More about Kagoshima, Japan Points of Interest

• Chiran Samurai Houses -

  During Japan's Feudal Era, Chiran was a stronghold of the Shimazu samurai. Stroll down a street lined with well-preserved samurai houses and their gardens.

• Ibusuki -

  The Satsuma Peninsula's foremost resort is famed for its unique sand bath. Geothermal springs heat the sand to approximately 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Sakura Jima -

  Mt. Sakura Jima rises over 3,000 feet above the waters of Kagoshima Bay. The volcano has erupted over 30 times in recorded history and is still mildly active today.

• Lake Ikeda -

  The largest lake on Kyushu is actually a caldera, a collapsed volcano. The lake serves as a stunning frame for Mt. Kaimon, a volcano that recalls Mt. Fuji in shape.

• Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots -

  Chiran Air Base was home to Japan's Kamikaze squadrons. Tour the Tokko Heiwa Kaikan with its comprehensive collection of aircraft, models, mementoes and photographs of the Special Attack Corps.

• Senganen (Iso Garden) -

  The superb 17th-century garden offers views of Sakura Jima. Many historic relics remain in the garden and villa. The garden overlooks magnificent Mt. Sakurajima and Kinko Bay. The Shoko Shuseikan Museum is also located in the Iso Garden.

• Kirishima Onsen -

  One of the most unique onsen in Japan features a large, extravagantly landscaped pool in a covered hall. Smaller pools surround the main onsen, while a fountain sends a spray of water skyward.

• Ishin Furusato-kan Museum -

  The museum chronicles "Meiji Ishin," the dramatic revolution that led to the end of the Samurai feudal regime and started the modern and industrialized era under imperial rule by Samurai themselves. A lot of historical articles are displayed to understand this history deeply.