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| Kagoshima is a bright sunny tropical city. You can see
smoke coming from the magnificent Mt. Sakurajima across Kinko
Bay. The city has been known as the Naples of the Orient for
many years. It prospered as a castle town of the powerful Lord
Shimazu, who had 770 thousand "koku" of rice during the Edo
Period. The city still maintains the strong spirit of Takamori
Saigo and Toshimichi Okubo, heroes of the Meiji Restoration.
The most famous historical spot related to them is the
extensive Iso Garden, former villa of Lord Shimazu. The
garden´s pond is representative of Kinko Bay, which is north
of downtown, and the hill is representative of Mt. Sakurajima.
Sightseeing spots in the city are mostly related to Lord
Shimazu and Takamori Saigo. Tsurumaru Castle (Reimei Hall),
where Lord Shimazu lived, the great view from Shiroyama, where
the last fort of the Saigo army was located during the Satsuma
Rebellion, Nanshu Cavern, where Saigo barricaded himself,
Nanshu Cemetery, where the dead from the Satsuma Rebellion are
buried, and the high-tech Museum of the Meiji Restoration
(Ishin Furusato-kan) are located along the Kotsuki River. The
museum has information about places where Saigo, Okubo, Iwao
Oyama, and Heihachiro Togo were born. Tenmonkan in the
downtown area offers all types of souvenirs, including
Kagoshima dishes such as sakezushi, pork bone, and kibinago,
as well as shochu, Kagoshima Ramen, Satsumayaki, satsumaage,
and karukan. |
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Sightseeing |
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| Museum of the Meiji Restoration (Ishin Furusato-kan) |
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099-239-7700 |
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23-1 Kajiyacho, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima |
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9:00-16:30 (17:30, July 15 to August 31) |
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¥300 for adults, ¥150 for primary/junior high students |
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| A historical museum focusing on the Meiji restoration in Japan. There are the Satsuma guidance hall and a permanent exhibition section on the first floor. "Ishin-taikan hall" (Meiji restoration experience hall) and Exhibition Rooms I and II are located on the first basement floor. |
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| Reimeikan, Kagoshima Prefecture History Materials Center |
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099-222-5100 |
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7-2 Shiroyamacho, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima |
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9:00-17:00 |
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¥260 for adults, ¥150 for university/high students, ¥100 for primary/junior high students |
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| This center was built in commemoration of the centennial anniversary of the beginning of the Meiji era. About 2,000 materials are exhibited and categorized into history, folklore, arts and craftwork. A salon-type tearoom is also available. |
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| Tsurumaru Castle (Kagoshima Castle) ruins |
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5 Shiroyamacho, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima |
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Always open |
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Free |
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| The castle was built by the 18th lord of Kagoshima, Iehisa Shimazu in 1602. After being governed by the Shimazu family for about 270 years, the castle was burnt down by fires and the Satsuma Rebellion. Currently only the stone walls and the stone bridge with baluster finials remain. |
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| Bronze statue of Takamori Saigo |
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4 Shiroyamacho, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima |
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Always open |
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Free |
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| The statue of Takamori Saigo in Ueno, Tokyo, wears a casual kimono. However, this statue wears a military uniform for the special military maneuver in 1874. This eight-meter tall (including pedestal) statue is the best spot for taking photos. |
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Restaurants |
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| Shochu Tengoku |
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099-224-9750 |
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No. 2 Edoyoshi Building 1F, 9-33 Yamanokuchicho, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima |
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17:00-24:00 |
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"Satsuma-age" (fried fish cake) ¥300, "kibinago sashimi" (pond herring sashimi) ¥400, "jidori sashimi" (chicken sashimi) ¥500, a glass of "shochu" (distilled spirits) ¥100 |
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| About 150 types of "shochu" from Kagoshima and other places are available. You can enjoy local dishes suitable for "shochu," such as "Satsuma-age," "kibinago sashimi" and "jidori sashimi." |
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| Tenmonkan Mujaki |
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099-222-6904 |
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5-8 Sennichicho, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima |
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10:00-22:00 in July and August, 11:00-22:00 in other months (10:00-22:00 on Sundays and on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month) |
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"Shirokuma" ¥630 |
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| This shop is famous nationwide for its shaved ice called "shirokuma (polar bear)." The shaved ice forms an image of a polar bear´s face and has plenty of sweetened condensed milk topped with fruit such as bananas and yellow peaches. Shaved ice with caramel pudding flavoring and yogurt flavoring are also available. |
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Shopping |
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| Satsumaimo-no-Yakata |
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099-239-4865 |
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6-28 Higashi Sengokucho, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima |
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10:00-19:30 |
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"Satsumaimo ice cream" (sweet potato ice cream), from ¥100, "Satsuma Taishi" ¥1,000 |
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| There are about 600 types of sweet potato products including "Satsuma Taishi," a Japanese-style confectionary consisting of sweet potato jam wrapped in "karukan" (a thin cake made from potato), imo-jochu (distilled spirits made from potatoes) and wine. "Satsumaimo ice cream" and "Satsuma-age" are very popular souvenir items. |
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