Local Guide
A must visit at least once. 8 classic sightseeing spots in Kagoshima City and Kirishima area

The Kirishima area of Kagoshima Prefecture offers seasonal views of the Kirishima mountain range, Japan's first national park, and Sakurajima, the symbol of Kagoshima. The area is surrounded by mysterious and magnificent nature, including Kirishima Jingu Shrine, one of the most famous power spots in Southern Kyushu, Kirishima Shinsuikyo, which has been certified as a forest therapy road, and Senganen Garden, which overlooks Sakurajima and Kinko Bay. There are also gourmet spots where visitors can enjoy healthy black vinegar cuisine in the birthplace of Kagoshima's pot-brewed black vinegar, as well as art spots fused with Kirishima's magnificent nature. This article introduces eight must-visit tourist spots in the Kirishima area.

Designated as a national treasure, one of the best power spots in southern Kyushu

The main shrine, the hall of offerings, and the hall of worship were designated as national treasures in February 2022.
The main shrine, the hall of offerings, and the hall of worship were designated as national treasures in February 2022.

Kirishima is famous as the place where Ryoma Sakamoto and his wife visited on their honeymoon. The shrine is dedicated to Niniginomikoto, a grandson of Amaterasu Omikami, who appears in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki. The original main shrine was located between the sacred Takachiho peak and a crater called Mihachi, but due to repeated eruptions of Mount Kirishima, the shrine was repeatedly rebuilt, and the 21st Lord Shimatsu Yoshitaka rebuilt the shrine at its current location.
Kirishima Jingu Shrine is also called "Nikko of the West" and is famous as a power spot where the legend of the "Seven Wonders of Kirishima" remains. There are many sights to see, such as an 800-year-old sacred tree and the "Sazare-ishi" stone, which is used in the lyrics of the national anthem.

Note the precincts built on magnificent stone walls and gorgeous decorations.

The precincts of the shrine were carved out of the southwestern slope in the shape of a staircase and a stone wall was built.
The precincts of the shrine were carved out of the southwestern slope in the shape of a staircase and a stone wall was built.

Kirishima Jingu Shrine is built on a sloping site, creating a magnificent landscape with its roofs overlapping back and forth. In addition, the Imperial Shrine, which welcomes visitors to the shrine, is lavishly decorated. In the center is a round carving of a pair of pheasants playing on a reclining dragon plum tree, and on the wooden nose is a carving of a wide-eyed, curly-haired tapir and a lion, which are believed to be spiritual beasts that ward off evil spirits.
The carvings and patterns are painted in extremely vivid colors, and the pillars are painted in vermilion. Surrounded by nature, Kirishima Shrine has a majestic appearance and overwhelming presence, and is crowded with tourists who come to pray from early in the morning.

Local Guide Comment
The 38-meter tall sacred tree, said to be 800 years old, is a sight to behold. The observatory, located not far from the visitors' rest area, is a scenic photo spot where you can see Sakurajima and the city on a clear day.
Kirishima Jingu Shrine
  • Address 2608-5 Taguchi, Kirishima, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction About 12 minutes by car from "Kirishima Jingu" station on the JR Nippo Main Line
  • Direction Take a bus from "Kirishima Jingu" station on the JR Nippo Line, and get off at "Kirishima Jingu" bus stop.
  • Business hours Free to visit the precincts of the shrine (*Prayers, etc. and the awarding office are available from 8:00 to 17:00)
  • Closed No holidays
  • Admission Fee Free of charge
  • TEL 0995-57-0001
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

A 1,800m long promenade where you can be healed by the clear Kirishima River and valleys.

The
The "columnar joints" as seen from the mysterious and romantic promenade

The Kirishima River valley is not far from Kirishima Jingu Shrine. There is a promenade with rest stops along the canyon, and the round trip takes about one hour. The main attraction is the "Churyojousetsu-rii" (columnar joints), where the lava that flowed out of the crater of Ohachi volcano, 5.5 km away, erupted in 788 and solidified into columnar formations, providing a powerful view.
At the observatory, there is a nine-panel cartoon depicting the history of the columnar joints, where both adults and children can enjoy learning about how the columnar joints were formed.

