is a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

located on the island of

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

and the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km² (3,547

sq mi The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi2)Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an imperial and US unit of measure for area. One square mile is equa ...

). Kagoshima Prefecture borders

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture t ...

to the north and

Miyazaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,028,215 as of 1 January 2025 and has a geographic area of 7,735 Square kilometre, km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefectur ...

to the northeast.

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

is the capital and largest city of Kagoshima Prefecture, with other major cities including Kirishima,

Kanoya file:Kanoya City Hall.jpg, 270px, Kanoya City Hall is a city in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 98,367 in 46114 households, and a population density of 100 persons per km². The total area of the city is . ...

, and Satsumasendai. Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southernmost point of Kyūshū and includes the

Satsunan Islands The is a geopolitical name for a group of islands that forms the northern part of the Ryukyu Islands. The whole island group belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Major islands * Satsunan Islands ** Ōsumi Islands with: *** Tanegashima, Yak ...

group of the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture's mainland territory extends from the

Ariake Sea 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 ...

to Shibushi Bay on the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

coast, and is characterized by two large

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

s created by

Kagoshima Bay also known as Kinkō Bay, is a deep inlet of the East China Sea on the coast of Japan.''Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition'', p. 562. Kagoshima Bay is on the south coast of the island of Kyūshū. The port city of Kagoshi ...

. Kagoshima Prefecture formed the core of the

Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a Han system, domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of ...

, ruled from Kagoshima Castle, one of the most important Japanese domains of the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

and 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

History

Kagoshima Prefecture corresponds to the ancient Japanese provinces Ōsumi and

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 ...

, including the northern part of the

('' Satsunan''). This region played a key role in the

(

Saigō Takamori Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...

), and the city of

was an important naval base during Japan's 20th century wars and the home of admiral

Tōgō Heihachirō , served as a '' gensui'' or admiral of the fleet in the Imperial Japanese Navy and became one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. As Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, he successfully confine ...

. More recent incidents are the sinking of a North Korean spy ship (100 ton class) in 2001 by the

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

, which was later salvaged and exhibited in Tokyo, and the abduction of an office clerk from a Kagoshima beach in 1978 by agents from the same country. This became known only recently under the Koizumi administration.

Demographics

The two main ethnic groups of Kagoshima Prefecture are the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

and the

Ryukyuans The are a Japonic-speaking East Asian ethnic group indigenous to the Ryukyu Islands, which stretch from the island of Kyushu to the island of Taiwan. With Japan, most Ryukyuans live in the Okinawa Prefecture or Kagoshima Prefecture. They sp ...

(Amami Islands).

Geography

Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu on the

Satsuma Peninsula The Satsuma Peninsula (薩摩半島 ''Satsuma-hantō'') is a peninsula which projects south from the southwest part of Kyūshū Island, Japan. To the west lies the East China Sea, while to the east it faces the Ōsumi Peninsula across Kagoshima ...

and

Ōsumi Peninsula image:Osumi Peninsula Kagoshima Japan SRTM.jpg, 261x261px, Satellite image of Ōsumi Peninsula The projects south from the Japanese island of Kyūshū and includes the southernmost point on the island, Cape Sata. Its east coast lies on the Pacifi ...

. This prefecture also includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest of Kyushu for a few hundred kilometers. The most important group is the

Amami Islands The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is a Japanese archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is sout ...

. Surrounded by the

East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...

to the west,

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...

in the south,

to the north, and

to the east, it has of coastline (including the 28 islands). It has a bay called

(Kinkowan), which is sandwiched by two peninsulas,

and Ōsumi. Its position made it a 'gateway' to Japan at various times in history. While Kyushu has about 13 million people, there are less than 2 million in this prefecture. The prefecture boasts a chain of active and dormant

volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

es, including the great

Sakurajima Sakurajima (, ) is an active composite volcano, 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 Peninsula. It is the most active vo ...

, which towers out of the Kagoshima bay opposite

city. A steady trickle of smoke and ash emerges from the

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the str ...

, punctuated by louder mini-eruptions on an almost daily basis. On active days in Kagoshima city an umbrella is advisable to ward off the ash. Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes. Major eruptions occurred in 1914, when the island mountain spilled enough material to become permanently connected to the mainland, and a lesser eruption in 1960. Volcanic materials in the soil make Sakurajima a source for record

daikon Daikon 大根 (だいこん) or mooli, (مولی) ''Raphanus sativus'' var. ''longipinnatus,'' is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root. Originally native to continental East Asia ...

radishes, roughly the size of a

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

. Many beaches around the Kagoshima Bay are littered with well-worn pumice stones. A crater lake in the southwestern tip of the prefecture, near the spa town of

Ibusuki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 37,594 in 17477 households, and a population density of 250 people per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Ibusuki is loc ...

