, 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 9 ...

), 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. The city was officially founded on April 1, 1889. It merged with Taniyama 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, 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 Radical 198 or radical deer () meaning "deer" is one of the 6 Kangxi radicals (214 radicals in total) composed of 11 strokes. In the ''Kangxi Dictionary'', there are 104 characters (out of 49,030) to be found under this radical. is also the 19 ...

児

島 Shima may refer to: Places , Japan * Shima Province (志摩), one of the old provinces of Japan * Shima, Fukuoka (志摩), a former town in Fukuoka Prefecture * Shima, Mie (志摩), a city in Mie Prefecture ** Shima, Mie (town), a former town in ...

) 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 A ban is a formal or informal prohibition of something. Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some bans in commerce are referred to as embargoes. ''Ban'' is also used as a verb similar in meaning ...

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; 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 sout ...

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 of

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. 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 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 ''La révolution en Russie'', also known as ''Les événements d'Odessa'' and ''La révolte du cuirassée Potemkine'' is a 1905 French silent short film directed by Lucien Nonguet, and distributed in English-speaking countries under the titles ...

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

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 Yoshida (written: 吉田 lit. "lucky ricefield") is the 11th most common Japanese surname. A less common variant is 芳田 (lit. "fragrant ricefield"). Notable people with the surname include: *Ai Yoshida, Japanese sailor *, Japanese idol, singer ...

and Sakurajima (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'' (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. 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 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-grass ...

Hioki is a city in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. As of May 1, 2010, the city had a population of 51,819

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 con ...

Minamikyūshū is a city located on the southern tip of Satsuma Peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. As of March 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 39,738, with 17,288 households and a population density of 111.05 per km². The total area i ...

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 (which ...

Tarumizu is a city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1958. As of April 2017, the city has an estimated population of 14,847 and a population density of 92 persons per km². The total area is 162.12 km². H ...

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 and

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

(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 The , variously known as Kagoshima Tropical Botanical Garden, Kagoshima Tropical Vegetation Park, or Kagoshima Prefecture Botanical Gardens, was a botanical garden located at 1-7-15 Yojiro, Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, o ...

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 is an upper secondary school in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. It is a co-educational public school. Overview Before the school system was reformed after World War II, this school used to be known as and .Under the old system of e ...

* 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 ** Kagoshima-Chūō Station *

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 two ...

Satsuma-Matsumoto Station is a railway station on the Kagoshima Main Line operated by Kyushu Railway Company in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan. The station opened in 1954. Lines *Kyushu Railway Company **Kagoshima Main Line The is a major railway line operated by t ...

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

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 ...

** 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 is a railway station located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan. The station opened in 1988. Lines *Kyushu Railway Company **Ibusuki Makurazaki Line The is a railway line in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company ...

–

Sakanoue Station is a railway station located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan. The station opened in 1966. Lines *Kyushu Railway Company **Ibusuki Makurazaki Line JR Adjacent stations Nearby places

*The International University of Kagoshima ...

–

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 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 Company ...

– Nakamyo Station –

Kiire Station is a railway station located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan. The station opened in 1934. Lines *Kyushu Railway Company **Ibusuki Makurazaki Line JR Adjacent stations History Japanese Government Railways (JGR) had opened the ...

–

Maenohama 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 Compan ...

–

Nukumi 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 Company ...

Tramway

Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau The is a public transportation authority of Kagoshima City, Japan. The bureau operates trams and bus lines. From April 1, 2005, together with Nangoku Kōtsū and JR Kyūshū Bus, the bureau introduced RapiCa, a smart card ticketing system. ...

Taniyama Line *

Korimoto Line

Highways

National Route 3 The following highways are numbered 3, H-3, PRI-3, AH3, E03 and R3. For roads numbered A3, see A3 roads. For roads numbered M3, see M3. For roads numbered N3, see N3. For roads numbered 3A, see 3A. International * Asian Highway 3 * European ...

* 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 inhabitants ...

*A Line (to southern islands) *Marix Line (to southern islands) *RKK Line (to Okinawa, cargo only) *Toppy (to Tanegashima 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 The 1998 FIVB Women's World Championship was the thirteenth edition of the tournament, organised by the world's governing body, the FIVB. It was held from 3 to 12 November 1998 in Tokyo, Tokuyama, Matsumoto, Kagoshima, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Osaka ...

. Kagoshima is home to

Kagoshima United is a Japanese professional football club based in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan that was formed from the merger of ''Volca Kagoshima'' and ''FC Kagoshima''. Both clubs played in the Kyushu Soccer League before the merger. Their top team ...

. 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, 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 was a Japanese seismologist. As a University of Tokyo seismologist he represented a new generation of scientists, trained by Western experts. He who predicted the timing and magnitude of the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake 16 years in advance. Bo ...

– Japanese seismologist *

Bernardo the Japanese was an early Japanese Christian convert of the 16th century, born in Kagoshima, and the first Japanese person to set foot in Europe. Bernardo was one of the first converts of Saint Francis Xavier, and one of his two disciples. Bernardo was baptiz ...

– Japanese Christian convert, disciple of Saint Francis Xavier, and first Japanese to set foot in Europe *

Emi Hashino is a Japanese comedian and stage actress. She is usually starring in TBS's long-term program, King's brunch. Her amiable behavior and chatting have won her a good reputation and popularity as a regular on that show. She is perhaps most recogn ...

