Japan is abundant in views and sceneries that are unique to the world. It might be because of the location, the climate, the cleanliness, or any other attractive trait that draws these tourists in. Nevertheless, it is a place that you cannot afford not to visit. If you are particularly into views that incorporate human living and nature in a beautiful balance, then the city of Kagoshima should be on your list of places to see.
Details of Kagoshima, Japan: The Weather, Postal Code, and Zip Code
A very easy way to remember where this city is found in Japan is to think about going south. In the southernmost part of Japan, one will find the region of Kyushu. In the southernmost part of Kyushu, you will find Kagoshima. Kagoshima is both a major city in Kyushu and the capital of the Kagoshima Prefecture. Being at the southern tip of Japan also makes it a peninsula because its land stretches out into the ocean to the point that there is stretched out land that is almost an island.
Because of its location, this city is blessed with a consistent forecast of mild climate. It has a very “beachy” feel to it with all the streets lined with palm trees. The tourists who get to visit this city usually say that it reminds them of the Italian city of Naples. They say this because Naples is also found along the equator so it has the same climate which means that the two are practically identical in terms of weather in these areas.
Regarding the postal codes and zip codes, the postal code is actually no different from the zip code. This is not to say that they are two different codes. They literally are the same. Postal code and zip code refer to the same thing. The word “Postal” and “Zip” change from country to country depending on the country’s preference. In Japan, Postal code or Postcode is the term used.
The postal code of Japan is quite different from other countries because, in other countries, cities usually have the postal code that all their residents’ use. In the case of Japan, it seems that there is a code for every place in that city. Kagoshima, alone, has 206 unique postcodes that pertain to 206 different places. Because of this diversity, it would be recommendable to just look for the long list of postcodes found on the internet in the event that you would need this information about a place. The Japanese postcodes in this area are made up of 7 numbers which are also a unique detail about their postcodes because, in other countries, the zip or postal code is made up of only 4 numbers. Here is an example of a Japanese postcode in Kagoshima: Arata, Postcode: 890-0054.
Getting to Kagoshima, Japan: The Map and Travel Guide
There are several routes you can take to get to Kagoshima or Kagoshima-shi and this will guide you if you are coming from some of the major cities in Japan. If you are coming from Tokyo, you would have two options. The first would be to take the train because Tokyo and Kagoshima are connected via Shinkansen lines. Because of the classes and types of cars for the Shinkansen, the travel time from Tokyo may have a difference of at least one hour, depending on the train you take. Japan Rail Pass users would have to add the additional hour to their travel time because of the limitations the pass has regarding riding the faster Shinkansen trains. A one-way trip is estimated to take 7 hours and would be priced at around 30,000 yen.
The second option you have is to travel via airplane. The JAL, ANA, Skymark, and Solaseed are the airlines that have frequent flights from Tokyo’s airport to Kagoshima airport. The usual travel time from Tokyo to Kagoshima using this mode of transport is two hours. Ticket prices bought regularly fall to around 44000 yen. There are huge discounts on ticket prices if bought in a period of a promo so be alert for chances like that. It is worth the effort to book in advance because the discounts you can avail off make that 44,000 yen ticket go down to an amazingly cheap range of 11,000 to 29,000 yen. Lesser known airlines lines also sell tickets at a cheaper price so be on the lookout for those too.
If you are traveling to Kagoshima from Kyoto, the same options are available but at lower prices, because Kyoto is nearer Kagoshima. The price of a one-way ticket via Shinkansen lines are around 23,000 yen and the travel time would be cut to 4.5 hours. Again, Japan Rail Pass users would have a longer travel time, estimated at an additional 30 minutes, because of the limitations of the pass.
Traveling via plane would still present the same airlines (JAL, ANA, Skymark) with the addition of Peach as one of the frequent fliers to Kagoshima. The flight time from Kyoto to Kagoshima is an hour and 10 minutes. The ticket, on an average, would cost 30,000 yen and if bought at a discounted rate, it could fall to a price of 10,000 to 18,000 yen.
If Osaka is where you are coming from, the two options discussed previously are still available. Choosing to travel by train would take 4.5 hours at a price of 21,500 yen. The travel time from Osaka to Kagoshima is the same as the travel time from Kyoto to Kagoshima because the Mizuho and Sakura Shinkansen trains directly connect Kagoshima to Osaka, hence the faster travel time. Usually, the Japan Rail Pass users travel longer because of the limitations of their pass but in this particular scenario, there is no additional travel time for Japan Rail Pass users.
Choosing to travel by airplane would present exactly the same list of airlines that frequently have flights to Kagoshima. These are namely JAL, ANA, Skymark, and Peach. The travel time would also be at an hour and 10 minutes and the prices would also be around 30,000 if bought regularly, or around 10,000 to 18,000 if bought on discount.