, is home to a rare species of giant eel. As of 31 March 2019, 13% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Amami Guntō, Kirishima-Kinkowan, Unzen-Amakusa, and

Yakushima is one of the Ōsumi Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of 13,178. It is accessible by hydrofoil ferry, car ferry, or by air to Yakushima Airport. Administratively, the island consists of the town ...

National Parks; Koshikishima and Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-National Parks; and Akune, Bōnoma, Fukiagehama, Imutaike, Ōsumi Nanbu, Sendaigawa Ryūiki, Takakumayama, and Tokara Rettō Prefectural Natural Parks. File:Jomon Sugi 06.jpg,

Jōmon Sugi is a large ''Cryptomeria'' tree (yakusugi) located on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Japan. It is the oldest and largest among the old-growth cryptomeria trees on the island, and is estimated to be between 2,170 and 7,200 years o ...

in Yaku Island File:Ishiharayoshiharaueno site3.JPG, Mangrove native forest in

Amami Island The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is a Japanese archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is sout ...

File:出水・鶴IMGP1033.JPG, A crane observation centre in Izumi crane migration grounds File:Ohara festival in Kagoshima.jpg, Ohara style folk dance in Kagoshima Ohara Festival in November File:Ibusuki-Sand-Bath.JPG, Sand bath style in Ibusuki Spa File:Satsunan-Islands-Kagoshima-Japan.png, Map of Kagoshima Prefecture

Economy

Most of the economic sector is focused in Kagoshima City and the surrounding area, corresponding to the extent of the former

Satsuma Province was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation was . History Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. Dur ...

. The eastern part of the prefecture, the former

Ōsumi Province was a province of Japan in the area of southeastern Kyūshū, corresponding to the eastern half of modern Kagoshima Prefecture, and including the Ōsumi Islands . Ōsumi bordered on Hyūga to the northeast, and Satsuma Province to the nor ...

, is mostly rural and shows a general population decline. The prefecture has strong agricultural roots, which are reflected in its most well-known exports:

green tea Green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves and buds of the '' Camellia sinensis'' that have not undergone the withering and oxidation process that creates oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China in the late 1st millenn ...

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of ...

radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...

, Pongee

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

Satsuma ware is a type of Japanese pottery originally from Satsuma Province, southern Kyūshū. Today, it can be divided into two distinct categories: the original plain dark clay made in Satsuma from around 1600, and the elaborately decorated ivory-bodied ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

pork ("kurobuta") and local Black

Wagyu Wagyu (, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ''wagyū'', ) is the collective name for the four principal List of Japanese cattle breeds, Japanese breeds of beef cattle. All wagyū cattle originate from early twentieth-century cross-breeding between ...

beef. Kagoshima prefecture's production of bonito flakes is second only to that of Shizuoka. In addition, it produces Japan's largest volume of unagi eels. Kagoshima is also largest

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

and

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

producing prefecture in Japan. The

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The is the Japanese national Aeronautics, air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satell ...

(JAXA) has several facilities within the prefecture, including the country's main launch facility on

Tanegashima is one of the Ōsumi Islands belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 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 Tanegashima Airp ...

and the

Uchinoura Space Center The is a space launch facility in the Japanese town of Kimotsuki, Kagoshima Prefecture. Before the establishment of the JAXA space agency in 2003, it was simply called the (KSC). All of Japan's scientific satellites were launched from Uchino ...

. The prefecture's

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

is approximately 5,548.7 trillion yen, with a work force of about 791,000 people (2018)

Municipalities

The following is a list of Kagoshima Prefecture's cities, and its administrative districts with their constituent towns and villages:

Cities

Nineteen cities are located in Kagoshima Prefecture:

Districts

These are the towns and villages in each

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

Mergers

Culture

Food

Kagoshima Prefecture has a distinct and rich food culture. The warm weather and diverse environments allow for the agriculture and aquaculture of Kagoshima to thrive. Numerous restaurants around Kagoshima feature

local cuisine. Popular cuisine incorporating local agriculture include

, ''kibinago sashimi'' (silver-striped herring), ''buri'' amberjack, ''kampachi'' yellowtail, "Black Label Products" such as ''kuro-ushi'' Wagyu beef, ''kuro-buta'' Berkshire pork dishes, and ''kuro-Satsuma jidori'' chicken (sometimes served as raw, chicken ''sashimi''); smoked eel, keihan, and ''miki'' (fermented rice milk consumed among residents of the

''Satsuma-age''

Satsuma-age is a fried fishcake originating from Kagoshima, Japan. Surimi and flour are mixed to make a compact paste that is solidified through frying. It is a specialty of the Satsuma region. It is known by a variety of regional names throughout Japan. ...

