Everyone is familiar with Kagoshima in Kyushu, but both Kagoshima and Okinawa share one similarity — they are surrounded by many beautiful outer islands. Yakushima is one of them, which I'm sure many of you have heard of and is also listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. There are even more worthwhile outer islands around Kagoshima, and this time Shami asked the Kagoshima Prefecture to arrange an island-hopping trip for us.
The first island I visited is a relatively easy one to get to — Tanegashima?
Follow Shami to Tanegashima and take a look at the itinerary package for Day 1. Next time you go, you can follow along too.
Tanegashima is...
Tanegashima covers an area of 446.5 square kilometers with a population of about 32,000. It consists of three parts: Nishinoomote, Minamitane, and Nakatane. This is also the place where guns (called "teppō" in Japanese) were first introduced to Japan. In 1543, a Chinese ship drifted to Tanegashima, and that’s when foreigners brought guns and scissors to Japan. In addition, some excavated artifacts are believed to be the oldest examples of writing in Japan. So, visiting Tanegashima is like taking a history lesson about Japan.
Tanegashima Tourism Association: http://tanekan.jp/
Getting to Tanegashima is simple. You can take a high-speed ferry from central Kagoshima City, and the journey only takes a little over an hour. The ferry ride is comfortable because it’s a jetfoil, making it very stable — I even fell asleep and woke up upon arrival. I took the 10:20 AM flight and arrived in Tanegashima at 11:55 AM.
How to get to the pier: Take a bus from JR Kagoshima-Chuo Station and get off at “Tanegashima Ferry Shuttle Bus Stop.”
Ferry company Troppy: https://www.tykousoku.jp/
| Adult fare | |
| ● One-way | 7,100 yen (tax included) |
| ●Round-trip discounted fare | 12,800 yen (tax included) |
There are quite a few departures; in summer there are six per day, and in winter seven.
Timetable: https://www.tykousoku.jp/fare_time/kagoshima_tanegashima.html
On Tanegashima, the only public transportation options are taxis and buses. If you can't drive, you’ll have to rely on buses. But buses don’t reach every attraction, so having a car is better for getting around the island.
Yamato Bus website: http://www.daiwahotel.com/timetable.html
If you know how to drive, then driving is the best way to explore. Renting a car isn’t expensive, and fuel costs are low. I drove around for two days and one night, and the fuel cost was only 3,000 yen.
Here are some car rental company websites: http://tanekan.jp/rentacar.html
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆Itinerary begins now☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Lunch: Aji Inomoto
By the time Shami got off the boat, it was already noon. To better organize our schedule, we went for lunch first. Aji Inomoto is highly recommended on the island, and the food is very local. It’s also near the port, so it’s very convenient.
We saw online that many people come here for lobster, but unfortunately, it’s not in season at this time. So, following the landlady’s suggestion, we ordered sushi. The sushi was just average and not particularly outstanding, but my friend’s seafood set meal was quite good.
Actually, the locals in Kagoshima told us that the absolute best thing at Aji Inomoto isn’t seafood — it’s… sweet potato ice cream? It’s seriously delicious, and I wanted to have another cup. The whole scoop is smooth and creamy, with rich sweet potato flavor. It melted in my mouth in no time...
Website: http://aji-inomoto.jp/
Transportation: 10-minute walk from Nishinoomote Port Pier.
Map code: 400 824 591*82
Phone: 0997-23-3215
First Stop: The Tanegashima Development Center Tanegashima dev... (Note: Original text appears corrupted or mixed; unable to translate coherently)
Also known as the Gun Museum—“gun” meaning firearm. As mentioned earlier, Japan’s first gun was introduced here. Of course, the main theme here is an introduction to Tanegashima’s history, giving visitors an overview of the island. So, it’s a great first stop. After learning about Tanegashima, you can head out to your next destinations.
It houses a collection of firearms from around the world.
Access: A 10-minute walk from Nishinoomote Port Pier.
Website: http://www.city.nishinoomote.lg.jp/center/top.html
Second Stop: Kishikajiri Lighthouse
Kishikajiri Lighthouse is located at the northernmost tip of Tanegashima, where the ocean is incredibly beautiful.
