Six Must-Do Highlights in Kagoshima – Discover the Hometown of Toku-hime

Text by TRAVELER Luxe Traveler Apirl Report

 

Coming to Kagoshima, the dilemma soon sets in: how can you fully experience this hometown of Toku-hime, which was also the perfect honeymoon spot for Sakamoto Ryoma? Fortunately, the map roughly divides the area into four routes—Kirishima, Chiran, Ibusuki, and Amami.

Kirishima Shrine

Ryoma brought his wife, Oryo, to Kirishima to soak in the hot springs for healing and to pay homage at Kirishima Shrine. According to the Kojiki legend, the grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, “Ninigi-no-Mikoto,” descended here. It is Japan’s second most sacred Shinto site after Ise Grand Shrine. As we walk along the tree-lined approach shaded by towering cedars, even non-Shinto believers can feel their spirits cleansed by the tranquil atmosphere. But if you want to secure good fortune, then a visit to Kamigata Shrine in Amami Bay is a must. Balancing a pot lid on your head and walking the 10-meter path from the torii gate to the offering box without it falling is said to bring success. Legend has it that Japanese women’s soccer captain Homare Sawa visited to pray and helped lead Japan to a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

 

◎ Kirishima Shrine

Address: 2608-5 Kirishima-Takiguchi, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Phone: +81-(0)995-57-0001

Sengan-en Garden

With Sakurajima Volcano occasionally puffing smoke from its peak and the shimmering waters of Kinko Bay, Sengan-en Garden embraces this spectacular view. Built in 1658 as a villa by Shimazu Mitsuhisa, the 19th lord of the Satsuma Domain, this garden—renowned as one of Japan’s most celebrated landscape gardens—takes its name from the immortal cliffs of China’s Mount Longhu (Xianyan) in Jiangxi. Behind the garden lies a bamboo grove of Phyllostachys edulis, reminiscent of the Jiangnan region, reflecting the deep influence of Chinese culture. Within Sengan-en, there is also a cat shrine believed to be extremely lucky for wealth, attracting visitors who flock to buy various cat-themed good-luck charms. Truly, these feline talismans seem to bring prosperity.

 

◎ Sengan-en Garden

Address: 9700-1 Yoshinocho, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Phone: +81-(0)99-247-1551

Sunamushi (sand bath), Sakura Sakura Onsen

For a more relaxing itinerary that also takes care of your skin, the group sand burial experience at Ibusuki’s sunamushi is the top choice. Pile after pile of steaming 50°C sand is shoveled onto your body, and within seconds, you’ll be breaking into a sweat. But knowing that just 10 to 15 minutes under the sand can leave your skin smooth and silky, and even improve circulation, making your blood healthier—effects said to be three to four times better than a regular hot spring soak—makes it all worth it. Smearing your face and body with mineral-rich volcanic mud from the hot springs, then washing off the strong sulfur smell to reveal glowing, hydrated skin, the beautifying effects of Sakura Sakura Onsen are equally praiseworthy.

 

●  Further Reading:

A Brilliant Winter: Starry Nights Over Fukuoka