, abbreviated to , is the capital

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

of the

Eastern world The Eastern world, also known as the East or historically the Orient, is an umbrella term for various cultures or social structures, nations and philosophical systems, which vary depending on the context. It most often includes at least pa ...

" for its bay location (

Aira Caldera Aira Caldera is a gigantic volcanic caldera that is located on the southern end of Kyushu, Japan. It is believed to have been formed about 30,000 years ago with a succession of pyroclastic surges. It is currently the place of residence to over ...

), hot climate, and emblematic

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

Sakurajima Sakurajima ( ja, 桜島, literally "Cherry Blossom Island") is an active stratovolcano, formerly an island and now a peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. The lava flows of the 1914 eruption connected it with the Ōsumi Peninsul ...

. The city was officially founded on April 1, 1889. It merged with

Taniyama is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Kishō Taniyama (born 1975), Japanese voice actor *Yutaka Taniyama (1927–1958), Japanese mathematician Fictional characters: * Mai Taniyama, fictional character in ''Ghost Hunt'' ...

City on April 29, 1967 and with Yoshida Town, Sakurajima Town, Kiire Town, Matsumoto Town and Kōriyama Town on November 1, 2004.

Etymology

The name "Kagoshima" (鹿児島) literally means "deer child island" or "young-deer island". In the

Kagoshima dialect The , often referred to as the , is a group of dialects or dialect continuum of the Japanese language spoken mainly within the area of the former Ōsumi and Satsuma provinces now incorporated into the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. It m ...

, local names for the city include “かごっま (Kagomma)”, “かごんま (Kagonma)”, “かごいま (Kagoima)” and “かごひま (Kagohima)”. While the

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

for Kagoshima ( 鹿児島) literally mean "deer child island", or "island of the fawn" for certain, the source etymology is not clear and may refer to "cliff" or "sailor" in the local dialect.

History

Kagoshima Prefecture (also known as the

Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1602 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of Kagoshima, ...

) was the center of the territory of the

Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contrast ...

for many centuries. Kagoshima City was a busy political and commercial port city throughout the medieval period and into the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

(1603–1868) when it formally became the capital of the Shimazu's

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

, the Satsuma Domain. The official emblem is a modification of the Shimazu's kamon designed to resemble the character 市 (''shi'', "city"). Satsuma remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country throughout the period, and though international trade was banned for much of this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent vassal kingdom of

Ryūkyū The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...

; Ryūkyūan traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special Ryukyuan embassy building was established to help administer relations between the two

polities A polity is an identifiable political entity – a group of people with a collective identity, who are organized by some form of institutionalized social relations, and have a capacity to mobilize resources. A polity can be any other group of p ...

and to house visitors and emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

activity in Japan prior to the imposition of bans against that religion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Kagoshima was bombarded by the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

in 1863 to punish the ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'' of

Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a sou ...

for the murder of

Charles Lennox Richardson Charles Lennox Richardson (16 April 1834 – 14 September 1862) was a British merchant based in Shanghai who was killed in Japan during the Namamugi Incident. His middle name is spelled ''Lenox'' in census and family documents. Merchant Richardso ...

on the Tōkaidō highway the previous year and its refusal to pay an

indemnity In contract law, an indemnity is a contractual obligation of one party (the ''indemnitor'') to compensate the loss incurred by another party (the ''indemnitee'') due to the relevant acts of the indemnitor or any other party. The duty to indemni ...

in compensation. Kagoshima was the birthplace and scene of the

last stand A last stand is a military situation in which a body of troops holds a defensive position in the face of overwhelming and virtually insurmountable odds. Troops may make a last stand due to a sense of duty; because they are defending a tactic ...

Saigō Takamori was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsum ...

, a legendary figure in

Meiji Era The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization b ...

Japan in 1877 at the end of the

Satsuma Rebellion The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Its name comes from the Satsuma Domain, which had been influential in the Restoration and beca ...