'', or deep-fried fish cake, comes in great variety in Kagoshima. Though the deep-fried fishcake can be found throughout the country, the Satsuma Domain (modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture) is commonly believed to be the birthplace of the snack. It is said, though, the concept was introduced from the Ryūkyū Kingdom (modern-day Okinawa Prefecture) by Satsuma Lord, Nariakira Shimazu.

Sweets

There are many types of sweets produced in Kagoshima Prefecture. has produced some of Japan's most popular and timeless sweets such as , , and green tea-flavored Hyōroku mochi, Minami " shirokuma" shaved ice desserts, etc. Traditional treats outside of Seika Food Co., Ltd. products include ''

karukan is a Japanese confection from Kyushu. The origin of the name is "light" (軽) yokan (羹). Originally, ''karukan'' was “saomono gashi” which is a traditional confection in the form of a long block; but “karukan manjū”, which is fille ...

'' (sweet cakes made from steamed yams and rice flour)
''jambo-mochi''
''kokutō'' brown sugar from the Amami Islands, ''getanha'' brown sugar cake, etc.

Beverages

In 1559, at in a carpenter wrote atop a wooden board "the Shintō Priest of this shrine is too stingy to offer me showing an early love for the spirits. Kagoshima Prefecture is officially recognized (by the World Trade Organization) as the home to one of the most traditional beverages of Japan, ''shōchū''. In Kagoshima there are 113+ distilleries, producing about 1,500 highly acclaimed brands, placing Kagoshima in the top for production quantity and shipment. While visiting Kagoshima, one may notice labels reading . ''Honkaku-shōchū'' is a distilled beverage produced with traditional skills using ingredients such as natural spring water, sweet potatoes, locally grown sugar cane, and grains. Varieties of ''honkaku-shōchū'' include , ''shōchū'' distilled from sweet potatoes, , distilled from barley, and distilled from rice. Another type of ''shōchū'' is , ''shōchū'' distilled with brown sugar). ''Shōchū'' has long gained international favor and has come to be comparable to Bordeaux for wine, Scotch for whiskey, and Cognac for brandy. Also, the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture are the only areas sanctioned to bear the label of ''kokutō-shōchū''. or black vinegar is another item of the "Black Label Products" of Kagoshima, the other of which is ''Kokutō-shōchū''. There are a number of ''kurozu'' farms around Kagoshima, most of which are located around the Kirishima area. Most ''kurozu'' farms produce ''kurozu'' bottled vinegar (fermented for a single year, 2+ years) along with other items such as salad dressing, powders, capsules, spices, candy, etc. ''Kurozu'' also comes in different flavors such as grape, orange, ''ume plum'', etc. though the most popular flavor by far is apple. The farms are open to visitations and often offer tours.

Dialect

Today, Kagoshima is home to a distinctive dialect of Japanese known as or , differing from the usual

dialects with its pronunciations of the

yotsugana are a set of four specific kana, じ, ぢ, ず, づ (in the Nihon-shiki romanization system: ''zi'', ''di'', ''zu'', ''du''), used in the Japanese writing system. They historically represented four distinct voiced morae (syllables) in ...

. For the most part, Satsugū dialect is mutually unintelligible with

Standard Japanese is the principal language of the Japonic languages, Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people. It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese dia ...

, though most Satsugū speakers know both as a result of language standardization in Japan.

Sport and recreation

Kagoshima Rebnise Kagoshima Rebnise is a Japanese professional basketball team located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima. The team currently competes in the B.League. Some players were not paid in 2016–17. Roster Notable players * Yoshihiko Amano * Chri ...

, a professional basketball team, was founded in 2003 and currently competes in the second division of the national

B.League The B.League is a men's professional basketball league in Japan. The league is operated by the Japan Professional Basketball League and was formed as a result of a merger between the National Basketball League that was operated by the FIBA-affi ...

Kagoshima United FC is a Japanese professional football club based in Kagoshima, Capital of 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. T ...

