Travel Guide of Scenic Byway Kyushu

Q-❻ Kagoshima Scenic Byways
Cities of Kagoshima, Ibusuki, MinamiKyushu, MinamiSatsuma, and Makurazaki（Kagoshima Pref.）—Active Volcano, Shirasu Plateau & Sub-tropical Zone,

Leading Activities toward Meiji Era ―Kagoshima Prefecture in the southern
Kyushu has Kagoshima Bay in the center.
In addition, the Osumi Peninsula is locatedon the east side of the bay, and the Satsuma
Peninsula, on the west side. Under suchterrain conditions, the Kagoshima Scenic
Byway extends from Sakurajima in the bay
to the southern part of the Satsuma
Peninsula. In other words, it is composed offive cities: Kagoshima, Minami-Kyushu,Ibusuki, Makurazaki, and Minamisatsuma, and belongs to the Kirishima
Kinkōwan National Park in the subtropicalregion. (Note: Kinkowan is another namefor Kagohima Bay).
The most important resource common to
the entire Kagoshima Scenic Byway is theactive volcano lined up at the Kyushu
Volcano Front, which extends fromKagoshima Bay. Hot water gushes from thesubmarine volcano “Wakamiko” in the backof the bay, and bubbles sometimes appear.
In addition, steam smoke from Sakurajima
volcano can be seen almost every day. The
average number of eruptions in the last 10years is about 590 per year. We are often
surprised by the sound of explosion andbothered by the fall of volcanic ash.
Q-❻ Map of Kagoshima Scenic Byways
In addition, there is Kaimondake at theentrance to the bay, and the crater at thesummit is covered with a second eruption at
the end of the 9th century as if to wear a hat,forming the appearance of Mt.Fuji (seephoto (4)).
The interest in volcanoes lies not only inthe eruption but also in its blessings. Youcan get many benefits such as Sakurajima's
radish, Satsuma small orange, industrial
products using volcanic ash, and hotsprings. The local people are also called“Satsuma-Hayato”, and the eruption istraining their mental powers. It would be(1) & (2) Sakurajima (left) seen from the city area in Kagoshima City, and Kagoshima Bay (right).
very interesting to experience the lives ofthe locals while thinking about what it
The terminal station on the Kyushu Shinkansen is Kagoshimameans to live in a volcanic area that looks more attractive thanChuo Station, which takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to Hakatadanger.
Station (Fukuoka). Kagoshima-Chuo Station is connected to the(Access). Kagoshima Airport is the base for access to the scenic route
Kagoshima Main Line, Nippo Main Line, and Ibusuki-Makurazaki
of Kagoshima, with six international routes to Korea, China andLine, so you can visit the main cities of the prefecture by a railway.
Taiwan. In addition, there are 17 domestic lines, 8 of which areThe Kyushu Expressway and the Minamikyushu Expressway
served to Okinawa and the southern islands.
1(3) Street of Samurai Residence and Japanese Style of Garden in the Chiran Fumoto Town of Minami-Kyuhsu City.

are tied in the center of Kagoshima City.
You can use them to smoothly accessvarious local attractions.
(Main Route of Landscape Area). The
main road rounding Sakurajima is
National Route 224 and Prefectural
Road 26 in the eastern side. The ferry
connects Sakurajima and Kagoshimacity center, which takes only 15 minutes
to board. In Kagoshima City, trams are(1) Sakurajima Raising the Plume.
(1) Torii (Shrine’s gate) buried in Volcanic Ash.
operated in urban area. The train route(prefecture road No.21) and National(B) Historic Heritage of Shimazu Clan.
Route 10 are main.
On the other hand, the main routes in the Satsuma Peninsula
From the Kamakura period to the Edo period, the Shimazu clan
are National Routes 225 and 226, which are supplemented by the(also called the Satsuma domain) governed vast territories ofIbusuki Skyline (motorway). In addition, prefectural roads on theKagoshima Prefecture and southern area of Miyazaki Prefecture.
peninsular are well-maintained, so you can enjoy comfortable
Therefore, in the Edo period (17th to 19th centuries), a samurai
driving in the countryside. Bus routes on these roads are available
system was established that was not centered on the castle town of
to access the main attractive spots of the scenic byway network.
Kagoshima, even under the law of "one castle in one country".
Alternatively, the Ibusuki Makurazaki Line goes around theIn other words, while there was a samurai who lived in the castle
coastline.
town and served in the castle, there was a samurai who was usually(Regional Resources) The active volcanoes of Kagoshima Bay andengaged in agriculture and served as a soldier in an emergency. The
the plateau of "Shirasu" soil are spread throughout the area. Thelatter samurai, who lived in rural areas, served both as a samurai
historical heritage of Shimazu clan and the footsteps of the youth inand a farmer, and was called "Goshi" in Japanese.
the Meiji Restoration are also important regional resources on thisThe total of these two types of samurai amounted to about 40% of
scenic route.
the total population of the Shimazu clan. The clan’s financial
situation was poor, because it was difficult to grow rice in theShirasu plateau and many typhoons and volcanoes caused a lot ofdisasters. Also, because the Kagoshima area is at the southern endof the country, it was necessary to strictly defend the entire area.
For these reasons, the aforementioned samurai system was devised.
In this unique samurai society, the village where samurai andtheir families live was called "Fumoto". A samurai residence has
been built and community system with a unique culture has beendeveloped (see photo (3)).

