Kagoshima's most famous historical figure, Saigō Takamori has been called the 'last samurai' and was known as both a loyalist and a rebel. His statue is in central Kagoshima.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.18 MILES
In 1658, the 19th Shimazu lord laid out his pleasure garden on this hilly, rambling bayside property of groves, hillside trails and one of Japan's most…
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17.43 MILES
There is perhaps no more eloquent monument to the futility of war than this harrowing museum about WWII kamikaze pilots. Around 2km west of town, Chiran’s…
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Museum of the Meiji Restoration
0.81 MILES
This museum offers insights into the unique social system of education, samurai loyalty and sword techniques that made Satsuma one of Japan's leading…
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16.22 MILES
Seven of the mid-Edo-period residences along Chiran’s 700m street of samurai houses have gardens open to the public. Water is usually symbolised in the…
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25.01 MILES
Down a side road between Ibusuki and Makurazaki, this small-ish seaside nature park has been noted for its beauty since an Edo-period surveyor named it…
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26.06 MILES
Picturesque, tangerine Kirishima-jingū has a good vantage point. Though the original dates from the 6th century, the present shrine was built in 1715. It…
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25.03 MILES
This chill, seaside seahorse hatchery is unique, offering close-up looks at thousands of hatchling seahorses, plus information, videos, souvenirs and a…
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23.14 MILES
Lovely Chiringashima is connected to the mainland by a thin land bridge that appears only at low tide, when hikers, beachcombers and tide-pool explorers…
Nearby Kagoshima attractions
1. Kagoshima City Museum of Art
0.04 MILES
The Kagoshima City Museum of Art has a small permanent collection of works by modern-day Kagoshima painters, as well as some 16th-century porcelains and…
2. Nishi Hongan-ji Kagoshima Betsuin
0.13 MILES
The current building of this large Buddhist temple near Tenmonkan dates from 1982 and was renovated in 2013. Inside, it's unlike most temples you may have…
0.18 MILES
This famous shrine is in memory of Shimazu Nariakira (1809–58), celebrated 11th leader of the Satsuma clan in the late Edo period. He is credited with…
0.23 MILES
The Reimeikan has extensive displays on Satsuma history and ancient sword-making. It's inside the site of Kagoshima's castle, Tsurumaru-jō (1602); the…
0.24 MILES
Kagoshima's large city hall, in a tan brick building, is a handy landmark.
0.29 MILES
This landmark church, originally built in 1908 but rebuilt in 1999, honors the first Christian missionary to visit Japan.
0.75 MILES
This monument honours the Kagoshima samurai turned statesman (1830–78) who helped overthrow the feudal regime and pave the way for the modernisation of…
8. Museum of the Meiji Restoration
0.81 MILES
This museum offers insights into the unique social system of education, samurai loyalty and sword techniques that made Satsuma one of Japan's leading…