, a football team, was founded in 2014 and competes in the

J3 League or simply J3 is the third division of . It was established in 2013 as the third-tier professional association football league in Japan under the organization of J.League. The league is known as the for sponsorship reasons. The third-tier nation ...

. Although no major professional baseball teams are based in the prefecture, a number of Kagoshima's ballparks have hosted the spring training camps of

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

teams: *Ibusuki Municipal Ballpark (指宿市営球場), camp home of the Kokutesu Swallows *, camp home of

Sagan Tosu is a Japanese professional Association football, football club based in Tosu, Saga, Tosu, Saga Prefecture. The club plays in the J2 League, the second tier of Japanese football, since 2025 following relegation from the J1 League in 2024 J1 Leag ...

(football) *

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

, camp home of

Júbilo Iwata is a Japanese professional association football, football team based in Iwata, Shizuoka, Iwata, located in Shizuoka Prefecture. The club competes in J2 League following relegation from J1 League in 2024 J1 League, 2024. Etymology The team's ...

(football) and

Toshiba Brave Lupus Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Mic ...

(rugby) * Kamoike Ballpark, previous camp home of the

Chiba Lotte Marines The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba, Chiba, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings, Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. The Marines were a founding member of the Pacific Le ...

(NPB) and

Lotte Giants The Lotte Giants () are a South Korean professional baseball, professional baseball team based in Busan. They are a member of the KBO League. The Lotte Giants are owned by Lotte Corporation. From 1982 through 1985, they played at Gudeok Baseball ...

(

KBO League The KBO League () is a professional baseball league in South Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most success ...

). Also hosts regular season games. * *Yunomoto Ballpark (湯之元球場), camp home of the

Yakult Atoms The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams in Tokyo, the other being the Yomiuri G ...

The

Kirishima-Yaku National Park is a national park in Kyūshū, Japan. It is composed of Kirishima-Kagoshima Bay, an area of Kagoshima Prefecture and Miyazaki Prefecture known for its active volcanoes, volcanic lakes, and onsen. The total area is . History On March 16, 1934, ...

is located in Kagoshima Prefecture.

Education

Universities and colleges

* Daiichi Institute of Technology * Daiichi Junior College of Infant Education * The International University of Kagoshima * Kagoshima Immaculate Heart College *

Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University file:Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University.JPG, Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University is a private university, private women's university in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1933, and it was chartered as ...

* Kagoshima Prefectural College *

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

* Kagoshima Women's Junior College *

National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya is a national university in Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends fro ...

* Shigakukan University

High schools

Science and technology facilities

Tanegashima Space Center The (TNSC) is Japan's primary spaceport, covering approximately about . It is located on the southeastern tip of Tanegashima, the easternmost of the Ōsumi Islands, approximately south of the major island of Kyushu. The site was selected on ...

Museums

* Bansei Tokkō Peace Museum *

Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots The airbase at Chiran, Minamikyūshū, on the Satsuma Peninsula of Kagoshima, Japan, served as the departure point for hundreds of Special Attack or kamikaze sorties launched in the final months of World War II. A peace museum dedicated to the ...

* Museum of the Meiji Restoration * Reimeikan, Kagoshima Prefectural Center for Historical Material * Uenohara site

Transportation

Rail

Hisatsu Orange Railway is a third-sector railway company which operates Hisatsu Orange Railway Line in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures. The line follows the former part of the JR Kyushu Kagoshima Main Line that connected Yatsushiro and Sendai in Kumamoto and K ...

JR Kyushu 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. It formerly operated the Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait be ...

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, Kagoshima, Kagoshima, to Makurazaki Station in Makurazaki, Kagoshima, Makurazaki, paral ...

Hisatsu Line The is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Yatsushiro on the Kagoshima Main Line to Hayato station, Kirishima, Kagoshima , Kirishima on the Nippo Main Line. Fro ...

** Kagoshima Line **

Kitto Line The is a railway line on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It connects Yoshimatsu Station in Yūsui, Kagoshima Prefecture with Miyakonojō Station in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture. It is also known as together with the – segment of the H ...

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 Sta ...

Nippō Main Line The is a railway line in Kyushu, in southern Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). Also known as the Fukuhoku Nippo Line, The line connects Kokura Station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, K ...

Trams

* Kagoshima City Tram

Roads

Expressways and toll roads

* Higashikyushu Expressway (Hayato Road) *Ibusuki Toll Road * Kyushu Expressway * Minamikyushu Expressway * Miyazaki Expressway

National 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 * Euro ...

(

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuk ...

–

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

–

Kurume is a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 295,367 in 137,140 households, and a population density of 1309 people per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kurume is located in the Chikugo Plain ...

–

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

–

Minamata is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It is on the west coast of Kyūshū and faces Amakusa islands. Minamata was established as a village in 1889, re-designated as a town in 1912 and grew into a city in 1949. As of March 2017, the ci ...

-Izumi-Satsuma Sendai-Kagoshima) * National Route 10 (Kitakyushu- Nakatsu–

Beppu 270px, Beppu City Hall is a city in Ōita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. As of November 30, 2023, the city had a population of 113,045 in 62,702 households, and a population density of 900 persons per km2. The total area of the ci ...

– Saiki–

Nobeoka 270px, Central Nobeoka City is a city located in the north of Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 113,367 in 51272 households, and a population density of 130 persons per km². The total area of the city is . ...

– Miyazaki– Miyakonojo-Kagoshima) * National Route 58 (disconnected segments in downtown Kagoshima and on the islands of

and

Amami Ōshima , also known as Amami, is the largest island in the Amami Islands, Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa. It is one of the Satsunan Islands, all of which belong to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 712.35 ...

) *Route 220 (Miyazaki- Nichinan-Shibushi-Kanoya-Tarumizu-Kirishima) *Route 223 *Route 224 *Route 225 *Route 226 *Route 267 ( Hitoyoshi-Isa-Satsuma Sendai) *Route 268 (Minamata-Isa- Ebino–

Kobayashi Kobayashi (Japanese language, Japanese: , 'small woods') is the 8th most common Japanese surname. A less common variant is . Notable people with the surname include: Arts Film, television, theater and music *, Japanese actress and voice a ...

-Miyazaki) *Route 269 *Route 270 *Route 328 (Kagoshima-Isa-Izumi) *Route 389 ( Ōmuta– Tamana– Unzen– Minamishimabara–

Amakusa , which means "Heaven's Grass," is a series of islands off the west coast of Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. Geography The largest island of the Amakusa group is Shimoshima, which is 26.5 miles long and 13.5 mil ...

-Akune) *Route 447 (Ebino-Isa-Izumi) *Route 448 *Route 499 *Route 504 (Kanoya-Kirishima-Satsuma-Izumi)

Ports

*Kagoshima Port **Domestic ferry route to

Kikai Island is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 7,657 people. Administratively the island forms the town of Kikai, Kagoshima Prefecture. ...

Tokunoshima , also known in English as is an island in the Amami archipelago of the southern Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 27,000. The island is divided into three administrative t ...

, Yoron Island,

Okinoerabu , also known as Okinoerabu, is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, 93.63 km2 in area, has a population of approximately 14,000 persons. Administratively it is divided in ...

and

Naha is the Cities of Japan, capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 people per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). ...

. **High-speed craft route to

, Tanegashima and Yakushima. **International container hub port *Naze Port **Ferry Route to Osaka, Kobe, Kagoshima, Yakushima, Tanegashima, Tokunoshima and Naha. *Shibushi Port **Ferry route to

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, Tokyo,

and

**International and domestic container hub port *Tanegashima Port *Tokunoshima Port *Yakushima Port

Airports

* Amami Airport *

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

Okinoerabu Airport is located on the island of Okinoerabujima in the town of Wadomari, Ōshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. History Okinoerabu Airport was opened on 1 May 1969 with a 1200-meter runway, and was officially certified as a third-class ai ...

Tanegashima Airport , also known as Tanegashima Airport, is located in Nakatane, on Tanegashima, one of the Ōsumi Islands in southern Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coas ...

* Tokunoshima Airport *

Yakushima Airport is an airport located on the island of Yakushima in Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordere ...

* Yoron Airport

Notable people

Isamu Akasaki was a Japanese engineer and physicist, specializing in the field of semiconductor technology and Nobel Prize laureate, best known for inventing the bright gallium nitride (GaN) p-n junction blue LED in 1989 and subsequently the high-brightness G ...

, physicist and engineer,

Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...

laureate * Hajime Chitose, singer *

Hayato Tani is a Japanese actor, singer and television presenter best known for his career as General Tani in Takeshi's Castle and Commander Sugata in Hikari Sentai Maskman. Biography He was born in Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan and raised in Sasebo, Nagas ...

, actor *

Yasuhito Endo was the second son of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako), a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. As a member of the Imperial House of Japan, he was the patron of several ...