– Japanese comedian * Hiroko Ōta – Japanese politician, economic researcher *

Hiroshi Kawauchi is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and a member of the House of Representatives of Japan, House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan, Diet (national legislature). He studied at Waseda University. Refere ...

– Japanese politician *

Ikki Sawamura is a Japanese model, film and television actor, and television presenter signed to Ken-On. His second son, Kōta Nomura is also an actor. Biography Ikki Sawamura was born in Kagoshima in 1967. After graduating from the local high school, he mo ...

– Japanese model, actor, TV presenter *

Izumi Inamori is a Japanese actress signed to Burning Production. Biography Izumi Inamori was born and grew up in Kagoshima Prefecture. After finished from the local high school, Inamori went to University of Texas at Arlington to study English abroad. Af ...

– Japanese actress *

Junichi Miyashita is a Japanese swimmer. He won a bronze medal in the men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay at the 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an internat ...

– Japanese swimmer * Kabayama Sukenori – Japanese

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

military leader Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a m ...

and statesman * Kaneta Kimotsuki – Japanese voice actor (1935–2016) * Kazuo Inamori – Japanese philanthropist, entrepreneur, founder of Kyocera Corporation and

KDDI Corporation () is a Japanese telecommunications operator formed on October 1, 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp. (Daini-Denden Inc.), KDD (Kokusai Denshin Denwa) Corp. (itself a former listed state-owned enterprise privatized in 1998), and IDO Corp. It ...

, and chairman of Japan Airlines *

Kawasaki Shōzō was a Japanese industrialist and shipbuilder. He was the founder of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Biography Born in Kagoshima to a kimono merchant, Kawasaki Shōzō became a tradesman at the age of 17 in Nagasaki, the only place in Japan then ...

– Industrialist, founder of the

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...

and K Line groups * Kōhei Miyauchi – Japanese actor *

Koji Maeda is a former Japanese football player and manager. Playing career Maeda was born in Kagoshima Prefecture on 3 February 1969. He played as center back at many clubs. After graduating from National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, he jo ...

– Japanese football player * Kiyotaka Kuroda – Japanese politician, second Prime Minister of Japan *

Miyo Yoshida Mitsuyo Yoshida (吉田実代, ''Yoshida Mitsuyo'', born 12 April 1988) is a Japanese professional boxer who has held the WBO junior-bantamweight title since 2021. As of April 2020, she is ranked as the world's ninth best active female junior-b ...

– Japanese professional boxer *

Mone Kamishiraishi is a Japanese actress and singer. She is the older sister of actress and singer Moka Kamishiraishi. Biography Born in Kagoshima, Her family lived in Mexico for three years due to her father's work. She can speak English and a little bit of Spa ...

– Japanese singer and actress *

Morihiko Nakahara is a Japanese conductor. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, Nakahara is the music director and conductor at the South Carolina Philharmonic, and resident conductor of the Spokane Symphony. Nakahara received a Master of Music degree in instru ...

– Japanese conductor * Norihiro Nakajima – Japanese manga artist of Astro Team, etc. *

Ryuji Fujiyama is a former Japanese football player. Playing career Fujiyama was born in Kagoshima on June 9, 1973. After graduating from high school, he joined Japan Football League club Tokyo Gas (later ''FC Tokyo'') in 1992. He became a regular player as ...

– Japanese football player *

– Japanese politician, samurai * Sakura Miyawaki – Japanese idol singer and actress, member of Le Sserafim *

Saori Sakoda Saori Sakoda (迫田さおり ''Sakoda Saori'', born December 18, 1987) was a Japanese volleyball player who played for Toray Arrows. She also played for the All-Japan women's volleyball team. Clubs * Kagoshima-nishi High School * Toray A ...

– Japanese volleyball player *

Seiki Kuroda Viscount was a Japanese painter and teacher, noted for bringing Western art theory and practice to a wide Japanese audience. He was among the leaders of the ''yōga'' (or Western-style) movement in late 19th and early 20th-century Japanese pai ...

– Japanese artist *

Shinobu Kaitani is a Japanese manga artist. His most notable works are ''One Outs'' and ''Liar Game''. Shinobu is from Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. He graduated from Kagoshima Prefectural Konan High School and from Department of Electronics Engineerin ...

– Japanese manga artist *

Taisei Okazaki Taisei Okazaki (born 23 March 1982 in Kagoshima Prefecture）is a Japanese musician, DJ, and music producer who has produced music with Lord Kimo (the original member of Asian Dub Foundation) since 2009. He has been ranked #46 in The Greates ...

– Japanese DJ & music producer *

Takuya Shiihara is a former Japanese Association football, football player. Club statistics References External links

* 1980 births Living people Association football people from Kagoshima Prefecture Japanese men's footballers J1 League players J2 Le ...

– Japanese football player *

- Admiral of the

Toru Kamikawa is a former Japanese football (soccer) referee, debuting in Japan's professional J. League in 1996. Kamikawa was born in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture. An international referee since 1998, he refereed one match at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and t ...

– Japanese football referee * Toshimichi Ōkubo – Japanese statesman, samurai, and one of the

Three Great Nobles The is a term used in Japan for three figures that played an important role in the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and are regarded as the founders of the modern state of Japan.『維新元勲十傑論』、16頁 The Three Great Nobles were: * Ōkubo ...

who led to the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

* Yasuhito Endō – Japanese football player *

Yoshito Kajiya was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kagoshima, Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Locat ...