✔ In Short — Our Top Picks
- Kirishima Jingu Shrine — A shrine dedicated to Ninigi-no-Mikoto, said to have descended onto Mt. Takachiho. Its main hall, offering hall and worship hall, rebuilt in 1715, were designated National Treasures in 2022.
- Mizonokuchi Cave — A 209.5 m long cave in Soo City, formed as groundwater eroded pyroclastic flow deposits (shirasu) laid down about 29,000 years ago. It is a national Natural Monument.
- Yakushima — An island of Yakusugi cedar forests, including the Jomon Sugi, registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1993.
Read on for the highlights, history, and access details of each spot.
About Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture lies at the southern tip of Kyushu. It combines volcanic and forest landscapes: Sakurajima, which still sends up plumes of smoke, the Kirishima Mountains, and the World Natural Heritage island of Yakushima. Hiking and hot springs are easy to enjoy here.
Crafts such as Satsuma Kiriko (cut glass) and Satsuma-yaki (pottery), castle ruins and samurai residences remain, and as the former Satsuma domain, the prefecture has historic sites and memorial halls across the region telling the story of the late Edo period and the Meiji Restoration.
Local food includes Kurobuta (black pork), satsuma-age (fried fish cakes) and sweet potato shochu.
3 Handpicked Tourist Attractions in Kagoshima
Kirishima Jingu Shrine
Attractions of Kirishima Jingu
Kirishima Jingu is a shrine at the foot of the Kirishima Mountains. Its principal deity is Ninigi-no-Mikoto, who in the myth of the heavenly descent (Tenson Korin) is said to have come down onto Mt. Takachiho; Emperor Jimmu (Kamuyamato Iwarebiko-no-Mikoto) and others are also enshrined alongside him. The vermilion main hall, offering hall and worship hall were designated National Treasures in 2022.
Many visitors come to pray for health, good relationships and business prosperity.
The grounds are surrounded by forest, with autumn foliage in season.
History of Kirishima Jingu
Kirishima Jingu has long been said to be enshrined on Mt. Takachiho, and it is recorded as “Kirishima Shrine” in the Heian-period Engishiki. The shrine originally stood at Setoo, between Mt. Takachiho and the Ohachi crater, but after it burned in an eruption, the monk Shoku moved and rebuilt it at Takachiho-gawara in the Tenryaku era (around 950).
It was damaged again in the major eruption of 1234 (Bunryaku 1), and in 1484 (Bunmei 16) the shrine was rebuilt at its current location on the orders of Shimazu Tadamasa. After it later burned down in a fire, the present buildings were rebuilt in 1715 (Shotoku 5) with a donation from Shimazu Yoshitaka. The shrine was deeply revered by successive heads of the Shimazu family.
Access to Kirishima Jingu
- Address: Kirishima Taguchi, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture
- Website: Kirishima Jingu Official Website
- Google Maps Link: Kirishima Jingu
- By Bus:
- Take a bus from JR Kirishima-Jingu Station (Nippo Main Line) or Kagoshima Airport and get off at Kirishima Jingu (check the official website for routes and timetables).
- By Car:
- About 1 to 1.5 hours from Kagoshima-Chuo Station via the Kyushu Expressway (depending on traffic).
- About 1 hour and 20 minutes from Miyazaki Airport.
Mizonokuchi Cave
Attractions of Mizonokuchi Cave
Mizonokuchi Cave is a cave in Soo City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Its entrance is 14.6 m wide and 6.4 m high, and a 2017 topographic survey put its total length at 209.5 m.
It was designated a prefectural Natural Monument in 1955 and a national Natural Monument in 2021.
History of Mizonokuchi Cave
The cave formed within the Ito pyroclastic flow deposits (shirasu) erupted from the Aira Caldera about 29,000 years ago. With the part hardened into welded tuff by heat and compaction forming the ceiling, it took shape through repeated erosion by groundwater and collapse.
No record survives of when or by whom it was discovered.
Holes called “blow-through pipes,” left where gas and steam escaped, remain in the ceiling, and you can see up close how the landform developed, from the deposition of a pyroclastic flow to erosion by groundwater.
Access to Mizonokuchi Cave
- Address: Near 4907 Shimotakarabe, Takarabe-cho, Soo City, Kagoshima Prefecture
- Website: Mizonokuchi Cave Official Page
- Google Maps Link: Mizonokuchi Cave
- By Car:
- About 1 hour 25 minutes from Kagoshima-Chuo Station.
- About 40 minutes from Kirishima Onsen Village.
Yakushima
Attractions of Yakushima
Yakushima is an island registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Its symbol is the Jomon Sugi, a cedar said to be several thousand years old, and moss-covered forests, ferns, mountain streams and waterfalls are found all over the island.
Trekking routes range from a full climb to the Jomon Sugi to short walking trails, so you can choose one to suit your fitness. On clear nights, you can also stargaze.
History of Yakushima
People are believed to have lived on Yakushima since the Jomon period.
The Yakusugi cedars, symbols of the island, have long been tied to mountain worship.
During the Edo period, Yakusugi cedars were logged under the Satsuma domain.
Yakushima was registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1993.
Access to Yakushima
- Address: Yakushima-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture
- Website: Yakushima Tourism Information
- Google Maps Link: Yakushima
- By Ferry:
- Ferries operate from Kagoshima Port to Yakushima, with a travel time of approximately 4 hours.
- By Air:
- Direct flights are available from Kagoshima Airport to Yakushima Airport, with a flight time of approximately 40 minutes.
