Kagoshima (鹿児島) is the capital of Kagoshima prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan.

Get in

By plane

Kagoshima'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 train

Rail 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.

By bus

Various 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 and Oita.

Get around

See

Sakurajima, Kagoshima's temperamental (and active) volcano can be reached by ferry in a matter of minutes. Face your fear and get up close and personal - just don't wear too much white, as the ash will leave you looking slightly grey.

Do

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Get out