Artificial waterfall cascading down like a white curtain

A two-stage man-made waterfall cascading down from among the overgrown trees
A two-stage man-made waterfall cascading down from among the overgrown trees

Walking along the promenade of Kirishima Shinsui Gorge, which is also part of the "Forest Therapy Road," visitors can see the different atmospheres of nature at each spot. The man-made waterfall, located just a short walk from the columnar joints, looks like a beautiful white curtain, and sunlight shining through the trees is fantastic. The river water is emerald green in color and flows slowly and gently. Please enjoy the various expressions of nature, from the powerful to the peaceful.

Local Guide Comment
You can see the overwhelming beauty of nature so that even the stairs and uphill climb along the way are not a bother. It is a natural healing spot where you can enjoy the view of the Kirishima River and the valley, which you cannot expect from the entrance.
Kirishima Shinsuikyo
  • Address Near 2608-5 Taguchi, Kirishima, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 11 minutes drive from JR Kirishima Jingu Station
  • Business hours 24 hours
  • Closed No holidays
  • Admission Fee Free of charge
  • TEL 0995-45-5111 (Kirishima City Tourism PR Division)
  • Parking Free of charge

Take a break at the Shimadzu family's villa overlooking Sakurajima and Kinko Bay, where you can see a lot of sights.

A filming location for the NHK historical drama
A filming location for the NHK historical drama "Saigo-don" broadcast in 2018

A popular sightseeing spot in Kagoshima, "Meisho Senganen" was built in 1658 by Mitsuhisa Shimazu, the 19th generation of the Shimazu family, and was the villa of the Shimazu family, the feudal lord of Satsuma. The magnificent borrowed landscape garden, with Sakurajima, the symbol of Kagoshima, as a hill and Kinko Bay as a pond, is unparalleled in scale. Since the Shimazu family traded with China through Ryukyu, the influence of Ryukyuan and Chinese culture can be seen throughout the garden.
Sengan-en is also famous as the birthplace of Japan's modernization and industrialization, and the area including Sengan-en and the Shoko Shuseikan is registered as a component of the World Cultural Heritage as "Industrial Revolution Heritage of Meiji Japan.

Many gourmet foods that can only be tasted here and souvenirs that cannot be purchased anywhere else

Senganen's famous
Senganen's famous "Ryobo Mochi" (450 yen) comes in three varieties: soy sauce, miso, and kinako brown sugar, with a tea set.

Enjoying Sengan-en is not only about admiring the garden. You can also enjoy gourmet food, with a lineup of carefully selected Dining Areas and Saryo Cafes where you can enjoy tea and Japanese sweets. We recommend the Senganen's specialty, "Jambo Mochi" (rice cakes). The name "janbo" comes from its resemblance to a samurai holding two swords, one large and one small, at his waist, and the simple taste is so delicious that you can't stop eating.
Another fun activity is to buy souvenirs at a store specializing in Kagoshima souvenirs. Original cat goods associated with the "Cat Shrine" in the park are popular among cat lovers.

Local Guide Comment
The garden is beautiful no matter where you photograph it from, and you can enjoy the scenery of each of the four seasons. If you move to a smaller elevation, there is a hidden photo spot where you can view the tidy building tiles and the powerful Sakurajima and Kinko Bay together. You will surely fall in love with the beautiful garden blended with nature!
Senganen Garden, a famous scenic spot
  • Address 9700-1 Yoshino-cho, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 5 min. from JR Kagoshima Station by car
  • Business hours 9:00-17:00
  • Closed Open daily (closed only on the day of the Kagoshima Marathon)
  • Admission fee Garden, Shokoshu-kan: Adults (high school students and older): 1,000 yen, Children (elementary and junior high school students): 500 yen, Infants: free
    Goten] Adults (high school students and older): 500 yen, children (elementary and junior high school students): 250 yen
  • TEL Adults (high school students and older): 500 yen, children (elementary school and junior high school students): 250 yen
  • Parking Fee (300 yen)

If you are going to Sakurajima, this is the first place you should visit. A museum where you can learn about the history of Sakurajima

The museum is barrier-free. Adults and children alike can learn about the history of Sakurajima together.
The museum is barrier-free. Adults and children alike can learn about the history of Sakurajima together.

A 10-minute walk from Sakurajima Ferry Terminal is a mini museum of volcanoes. The museum has six sections, including Sakurajima's history, plant succession, and the lives of people living with volcanic ash. Visitors can enjoy learning about the history of Sakurajima's eruptions and nature through photo panels, model displays, and videos. The theater room is equipped with a large 200-inch screen. Visitors can watch a 13-minute video showing the "living Sakurajima" with great intensity. In addition, there are simple games that both adults and children can enjoy learning, and a corner where visitors can observe volcanic ash through a microscope, making this a place where curiosity is piqued.

A store where you can buy souvenirs unique to Sakurajima

Camellia oil made from yabutsu camellia grown on Sakurajima. It can be used as hair oil and body oil.
Camellia oil made from yabutsu camellia grown on Sakurajima. It can be used as hair oil and body oil.

Unusual souvenirs are sold at the Sakurajima Visitor Center, where you can also learn about the way of life of Sakurajima's inhabitants. For example, one of the unique souvenirs is a drawstring bag or tote bag featuring the motif of the plastic bags called "kokuhaibukuro" distributed by the local government when a certain amount of ash fall is observed around Sakurajima.
Also available are camellia oil and hand cream made from Sakurajima's yabutsu camellia, which grows vigorously even in the harsh environment of volcanic ash, pickled Sakurajima daikon radish, and many other products that are unique to Sakurajima.

Local Guide Comment
You can enjoy learning about the history of Sakurajima at this museum. It is also recommended to relax at the footbath spot in front of the Sakurajima Visitor Center, where you can take a bath while enjoying the view of Kinko Bay.
Sakurajima Visitor Center
  • Address 1722-29 Yokoyama-cho, Sakurajima, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 10 min. walk from Sakurajima Ferry Terminal Sakurajima Port
  • Business hours 9:00-17:00
  • Closed No holidays
  • Admission Fee Free of charge
  • TEL 099-293-2443
  • Parking Free of charge

A place where you can meet animals while enjoying a panoramic view of the Kirishima mountain range

Cows, sheep, horses, and goats live in the pasture.
Cows, sheep, horses, and goats live in the pasture.

This sightseeing ranch offers visitors the opportunity to interact with cows, horses, and sheep growing freely at the foot of the Kirishima mountain range, as well as to tour the ranch and enjoy handmade experiences. Within the spacious grounds, which are in a perfect location, there is a footbath with natural hot spring and an animal petting area, where you can milk cows, ride horses, and experience making sausages, ice cream, and butter by hand (please confirm details when making a reservation in advance).
A must-try when you visit is the soft-serve ice cream made with plenty of high-quality milk. The natural sweetness of the milk fills your mouth with a moderate sweetness that will make you want to try it again right away.

Many souvenirs unique to Takachiho Farm

Souvenirs and handmade bread in the store
Souvenirs and handmade bread in the store

The store offers a variety of souvenirs that can only be purchased here. The shop offers a wide variety of unique souvenirs such as milk from the farm, dairy products, handmade bread, ham and sausages, etc. The most popular item is "Takachiho Ranch" which is a local specialty. The most popular item is "Takachiho Farm Milk. The rich milk produced by Jersey, Guernsey, and Holstein cows raised in the rich natural environment of Takachiho Ranch is popular among adults and children alike.
Don't worry about buying too many souvenirs, as items purchased at the store can be shipped nationwide on the spot. You can also buy them online after your trip is over.

Local Guide Comment
The perfect location overlooking the Kirishima mountain range is perfect for guests with children or for a date. For lunch, visitors can enjoy authentic yakiniku and Genghis Khan dishes, dice steaks, and original pizza at the Makiba Restaurant and outdoor food court.
Takachiho Farm
  • Address 5265-103 Yoshinomoto-cho, Miyaki-shi, Miyazaki MAP
  • Direction 10 minutes from JR Kirishima Jingu Station by car
  • Direction Take a bus from JR Kirishima Jingu Station, change at Kirishima Jingu (bus bound for Kirishima Jingu - Miyakonojo Station), and get off at Takachiho Farm.
  • Business hours April-October 9:00-17:30, November-March 9:00-17:00
  • Closed Closed irregularly (*Check the official website for details)
  • Admission Fee Admission free
  • TEL 0986-33-2102
  • Parking Free of charge

Enjoy black vinegar cuisine in the birthplace of Kagoshima's pot-brewed black vinegar, which has been preserved and passed down from generation to generation.

At the Restaurant, you can dine while enjoying a view of the breathtaking Tsubobatake field.
At the Restaurant, you can dine while enjoying a view of the breathtaking Tsubobatake field.

Located in Fukuyama-cho, Kirishima City, there is an Information Center where visitors can learn about the history and production process of Sakamoto no Kurozu, Kagoshima's pot-brewed black vinegar, and a Restaurant where black vinegar dishes are served. Staff/staff members at the information center will give you a detailed tour of the facility upon prior reservation, and you can learn about the manufacturing process and history of the pot-brewed black vinegar that has been stubbornly maintained since the late Edo period.
In front of the Property, the brewing engineer lovingly nurtures the black vinegar "pot fields" as if they were his own children, and behind the pot fields is a view of the stately Sakurajima and Kinko Bay, which seem to be watching over the "pot fields". At the Restaurant, you can enjoy healthful dishes made with plenty of "Sakamoto no Kurozu" and black vinegar drinks.

Health-friendly black vinegar products that make great souvenirs

Black vinegar drinks, dressings, and black vinegar seasonings can be freely combined on the spot to make original gifts
Black vinegar drinks, dressings, and black vinegar seasonings can be freely combined on the spot to make original gifts

After learning a lot about the manufacturing process and history, check out the souvenirs. You can also enjoy tasting black vinegar on the spot. There is a wide variety of black vinegar products that people of all ages can enjoy. In particular, the "Black Vinegar Dressing," which uses "Sakamoto no Kurozu" and has a mildly sour taste, is a perfect match for vegetables. Other "black vinegar drinks" made with apples and grapes have a refreshing taste that even those who do not like vinegar can enjoy. Since they can be freely assorted in gift boxes, we recommend giving them as gifts as souvenirs.

Local Guide Comment
Visitors can learn about the history of Sakamoto Kurozu at the information center, where they will be amazed at the wisdom of our ancestors. For lunch at the Restaurant, we recommend the "Tsubobatake" Lunch, which features "Kurozu Vinegared Pork" made with Kagoshima Chami Pork and a mildly sour black vinegar sauce.
Sakamoto no Kurozu "Tsubobatake" Information Center & Restaurant
  • Address 3075 Fukuyama, Fukuyama-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 20 min. by car from JR Kokubu Stn.
  • Business Hours Information Center 9:00-17:00, Restaurant 10:00-17:00 (*Desserts and drinks only from 10:00-11:00)
  • Closed Year-end and New Year's holidays
  • Admission Fee Admission free
  • TEL 0120-707-380
  • Parking Free of charge

A distillery with a peaceful rural landscape at the foot of the Kirishima mountain range

The huge tank, which is cool to the touch, holds about 20,000 liters of shochu.
The huge tank, which is cool to the touch, holds about 20,000 liters of shochu.

The distillery, established in 1911, is located near Kirishima Jingu Shrine and is known for its representative brand "Bright Farm Village. Visitors can tour the distillery and learn about its history without reservations. As the name "bright farming village" implies, the location is attractive because it overlooks mountains, rivers, and rice paddies, and is surrounded by rich nature with the murmuring of the river.
In the first half of the tour, visitors can see the huge tanks containing approximately 20,000 liters of original shochu liquor, and in the second half of the tour, they can see the Japanese-made "kame-tsubo," which has remained unchanged for more than 100 years. The Irish folk-style shochu brewing song that can be heard from inside the brewery is so populist that you can't help but hum along.

Sake brewed with Kirishima's specialty, blueberries grown on the company's own farm

Blueberry sake of Rural Village
Blueberry sake of Rural Village" (2,368 yen), a 10-year old sweet potato shochu with soaked blueberry fruits.

The "Rural Blueberry Sake," made by soaking ripe blueberries grown on the company's own farm in "Bright Farm Village," a shochu made in a kame-jar and aged for 10 years, is recommended as a souvenir. It is a treasured product matured without any additives such as sugar, flavorings, acidifiers, anti-fading agents, or antioxidants. The sweet potato shochu base gives it a refreshing taste and the original refreshing sourness of blueberries. We recommend drinking it chilled, straight or on the rocks. It goes well with meat, fish, and cheese.

Local Guide Comment
As the name "Bright Rural Village" suggests, the Staff/staff members are very warm and will teach you how to enjoy drinking shochu even if you are not familiar with it. This is a fun time to learn about the world of shochu that will spark your interest in the world of shochu with a visit.
Kirishima Town Distillery, Bright Farm Village
  • Address 564-1 Taguchi, Kirishima, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 5 min. drive from JR Kirishima Jingu Station
  • Business hours 9:00-17:00
  • Regular holiday January 1-3
  • Admission Fee Free of charge
  • TEL 0995-57-0865
  • Parking Free of charge

Excellent artwork blended with the magnificent nature of Kirishima

Yayoi Kusama's outdoor work,
Yayoi Kusama's outdoor work, "Flower of Shangri-La," is based on the theme of colorful flowers blooming in a paradise of immortality, and represents life, soul, and hope.

Located in the western part of the Kirishima mountain range at an altitude of about 700 meters, this open-air art museum displays artworks in harmony with nature. In the spacious grounds surrounded by rich nature, 23 works by famous artists from Japan and abroad are on display.
Among them, a work by Yayoi Kusama, one of Japan's most famous artists, stands out for its unique presence. Visitors will be enchanted by the many other works of art that blend with the natural beauty of Kirishima, making them want to stop and immerse themselves in the world of the artworks. The best part of open-air artworks is that you can enjoy the seasonal changes at the same time. Each time you visit, you will see a different expression of the artworks.

A place where "you are the art" and each and every one of you can be the star of the show.

You are the Art,
You are the Art," a work by Korean artist Choi Jung-hwa

The artworks exhibited at Kirishima Art Forest are original works created by artists from Japan and abroad who actually visited the site and were inspired by the magnificent natural, historical, and cultural background.
One of the most popular photo spots is "You are the Art," a work by Korean artist Choi Jung-hwa. Everything that goes inside the frame becomes a work of art, a playful outdoor artwork in harmony with the rich natural environment of Kirishima. The park path is about 2 km long, and visitors are advised to allow plenty of time to appreciate each work of art.

Local Guide Comment
The museum has many photo-worthy spots, but if you see with your eyes, feel with your skin, and listen to the voices of wild animals living in the forest, you will feel with your heart the moment when the natural world and the world of art merge, which cannot be captured by a photograph.
Kirishima Art Forest
  • Address 6340-220 Kiba, Yushimizu-cho, Aira-gun, Kagoshima MAP
  • Direction Approx. 13 min. by car from JR Kurino Station
  • Business Hours 9:00-17:00 (admission until 16:30)
    Open until 19:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from July 20 to August 31 (admission until 18:30)
  • Closed Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday), year-end and New Year holidays
  • Admission fee Adults 320 yen, High school and university students 220 yen, Elementary and junior high school students 160 yen, Free for infants
  • TEL 0995-74-5945
  • Parking Free of charge

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.