The lighthouse is the main attraction here, but I got drawn in by the deep blue sea...
Access: About a 30-minute drive from Nishinoomote Port.
Map Code: 872 307 391*41
Third Stop: Urata Beach
“Beach” is what the Japanese call a seaside swimming area. This spot is also one of Japan’s Top 88 Beaches. Even if you don’t know how to swim, facing such a beautiful beach will make you want to take off your shoes and walk along the shore.
Access: About a 20-minute drive from Nishinoomote Port.
Map Code: 872 244 177*63
Website: http://www.city.nishinoomote.lg.jp/kanko07/asobu/asobu.html
Fourth Stop: Ouryu & Shuryu Rocks
Ouryu Rock and Shuryu Rock are must-visit spots on Tanegashima, located in central Tanegashima. While Japan has many similar “married rocks,” few offer such a beautiful sunset view—and this is one of them. My itinerary may include lots of sights, but I didn’t spend much time at each. That’s why arriving at Ouryu & Shuryu Rocks felt a bit early. Since I was driving, I decided to check out the daytime scenery first and then head to the hotel to rest.
Summer days have longer daylight hours, so the sun usually sets around 18:45. The most special thing here is watching the sun dip between the two rocks.
Access: About a 45-minute drive from Nishinoomote Port.
Map Code: 400 369 700*00 (This is the map code for Hoshihara Elementary School; the rocks are right in front)
Fifth Stop: Business Inn Nagata (Accommodation)
I originally wanted to stay at a hotel called Sandalwood, but it was summer, the peak season on Tanegashima, and everything was fully booked. So, I had no choice but to pick a semi-minshuku-style business hotel. This place definitely changed my impression of business hotels—it’s actually a family-run inn. It’s located right by the highway, just one floor, with 16 rooms in total.
A single room with breakfast costs 4,300 yen—you really should book breakfast, or else just buy it at a convenience store. A 1-night stay with 2 meals (breakfast and dinner) is 5,800 yen. If you’re driving, you can go out for dinner nearby. One more downside: you can only book by phone, so unless you really have to, maybe skip this one. If you do book, ask the staff at the Kagoshima Airport tourist center to help you.
But it’s very clean, and has all the basic amenities for daily life.
The breakfast here is simple yet full of that homely taste.
Website: http://www.k2.dion.ne.jp/~jfminami/kamomemaruindex.html
Map Code: 574 318 835*51
Here's a page with accommodation info for Tanegashima: http://tanekan.jp/hotel.html#s03
Sixth Stop: Dinner – Miyagi
This Magi is not only a restaurant but also a guesthouse. We came here because of a travel guide recommendation — it seems to be quite popular. Actually, there aren’t many dining options on Tanegashima, and it’s really only convenient if you have a car. Now that we’re in Minamitaneshima, you can actually drive from north to south in a single day, though the island isn’t all that big.
The fried chicken here is absolutely delicious? The meat inside is still tender and juicy. Tanegashima chickens are actually quite famous, and outside the island you’d need to go to a specialty rustic cuisine restaurant to find them. This kind of chicken is calledIngi??/strong>, and it is also a natural monument of Kagoshima Prefecture. The locals in Kagoshima take great care to protect this breed of chicken.
One of the famous local specialties of Kagoshima Prefecture is chicken sashimi, so of course we had to try some. However, Sami found that making chicken sashimi taste good takes a bit of skill, since raw chicken doesn’t have much flavor on its own, so you usually need to add some garlic or onion to enhance the taste. This place didn’t do that, and the chicken itself had little flavor — you really had to dip it in sauce to eat it. Later on, ironically, on Yoronjima, the chicken sashimi we bought from a supermarket actually tasted better.
Magi: http://minokiti.main.jp/index.html
Transportation: 1 hour by car from Nishinoomote Port
Map code: 574 288 258*10
Other Kagoshima articles:
New Travel: Yakushima’s Shiratani Unsui Gorge
A No-Car Day Trip from Ibusuki, Kagoshima
CAFE Biyori: Kagoshima Lime Light
Kagoshima Attractions at a Glance