There is a third option for traveling to Kagoshima if you are coming from Osaka. There are buses that travel overnight from Osaka to Kagoshima. These bus rides take 11.5 hours and would cost an average of 12,000 yen. This mode is very practical to use if you are not in a rush to get to Kagoshima. The bus allows you to save a lot of money and also gives you the chance to see the other parts of Japan while you are on the way to Kagoshima.
Traveling from Fukuoka to Kagoshima is the easiest of all. There are two options you can take. The first being the train. Using the train would take an hour and 20 minutes to an hour and 40 minutes. The ticket would cost around 10,000 yen and the Japan Rail Pass covers all trains from the Fukuoka station so it can act as the ticket itself if you have the said pass.
The second option you have is to take the highway bus. The one-way ride from Fukuoka to Kagoshima would take four hours and would cost you around 5,500 yen. These buses leave the station every 30 to 60 minutes so you would more flexibility on what time you would want to leave.
It is important to know that all those who will travel by airplane would have to add an hour to their travel time because the Kagoshima airport is about an hour away from the center of the city. There are many buses that tend to this need of transportation and it would only cost 1,250 yen for a one-way fare going to the center of Kagoshima.
Another important thing to know is that all these rates may vary so be sure to check the news every now and then before your trip so that you will be well-informed about the happenings in this area. Anything worth mentioning to the tourists, national or local, will surely be made into a report and spread via news.
Kagoshima’s Tourism: The Sakurajima and Other Tourist Attractions
Once you reach the center of Kagoshima, you would notice that compared to the other parts of Japan, this area is less connected by railways. This isn’t a problem though because Japan has provided very efficient bus networks to give access to the sites that are not linked by the railway transports.
These bus networks are the key to getting to and from attraction to attraction. A well-known bus line that receives the best ratings from previous customers is the bus line called “City View Buses”. This bus line connects Kagoshima’s jewels like the Senganen Garden and the Shiroyama Park. It also gives access to the ferry terminal that takes you to Kagoshima’s biggest attraction of all, the Sakurajima. A single ride on this bus would cost 190 yen but they also offer unlimited rides for the day at a price of 600 yen. If you plan to visit a lot of places, the unlimited rides would give you great savings on your travel expenses.
There are many things to see in Kagoshima. Of all those things you can choose to see, you cannot miss out on the experience of going to Senganen Garden, Shiroyama Park, and Sakurajima. The Senganen Garden, which is also known as the Isoteien, is actually a style of Japanese landscaping. It is made up of small ponds, streams, shrines, and a couple of more earthy features that make people feel so calm and relaxed when they see it. Of course, its use of the Sakurajima and the Kagoshima Bay is also a great contributor to why tourists bother to go here and take pictures.
This place has various trees and plants that make all the seasons something to look forward to because there is always something new to see here. There are also quite a lot of cherry trees which means that there are also cherry blossoms to be seen in this area. This is obviously a great selling point because people from all over the world go crazy for these beautiful flowers.
There are also other reasons why people go here. An example of those reasons would be that it is a world heritage because some of the buildings and structures built there long ago were deemed to be Sites of Japan’s Meiji industrial Revolution. Those are the little bonuses that you will have to receive when you get to visit this garden.
Shiroyama Park is another destination you cannot afford to miss because it offers something that not all attractions in Japan have. This park, found in downtown Kagoshima, stretches over Mount Shiroyama. Any park that stretches over such a terrain would certainly have jaw-dropping views and this park has just that.
Aside from the magnificent view, the park also has the Shiroyama Observatory. This observatory highlights the scenery found around the park and also has an exclusive view that includes downtown Kagoshima, Kagoshima Bay, and Sakurajima. If you catch this view with a clear night sky and a full moon, you might consider it the best view in Japan.
Aside from this observatory, the Satsuma no Yu can also be an interesting place to go to. It is near the Castle Park Hotel and has an outdoor spring bath that even non-staying guests can enjoy. Considering the view that you can bask in as you bathe in relaxingly hot water, this place is a steal for its price.
By now, it should be apparent by Sakurajima is the prized possession in Kagoshima. All their main attractions practically involve this attraction and it even makes the other attractions more appeal to go to because of the unique angle they can see it from. This volcano, which is one of the most active in Japan, is also what Kagoshima is most known for. It used to be an island but due to the several eruptions that had happened over the years, land above the ocean was formed around the volcano.
To get up close and personal with this volcano though, you must ride a ferry that travels 3.5 km from the Kagoshima port to the Sakurajima ferry terminal. Once there, tourists would also find out that the view of the volcano isn’t the only thing that would make you want to visit this place. Around the ferry terminal are several mini-attractions like the foot baths, short hiking trails, and much more. All the possible activities to do in this area can be known from the information center found near the ferry area too.
Kagoshima surely is a great place to go to. There are much more attractions that Kagoshima has like the Yakushima but that can be visited after seeing the main three attractions. With all the nature you can see there, this place is truly an attraction for tourists looking for “zen” or places of meditation. There are few places in Japan that offer what Kagoshima offers its visitors so when you find the time and have the will to pursue this adventure, make sure to make it happen in reality because you will definitely not regret it.