Island, "Chikura no Iwaya" is the island's unique, magnificent sea cave, beautifully sculpted out of a granite cliff over unimaginable stretches of time by fierce waves of the Pacific Ocean. Its absolute highlight is that visitors can step inside the cave exclusively for about two hours before and after low tide, revealing a vast, otherworldly underground space rumored to be wide enough to "seat a thousand people." Gazing out from the darkness of the cave toward the endlessly transparent, emerald-green sea and white sands framed by the rocky openings is exceptionally photogenic, deeply captivating...

Kagoshima
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter