For yourself and your friends. 6 select stores where you can find chic Kagoshima souvenirs
One of the pleasures of traveling is choosing souvenirs. In Kagoshima, there are many unique souvenirs ranging from popular local products to unusual items, such as authentic sweet potato shochu, unique items in the "Kagoshima dialect" that can only be purchased locally, and products that show the face of the maker. This article introduces six recommended select stores in Kagoshima City and Kirishima City where you can find chic souvenirs of Kagoshima.
1Hinatayama Mujinshoku Shokudo (Solid Shokudo) Produce Hall
Selected "Delicious" of Kagoshima and Kirishima
The product shop is located in the tourist spot "Hittozan Saigodon Village" in Hittozan hot spring village, which is said to have been loved by Takamori Saigou. The products are carefully selected and specially made in Kagoshima and Kirishima. Recommended items include "gane," a local Kagoshima delicacy of fried sweet potatoes, and "chabushi," instant miso soup mixed with miso, dried bonito flakes, and green tea, which is unique to Kagoshima. Gane is so popular that it is sometimes sold out by mid-morning.
Visitors can also buy the special seasonings used in the attached Restaurant, as well as the popular (frozen) fried chicken menu, and enjoy the taste of Kagoshima at home.
Comparison of teas from seven representative tea gardens in Kirishima
Kirishima is known as one of the best tea-producing areas in the prefecture. We highly recommend the "Gensen Kirishima Tea Drinking Comparison Set," which offers eight types of tea (sencha, black tea, and matcha) selected from seven tea gardens. You can compare teas with different aromas, sweetness, and astringency, each with its own unique flavor. This product has been certified as "Gensen Kirishima," a Kirishima gastronomy brand, as a "good product of Kirishima.
Each tea can be purchased in single-serving bags, so you can combine them with baked sweets and other items that go well with the tea as souvenirs.
- HITOTOYAMA MUJIN SHOKU SHOKU SHOKU SHOKU SHO
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1487-1 Uchi-1487-1, Hayato Town, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture (in Hittozan Saigodon Village) MAP
5 min. walk from JR Hittozan Station
9:00-17:30
Year-end and New Year's holidays
0995-56-8615
Free of charge
2gallery shop & café Mono.
Flutter to the heart of the artworks at a gallery tucked away deep in the mountains
Surrounded by the rich nature of Kirishima, this cozy art gallery has a floor space of about 12 tsubo. The owner selects works that convey the feelings of their creators, with the hope that visitors will "pick up something that will become attached to them as they use it as a tool.
The shop offers unique ceramics and wood products that add a little color to everyday life, hand-blown glass works by artists from Kagoshima, and bridal jewelry made of gold, silver, natural stones, and other materials by y.h.a accessories.
Kagoshima's unique tableware made from the volcanic ash of Sakurajima
Aiming for a "multinational atmosphere that is neither Japanese nor Western," ceramic artist Hijioka from Aira City, Kagoshima Prefecture, creates her works using an original glaze made from a mixture of kohiki and Sakurajima volcanic ash. Completed through a delicate process using natural materials from Kagoshima, the handmade vessels have a powerful presence not only on the dining table, but also as interior decorations.
By actually seeing and gently touching the pieces, you will be able to select pieces that will stay with you in your daily life after your trip. We hope you will find your favorite in the calm atmosphere of the store.
- gallery shop & café Mono.
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- 2108-128 Mochimatsu, Makizono-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
- 13 minutes drive from JR Kirishima Jingu Station
- Monday-Friday 11:00-18:00
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays 10:00-18:00 - Closed irregularly (check official Instagram)
- 090-3922-1756
- Free of charge
3Manzen Sake Shop
A wide selection of Kagoshima shochu and other sake from all over Japan
This sake store is operated by Manzen Shuzo, which brews Kagoshima's premium shochu, Manzen and Manazuru. The store does not sell its own products (limited time sales are available), but focuses on unique shochu and sake carefully selected by the owner through direct visits to local breweries, with the hope that the store will provide an opportunity to learn about the depth of shochu, delicious ways to drink it, and the appeal of sake.
Staff/staff members who know a lot about shochu will carefully teach you how to drink it, so even first-time shochu drinkers do not need to worry. To promote the appeal of shochu to young people, we also hold events on an irregular basis.
Up-and-coming Kagoshima shochu with a fruity flavor
The owner recommends the authentic shochu "Kiba. This particular shochu is produced by the young brewers of Kiba Shuzo, which boasts a history dating back to 1912, and is made from Kagoshima sweet potatoes called "Kogane-Sengan.
Kiba Yellow Koji" is a yellow koji shochu that incorporates the technique of utilizing lactic acid bacteria used in wine brewing. It has a banana-like aroma that spreads in the mouth, and its sweet taste makes it easy to drink, even for those new to shochu. Kibaba Black Koji" has a sweet aroma and sweetness of sweetpotato with a sharp aftertaste. Neither shochu is sold online and is a limited edition available only locally.
- Manzen Sake Shop
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- 1-24-27, Kokubu Chuo, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 15 min. walk from JR Kokubu Sta.
- 9:00-18:00
9:00-17:00 when the last day of the month is a national holiday - Sunday
- 0995-45-0112
- Free of charge
4Kagomania
The Kagoshima dialect and humorous design are sure to attract your attention!
Located not far from Kagoshima Chuo Station, this store specializes in original Kagoshima goods. The shop produces and sells goods with surrealistic designs depicting Kagoshima's culture, great people, and dialect, with the hope that "young people and customers from Japan and abroad will come to know more about Kagoshima.
The 30 or so goods available only at the store, including T-shirts, accessories, and sundries, are designed to "make you laugh when you pick them up. Each item also comes with an explanation in Kagonma dialect. This is recommended for those who want to send humorous souvenirs.
The popular KAGOMANIA T-shirts, available in 23 varieties
The most popular souvenir is the "KAGOMANIA T-shirt," which features a bold design with a Kagoshima-related illustration in the middle of the T-shirt, and the "Saigo-Don T-shirt" with its adorable character is the best-selling item. The owner of the store, who originally ran an import goods store, drew Saigo-Don on a T-shirt and sold it one day, and the response was so strong that this item became the catalyst for the birth of Kagomania.
Currently, the store is trying to "create a store that customers can enjoy no matter when they visit," and new products are released every two months.
5kawaichi kokubu
Delicious Kagoshima specialties that are safe for the whole family
A specialty store in Kirishima that processes vegetables and other products grown on its own farm to produce safe and secure products. They select specialty products and seasonings from within the prefecture, saying, "We want to sell products that we, the producers, truly believe are delicious. The popular "dried sweet potato" is made from matured Beniharuka sweet potatoes produced in Kagoshima Prefecture. It is just right for filling a small stomach, and its moderately elastic chewiness and the sweetness and flavor of the sweet potato that increases with each bite are addictive.
We also recommend the "ice warm summer bread" developed by a local bakery. It can be eaten just like ice cream, and comes in a variety of flavors such as red bean butter, cheesecake, and green tea cream.
Salted banana chips using "Nishiki salt" from Kinko Bay
Salted banana chips are the perfect souvenir. This in-house product was developed using bananas fried in coconut oil and "Nishiki salt" from Kinko's Bay, which the owner originally loved.
In addition to the salted banana, there are two other flavors: "Cacao & Salted Banana," a collaboration with a chocolate factory in the prefecture with a sweet-savory taste, and "Hot Chili," with the spicy taste of chili powder that lingers in the mouth. Sachet sizes are also available, making them a perfect snack during a trip to Kagoshima.
- Kawaiichi Kokubu
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- 587-1 Himeji, Hayato-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 13 min. walk from JR Hidatoyama Stn.
- 8:30-18:00
- Sunday
- 0995-43-2209
- Free of charge
Local Guide who was in charge of this article
- Mai Terauchi Loves shochu and is loved by Satsuma girls