(A) Kagoshima Bay and Shirasu Plateau which were created byVolcanic Eruption.
Kagoshima Bay and its surroundings were rifts in the earth, andhad a lot of volcanic activities. At that time, the Aira caldera wasformed in the back of the bay, the Ata north caldera in the center,and the Ata south caldera at the entrance of the bay. Seawater
flowed in it creating a bay. Sakurajima at the back of the bay wasoriginally an island, but it was connected to the Osumi Peninsula
by the eruption of 1914. As a result, the present Kagoshima Baywas born. By the way, except for the waterway (strait) on the westside of Sakurajima and the mouth of the bay, the average depth of
the bay is about 130m and the maximum depth is about 240m.
On the other hand, due to various volcanic activities covering
Satsuma Peninsula and Osumi peninsula, a large amount ofpyroclastic flow is ejected, forming the Shirasu plateau widely. The
slope of this Shirasu Plateau is vulnerable to rain, so cliffs of about
20 to 100 meters are formed and can be seen everywhere.
Crashed shirasu sand flows into the sea and is washed up on thecoast, creating a beautiful long arched beach. In particular, the west
coast of Satsuma Peninsula is 47 km long and is called “Fukiage
Hama (beach)”.
In short, as you drive along the coastline, you’ll encounter uniquelandscapes such as plateaus developed on the cracked cliffs, andarched white beaches.

(C) Leading Activities toward Meiji Era
In the radical political changes from the Edo period to the Meiji
period (19th to 20th centuries), Satsuma’s people played a more
important role than tose of other regions.
Shimazu Nariakira (11th lord of the Shimazu clan) promoted
measures to strengthen the wealth and military power of the clan.
In particular, after Anglo-Satsuma War in 1863, the modernizationof various industries such as shipbuilding and machinery has beenpromoted, and its heritage has been registered as “Meiji JapaneseIndustrial Revolution Heritage”.
-------------------------------------------From the above, you can divide the scenic cityscape of Kagoshima
into five blocks and experience a meaningful and interesting tour
(see the map).
(1) Sakurajima Island of World Geo-park.
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Sekiyoshi's Hydrophobic Groove

Statue of Saigo Takamori

Former Spinning Station Engineer’s House Shoko-Shuseikan (Former Machine Factory, and now Museum)(2) Kagoshima’s Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution

Nishida Bashi (1946, 49.5m in length)(Stone Bridge Memorial Park)

Shimazu Nariakira

Tenmonkan-Dori (arcade) in CBD of Kagoshima City
Map of Kagoshima City and several Photos
on Scenic Sites

Group of Satsuma’s young people

The ferry from Kagoshima Port in the center of Kagoshima City
to Sakurajima Port is used by many residents and tourists, and,
there are 4 round trips per hour during the daytime. In addition tothis liner, there is also a seasonal 1- hour or 2- hour cruise tour.
In 2013, Sakurajima Volcano and Kinko Bay (Kagoshima Bay)
were registered as a Global Geopark. Attractive spots of
Sakurajima are the lava-filled coastline, the hot springs of thesubmarine volcanoe, the Torii (shrine gate) buried in volcanic ash,and the crater where steam continues to generate. At the foot of thevolcano, sightseeing bus tours run eight times a day.