. Japan's

industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

is said to have started here, stimulated by the young students' train station. Seventeen young men of Satsuma broke the Tokugawa ban on foreign travel, traveling first to England and then the United States before returning to share the benefits of the best of Western science and technology. A statue was erected outside the train station as a tribute to them. Kagoshima was also the birthplace of

Tōgō Heihachirō Marshal-Admiral Marquis , served as a '' gensui'' or admiral of the fleet in the Imperial Japanese Navy and became one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He claimed descent from Samurai Shijo Kingo, and he was an integral part of preserving ...

. After naval studies in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

between 1871 and 1878, Togo's role as Chief Admiral of the Grand Fleet of the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

in the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

made him a legend in Japanese military history, and earned him the nickname '

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

of the Orient' in Britain. He led the Grand Fleet to two startling victories in 1904 and 1905, completely destroying Russia as a naval power in the East, and thereby contributing to the failed revolution in Russia in 1905. The Japanese diplomat Sadomitsu Sakoguchi revolutionized Kagoshima's environmental economic plan with his dissertation on water pollution and orange harvesting. The 1914 eruption of the volcano across the bay from the city spread ash throughout the municipality, but relatively little disruption ensued. File:Bombing of Kagoshima Map - 1863.PNG, Map of the

Bombardment of Kagoshima The Bombardment of Kagoshima, also known as the , was a military engagement fought between Britain and the Satsuma Domain in Kagoshima from 15 to 17 August 1863. The British were attempting to extract compensation and legal justice from ''daim ...

on 15 to 18 August 1863 File:Kagoshima 1914.jpg, The city covered deep in ash after the 1914 eruption of the

volcano which is seen in the distance across the bay

World War II

On the night of June 17, 1945 the 314th bombardment wing of the Army Air Corps (120 B-29s) dropped 809.6 tons of incendiary and cluster bombs destroying of Kagoshima (44.1 percent of the built-up area). Kagoshima was targeted because of its largely expanded naval port as well as its position as a railway terminus. A single B-29 was lost to unknown circumstances. Area bombing was chosen over precision bombing because of the cloudy weather over Japan during the middle of June. The planes were forced to navigate and bomb entirely by radar. Japanese intelligence predicted that the Allied Forces would

assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...

Kagoshima and the

Ariake Bay The is a body of salt water surrounded by Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, and Kumamoto Prefectures, all of which lie on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It is the largest bay in Kyūshū. Its deepest point is only about 50 meters (165 ft) deep, and ...

areas of southern

to gain naval and air bases to strike Tokyo. File:Firebombing of Kagoshima Kyushu.jpg, The Tarumiza district of Kagoshima burns after B-29 air raids on the city, 17 Jun 1945 File:Kagoshima after the 1945 air raid.JPG, The bombed out ruins of a Kagoshima residential area with Sakurajima in the background, 1 November 1945

Administrative division

* On August 1, 1934 – the Villages of Yoshino, Nakagōriu and Nishitakeda, all from Kagoshima District, were merged into Kagoshima. 角川日本地名大辞典 46 鹿児島県 p.678 * On October 1, 1950 – the Villages of Ishiki and Higashisakurajima (both from Kagoshima District) were merged into Kagoshima. * On April 29, 1967 – the Cities of Kagoshima and Taniyama were merged and became city of new Kagoshima. * On November 1, 2004 – the Towns of Yoshida and

(both from Kagoshima District); the Towns of

Matsumoto Matsumoto (松本 or 松元, "base of the pine tree") may refer to: Places * Matsumoto, Nagano (松本市), a city ** Matsumoto Airport, an airport southwest of Matsumoto, Nagano * Matsumoto, Kagoshima (松元町), a former town now part of the c ...

and Koriyama (both from Hioki District); and the town of Kiire (from Ibusuki District) were merged into Kagoshima.

Geography

Kagoshima City is approximately 40 minutes from

Kagoshima Airport is an airport located in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, northeast of Kagoshima-Chūō StationAIS Japan
in ...

, and features shopping districts and malls located wide across the city. Transportation options in the city include the ''

Shinkansen The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...

