Kagoshima (鹿児島) is the capital of Kagoshima prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan.
Get in
By planeKagoshima's Airport is one hour away from Kagoshima's main train station by Bus (¥1200). JAL and ANA offer flights into Kagoshima from several major cities in Japan. Kagoshima Airport is also the starting point for many flights to Okinawa and the surrounding islands.
By trainRail travel into Kagoshima changed dramatically in March of 2004, with the opening of a 126-kilometer stretch of the
Kyushu Shinkansen as far north as Shin-Yatsushiro station. To reflect with this opening, the Japan Railways station at Nishi-Kagoshima was renamed to
Kagoshima-Chuō (鹿児島中央), and is now Kagoshima's main rail station.
The Kyushu Shinkansen will eventually extend all the way north to Hakata station in Fukuoka in 2012, but in the meantime, to reach Kagoshima from Fukuoka, you can take a
Relay Tsubame limited express train to Shin-Yatsushiro, then change there to the Kyushu Shinkansen
Tsubame train. The
Relay Tsubame trains follow a newly-built spur directly to the Shinkansen platform. All you have to do is walk across the platform to take the bullet train, which is timed to depart about 3 minutes after the arrival of the
Relay Tsubame.
It takes approximately 2 1/2 hours to go from Fukuoka to Kagoshima by train, at a cost of ¥10050. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can take these trains at no charge.
Two overnight sleeper services run as far as Kumamoto: the
Naha from Shin-Osaka, and the
Hayabusa from Tokyo. You will have to switch to the
Relay Tsubame, then switch again to the Shinkansen, to reach Kagoshima. From Kumamoto, the train to Kagoshima costs 6,300 yen.
By busVarious overnight bus services are available to Kagoshima from Osaka and Kobe (~¥10000 one way; ~¥21000 round-trip). Daytime and nighttime buses also run from Fukuoka (yen 5400 one way; 4 hours)and Oita. There are no buses from Kumamoto, so take the train instead.
Get around
Streetcars are a convenient way to get around Kagoshima city. Both lines 1 and 2 can be boarded at the Kagoshima station; only line 1 runs by Kagoshima-chuo. Board the tram from the back door, and pay the ¥160 per ride fee when exiting the front door. If you don't have exact change, the fare machine can make change, but it is polite to get your change during the ride, so as to not hold people up when at your final stop. Streetcar signage varies by the age of the streetcar; some have electronic signs that indicate the stop, but many do not.
Streetcar information and a
route map are available from www.synapse.ne.jp.
The ferry between volcanic island of Sakurajima and Kagoshima harbor operates frequently and around the clock. The boat ride will take about fifteen minutes.
Given Kagoshima's relatively small size and straighforward layout, buses (¥150) are less confusing than in larger Japanese cities.
If you plan to make Kagoshima a base for multiple trips, or make Kagoshima a stop on a trip throughout Kyushu, then a