them returned to Japan after the Meiji Restoration, gained a highgovernment status, and contributed greatly to the modernization ofJapan.
If you go about 500 meters north from JR Kagoshima-Chuo
Station along the tramway, you will find the Kōtsuki River. Thisriverside town (Kajiya-machi) was a residential area of lower-classsamurai. Many talented people who were deeply involved in theMeiji Restoration grew up, and materials related to them are
exhibited at the nearby hometown museum (Ishin-Furusatokan).
Seeing around the city based on that information is very
meaningful and effective.
When you get off the tram at Aquarium Station, you can reach
Kagoshima Port, where the old port (important cultural property)
and the aquarium are located.
Then, taking north on National Route 10, you will find Ishibashi(Stone Bridge) Memorial Park. Here, three stone bridges that once
spanned the Kotsuki River were relocated and rebuilt after thegreat flood. These original bridges were built in the mid-19th
century and you can see the detailed design and construction
techniques developed in Kyushu.
Furthermore, proceeding north on National Route 10 for about
2km, you will find Shimazu Villa and Sengan-en Garden. Adjacent(2) Downtown of Kagoshima City.
Block (2) is the central urban area of Kagoshima City. Goingnorth from JR Kagoshima-Chuo Station, there are prefectural road
21 where trams run and National Route 10. Important scenic
resources along these roads are the heritage of the Shimazu clan
during the Edo period and the world heritage of industrial
revolution in the early Meiji era.
In addition, a monument of youth’s sculpture is installed in frontof JR Kagoshima-Chuo Station. They are the young people whobroke the isolation policy of the Shogunate and went to the Britain
for study in 1865, under the protection of Shimazu Clan. Most of3to the site is the “Meiji Industrial
Revolution
Heritage:Steel,Shipbuilding, Coal Industry” (2015World Cultural Heritage).
In other words, at the end of Edo
period, the clan lord, Shimazu
Nariakira, introduced industries
such as shipbuilding, steelmaking,spinning, and glass manufacturing toenhance wealth and strengthen(3) Tomiya-Shokudou (Dining Hall) which was the relax(3) Chiran Peace Memorial Hall
place for Special Attacker.
maritime defense. These factories(Minami-Kyushu City)
were located in the Shūsei-kan(building of industrial complex), but
it is now the museum that conveys
the history and culture of theShimazu clan, and some of themachines and equipment of the time
are also on display.
Returning to the city center andclimbing the hill behind the city hall,
you can see Kagoshima Bay,
Sakurajima Volcano, and Osumi
Peninsula. This hill is called Shiroyama because the castle was built inthe past.
(5) Double Sword Stones (Minami-Satsuma City).
(4) Kaimondake Volcano (Ibusuki City).
During the Edo period, however,Osumi Peninsula. Therefore, it is the key point rounding the Bay.
the inner castle of the Shimazu clan was newly built at the foot ofIn and around Ibusuki City, there are typical scenic spots such as
the hill and was called Kagoshima Castle (or Tsurumaru Castle).
theVolcano (Kaimon-dake), caldera (Lake Ikeda), crater
The castle was often destroyed in disasters and rebuilt each time,(YamakawaBay) and sandy beach steam baths. In addition, thebut has not been rebuilt since the fire in1874. Still, the stone wall,
Hashimure-gawaruins near JR Ibusuki Station is designated as amoats, stone bridge, and the main gate remain.
national historic site, and you can see the difference between the(3) Chiran-cho district in MinamiKyushu City.
Jomon period and the Yayoi period.
It takes about 50 minutes by car or 70 minutes by bus from JR
Kagoshima-Chuo Station to Chiran-chō Town, Minami-Kyushu
City. And, this town is famous for the samurai residence and thePeace Memorial Museum.
a) In Chiran-chō, the samurai residence, which was a village of"Fumoto" in the Edo period, remains for more than 800 meters. Asshown in the photo, the fence along the road is beautifully formedby combining yew trees and stone walls, and it is highly regarded
as one of 100 carefully selected roads in Japan.
The Japanese garden of the mansion is made of trees and stones
against the backdrop of the surrounding mountains and nature.
Due to this excellent design, 7 gardens have been designated as oneof 100 most beautiful historic buildings in Japan. Also, the streetsof samurai residences are registered as a traditional building
reserved area.
b) At the end of the Pacific War, a military base for special
attacks was built in Chiran-chō Town. Many young attackers flew
planes and attacked enemy warships with their lives. This is an
unprecedented tragedy in human history. After the war, the Peace
Memorial Museum was built to pray for peace and display theportraits and materials of the attackers. Please visit the memorial
hall and make sure that such a tragedy will never happen again.

(5) Areas of Makurazaki City and Minami-Kyushu City
Taking west along National Route 266, you will arrive at theMakurazaki City. The city thrives with fishery industries, and theamount of production of bonito chips, the essence of Japanesecuisine, is the largest in Japan. While watching Kaimon-dake
Mountain, you can visit the Makurazaki Fish Center, long andslender rocks (Tategamiiwa) protruding from the sea, and theBrewery for Satsuma Shochū.
Next is a tour of the southwestern tip of Kyushu. The main spots
are Bonotsu Port, Noma Peninsula and Fukiage-hama Beach.
Bonotsu Port, which is the hub of trade with China, is known as theport where the ambassador's ships from Japan to Tang stopped by.
It is also the port where the monk, Ganjin, came to Japan at therequest of Emperor, landing after failing to travel many times. Hewent from Bonotsu to the capital of Nara via Dazaifu in Fukuoka,
and drastically reformed Japanese Buddhism.
You can enjoy fishing and marine sports on the coast of Noma
Peninsula. Some places offer the view of complex rocks and small
islands., and the landscape of terraced farm fields with naturalstones on the slopes is also impressive.
As going around the Noma Peninsula, the scenery turns into along white sand beach (Fukiage-hama). Every May, a sand festival
is held on the beach, where you can see wonderful works of a lot of
historical figures and famous buildings. In addition, several oldsamurai residences remain in the center of Minami-Satsuma City,
which can trace the changes of Japanese houses over 100 years.

(4) Ibusuki-Area of Sand steaming spa town.
From Kagoshima Chuo Station, driving south on Ntional Route266 for about 50 km or taking the JR Ibusuki Makurazaki Line in
about an hour, you will reach the center of Ibusuki City. It is locatedat the southeastern end of the Satsuma Peninsula, while you canferry across Kagoshima Bay to reach Minami-Osumi Town on thePublishing and Copy right: Promotion Conference of Kyushu
Scenic Byways ○C (Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved)
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