'' (bullet train), local train, city trams, buses, and ferries to-and-from Sakurajima. The large and modern Kagoshima City Aquarium, situated near the Sakurajima Ferry Terminal, was established in 1997 along the docks and offers a direct view of Sakurajima. One of the best places to view the city (and Sakurajima) is from the Amuran Ferris wheel atop of

Amu Plaza Kagoshima is the terminal building adjacent to Kagoshima-Chūō Station. It is owned by the Kagoshima Terminal Building Corporation, which belongs to JR Kyushu. Amu Plaza Kagoshima has about 190 shops. When it opened on 17 September 2004, its floor space w ...

, and the shopping center attached to the central

Kagoshima-Chūō Station is a major railway station in Kagoshima, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It is the main railway terminal serving Kagoshima, the southern terminus of the Kyushu Shinkansen and is located on the Kagoshima Main Line and Ibusuk ...

. Just outside the city is the early-Edo Period

Sengan-en is a Japanese garden attached to a former Shimazu clan residence in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Designated a Place of Scenic Beauty, together with the adjacent Shōko Shūseikan it forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site '' Sit ...

Japanese Garden. The garden was originally a villa belonging to the

and is still maintained by descendants today. Outside the garden grounds is a Satsuma "kiriko"

cut glass Cut glass or cut-glass is a technique and a style of decorating glass. For some time the style has often been produced by other techniques such as the use of moulding, but the original technique of cutting glass on an abrasive wheel is still u ...

factory where visitors are welcome to view the glass blowing and cutting processes, and the Shoko Shūseikan Museum, which was built in 1865 and registered as a National Historic Site in 1959. The former Shuseikan industrial complex and the former machine factory were submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage as part of a group list titled ''Modern Industrial Heritage Sites in Kyushu and Yamaguchi Prefecture''. File:Sakurajima at Sunset (4506849144).jpg, Sakurajima: a volcano in Kagoshima File:Sakurajima n700.jpg, Urban area around the Kagoshima-Chūō Station with Shinkansen (bullet train) File:Kagoshima Shiden 9500 Kajiyacho Station 2013-03-15.jpg, Kajiyachō Tram Stop with its back to the Kagoshima-Chūō Station Building having ferris wheel File:Tenmonkan G3 Kagoshima Japan.jpg, Tenmonkan shopping arcade File:Kagoshima City Hall 1.jpg, Kagoshima City Hall Main Building File:Koutsuki River - Cherry trees are in full bloom.jpg, Kotsuki River that runs through Kagoshima City File:Kagoshima Aquarium and Kagoshima Port Sakurajima Ferry Terminal from ship of Sakurajima Ferry.jpg, Kagoshima City Aquarium and Sakurajima Ferry Terminal File:ISS034-E-027139.jpg, An image taken from the International Space Station showing Kagoshima and its surroundings on January 10, 2013

Neighboring Municipalities

*Cities:

Aira ''Aira'' is a genus of Old World plants in the grass family, native to western and southern Europe, central and southwest Asia, plus Africa. The common name, shared with the similar related genera '' Deschampsia'' and ''Koeleria'', is hair-g ...

, Hioki,

Ibusuki is a city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, founded on April 1, 1954. In March 1, 2012, the city had an estimated population of 43,931, with 19,119 households and a population density of 294.82 persons per km2. However the census of 2020 c ...

, Minamikyūshū,

Minamisatsuma is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. It is on the western (East China Sea) side of the Satsuma Peninsula. As of May 31, 2011, population data, the city has an estimated population of 39,012 with 18,711 households an ...

Satsumasendai is a city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The modern city of Satsumasendai was established on October 12, 2004, from the merger of the city of Sendai, the towns of Hiwaki, Iriki, Kedōin and Tōgō, and the Koshikijima Islands (whi ...

, Tarumizu

Climate

Kagoshima has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Cfa''), possessing the highest year average temperature and winter average temperature in mainland Japan. It is marked by mild, relatively dry winters; warm, humid springs; hot, humid summers; and mild, relatively dry autumns.

Demographics

As of 1 January 2020, Kagoshima City has a
estimated population
of 595,049 and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 1,087 persons per km². The total area is . According to th
April 2014 issue of the Kagoshima Prefectural Summary
by the Kagoshima Prefecture Department of Planning and Promotion, the population of the prefecture at large was 1,680,319. The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of five towns: the towns of

Kōriyama is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 322,996 people in 141760 households, and a population density of 430 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Kōriyama is designated as a core city an ...

and

(both from Hioki District) the town of Kiire (from Ibusuki District) and the towns of

and Yoshida (both from Kagoshima District). All areas were merged into Kagoshima City on 1 November 2004.

Points of interest

Ishibashi Park is a park in Hama-machi, Kagoshima, Japan. At the end of the Edo period (late 19th century), local lord Shimazu Shigehide had five bridges, collectively called the ''Gosekkyō'' ("five stone bridges"), built across the Kōtsuki River. Two of the ...

* Kagoshima City Aquarium * Kagoshima Botanical Garden *

Museum of the Meiji Restoration The is a history museum in Kagoshima, Japan. Located by the Kōtsuki River, it is a gallery where visitors can learn about the Meiji Restoration. In the basement hall, sound, light, and robots are used to present a three-dimensional experience of ...

* Sengan-en Garden

Education

Universities and Colleges

Kagoshima University , abbreviated to , is a Japanese national university located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. History The university was established in 1949 consolidating the following schools because of educational reform in occupied Japan. * - e ...

The International University of Kagoshima is a private university in Kagoshima, Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It h ...

* Shigakukan University * Kagoshima Prefectural College * Kagoshima Immaculate Heart College * Kagoshima Women's College

High schools

* Kagoshima Prefectural Konan High School * Kagoshima Prefectural Tsurumaru High School * La Salle Junior and Senior High School etc.

Transportation

Railways

All lines are operated by

Kyushu Railway Company The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...

(JR Kyushu) *

Kyushu Shinkansen The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed railway network. It is an extension of the San'yō Shinkansen from Honshu connecting the city of Fukuoka (Hakata Station) in the north of Japan's Kyushu Island to the city of Kagoshima ( Kagoshima-Chuo St ...

Kagoshima Main Line The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) between Mojikō in Kitakyushu, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu. Until March 13, 2004, it extended 393 km between its ...

** Satsuma-Matsumoto Station – Kami-Ijuin Station – Hiroki Station – Kagoshima-Chuo Station –

Kagoshima Station Kagoshima Station (鹿児島駅) is a railway station in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture. It is the notional southern terminus of the Kyushu Railway Company's Kagoshima and Nippo Main Lines, although services on both lines in fact start and termi ...

Nippo Main Line Nippo may refer to: Companies and organizations * Nippo, colloquial name for * Nippo Batteries, an Indian battery manufacturer * Nippo Corporation, a Japanese construction company and sponsor of cycling teams ** EF Education–Nippo, a cycling tea ...

** Ryugamizu Station – Kagoshima Station *

Ibusuki Makurazaki Line The is a railway line in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Kagoshima-Chūō Station in Kagoshima, to Makurazaki Station in Makurazaki, paralleling the eastern and southern coasts of S ...

** Kagoshima-Chuo Station – Korimoto Station –

Minami-Kagoshima Station is a railway station located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan. The station opened in 1944. Lines * Kyushu Railway Company **Ibusuki Makurazaki Line The is a railway line in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Compa ...

– Usuki Station – Taniyama Station – Jigenji Station – Sakanoue Station –

Goino Station is a railway station located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan. The station opened in 1930. Lines * Kyushu Railway Company **Ibusuki Makurazaki Line JR Adjacent stations History The station was opened on 7 December 1930 by Japan ...

–

Hirakawa Station is a railway station located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan. The station opened in 1934. Lines * Kyushu Railway Company **Ibusuki Makurazaki Line The is a railway line in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Compa ...

– Sesekushi Station – Nakamyo Station – Kiire Station – Maenohama Station – Nukumi Station

Tramway

* Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau Taniyama Line * Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau Korimoto Line

Highways

* National Route 3 * National Route 10 * National Route 58 * National Route 224 * National Route 225 * National Route 226 * National Route 328 *

Kyushu Expressway ( Asian Highway Network ) is one of the Expressways of Japan from Kitakyūshū (and the bridge to Honshū) to west of Kagoshima linking with the Higashikyushu Expressway and the Ibusuki Skyline. It runs through the prefectures of Fukuoka Pref ...

Minamikyushu Expressway is one of the Expressways of Japan from Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Yatsushiro to Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Kagoshima linking with the Kyushu Expressway. It runs through the southern half of Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto prefecture, and the northern half ...

*Ibusuki Skyline

Bus

*Kagoshima City Bus *Kagoshima Kotsu *Iwasaki Bus Network *Nangoku Kotsu *JR Kyushu bus *MTA Bus

Ferry/Jetfoil

Sakurajima Ferry The is Japanese ferry which links between Kagoshima Port and Sakurajima Port, both in Kagoshima prefecture. It is administered by Kagoshima City Ship Department. Overview In 1914, the eruption of Mt. Sakurajima affected the islands inhabitant ...

*A Line (to southern islands) *Marix Line (to southern islands) *RKK Line (to Okinawa, cargo only) *Toppy (to

Tanegashima is one of the Ōsumi Islands belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 444.99 km2 in area, is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands, and has a population of 33,000 people. Access to the island is by ferry, or by air to New ...

and

Yakushima , native_name_link = , image_caption = Landsat image of Yakushima , image_size = , nickname = , location = East China Sea , coordinates = , map = Japan#Japan Kagoshima Prefecture , map_relief ...

) *Seahawk (to Koshikijima Islands)

Airport

Kagoshima Airport is an airport located in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, northeast of Kagoshima-Chūō StationAIS Japan
in ...

in Kirishima ( NE of Kagoshima)

Sports

Kagoshima was one of the host cities of the official 1998 Women's Volleyball World Championship. Kagoshima is home to Kagoshima United. They play their home games at

Kagoshima Kamoike Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kagoshima, Japan. It is currently used mostly for football and rugby union matches. It was formerly known as Kagoshima Kamoike Stadium. Since April 2018 it has been called Shiranami Stadium for the naming rights ...

Sister cities and friendship cities

Kagoshima is twinned with: *

Changsha Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...

, China (1982) *

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, United States (1990) *

, Italy (1960) *

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Australia (1974) *

Tsuruoka is a city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 125,389 in 49,024 households, and a population density of 95.74 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Tsuruoka is the biggest city in Tōhoku region ...

, Japan (1969) File:Napoli Street in Kagoshima.JPG, Naples Street in Kagoshima File:Perth_Street_in_Kagoshima_20201128.jpg, Perth Street in Kagoshima File:Miami Street in Kagoshima.JPG, Miami Street in Kagoshima File:Kyougetsu-Tei Kagoshima Japan.jpg, Kyogetsu-Tei in Kagoshima commemorating the friendship city relationship with Changsha

Notable people

* Akitsune Imamura – Japanese seismologist * Bernardo the Japanese – Japanese Christian convert, disciple of Saint

Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December 1 ...

, and first Japanese to set foot in Europe * Emi Hashino – Japanese comedian *

Hiroko Ōta is a female Japanese politician, national university president and a researcher of economics. Her academic specialties are national public finance and economic policy. She is a noted lecturer of public finance and is a senior professor at t ...

– Japanese politician, economic researcher *

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military leader and statesman *

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groups *

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– Japanese volleyball player * Seiki Kuroda – Japanese artist *

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- Admiral of the

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Yuki Kashiwagi is a Japanese idol and singer. She is a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 and a former member of NMB48 and NGT48. She auditioned for AKB48 on December 3, 2006, and is now a member of AKB48's Team B. She was previously the captain of T ...

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References

* Amu Plaza Visitors Guide (2006) available in Amu Plaza, Chūō Station, Kagoshima, Japan *

External links

*
Kagoshima City official website

{{Authority control Cities in Kagoshima Prefecture Imperial Japanese Navy Populated coastal places in Japan Port settlements in Japan