, football player *

Kosuke Fukudome is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2012, primarily with the Chicago Cubs and had a long spanning career in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Chunichi Dragons and ...

, MLB player *

GO!GO!7188 Go!Go!7188 (Go Go Nana Ichi Hachi Hachi), also known simply as Go!Go!, was a Japanese rock band with influences spanning from surf rock to punk rock to J-pop. History In June 1998, Yumi Nakashima (nicknamed Yuu) and Akiko Hamada (nicknamed ...

, rock band * Masazumi Harada, doctor * Goyō Hashiguchi, artist *

Utami Hayashishita is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is signed to Dream Star Fighting Marigold where she is the current Marigold World Champion. She is best known for her time in World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she is the former leader of Queen's Quest. ...

, professional wrestler *

admiral of the fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

in 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, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...

Kota Ibushi is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenure with New Japan-Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) and WWE. His career began with the Dramatic Dre ...

, professional Wrestler *

Kazuo Inamori was a Japanese philanthropist, entrepreneur, Zen Buddhist priest, and the founder of Kyocera and KDDI. He was the chairman of Japan Airlines. Inamori was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering in 2000 for innovation i ...

, industrialist turned philanthropist *

Junichi Inamoto is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is a retired international for the Japan national team. Club career Gamba Osaka Inamoto was born in Kagoshima Prefecture. He played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka du ...

, football player *

Takehiko Inoue is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for the basketball series ''Slam Dunk'' (1990–1996), and the ''jidaigeki'' manga '' Vagabond'', which are two of the best-selling manga series in history. Many of his works are about basketball, I ...

, modern comic artist *

Shinobu Kaitani is a Japanese manga artist. He is known for his works, ''One Outs'' and '' Liar Game''. Early life Kaitani is from Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. He graduated from Kagoshima Prefectural Konan High School and from Department of Electron ...

, modern comic artist *

Yuki Kashiwagi is a Japanese singer. She was a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48, NMB48 and NGT48. She auditioned for AKB48 on December 3, 2006, and was a member of AKB48's Team B. She was previously the captain of Team B before she was replaced ...

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol musical girl group named after the Akihabara area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48 has sold more records than any other female musical act in Japanese history. AK ...

member * Kunio Kato animator known especially for ''

La Maison en Petits Cubes is a 2008 Anime, Japanese animated short subject film created by Kunio Katō, with music by Kenji Kondo and produced by Robot Communications and animated by Oh! Production. It won several prizes, including The Annecy Cristal at the 32nd Annecy In ...

'' *

Yoichiro Kawaguchi is a Japanese computer graphics artist and professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo. Career Kawaguchi rose to international prominence in 1982 when he presented "Growth Model" in the international conference SIGGRAPH. In 2013, Kawag ...

, computer graphics artist * Munenori Kawasaki, MLB player * Kohei Miyauchi, voice actor *

Sakura Miyawaki Sakura Miyawaki (born March 19, 1998), also known mononymously as Sakura, is a Japanese singer and actress based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Le Sserafim, and a former member of South Korean-Japanese girl group ...

HKT48 HKT48 (read "H.K.T. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. HKT48 is named after the Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Hakata-ku ward of Fukuoka, where Akimoto originally intended to base the group. The group currently performs at ...

Iz*One Iz*One ( ; ; ; stylized in all caps) was a South Korean–Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet (TV channel), Mnet reality competition show ''Produce 48''. The group was composed of twelve members: Jang Won-young, Sakura Miyawaki, Jo Yu-r ...

and

LE SSERAFIM Le Sserafim ( ; ; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music, a sub-label of Hybe Corporation, Hybe. The group consists of five members: Sakura Miyawaki, Sakura, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. ...

member *

Mika Nakashima is a Japanese singer and actress. Five of her studio albums, one of her mini-albums and one of her compilation albums have reached number one in Japan's Oricon album chart. She also embarked on an acting career, most notably as Nana Osaki in th ...

, artist *

Shimazu Nariakira was a Japanese feudal lord (''daimyō'') of the Edo period, the 28th in the line of Shimazu clan lords of Satsuma Domain. He was renowned as an intelligent and wise lord, and was greatly interested in Western learning and technology. He was ...

, feudal lord *

Yuya Osako is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Vissel Kobe. Club career 1860 Munich On 6 January 2014, Osako joined German side TSV 1860 Munich for the second half of the 2014–2015 season. He scored on his debut, the ...

, football player * Robico, manga artist *

Jirō Sakagami was a Japanese comedian, actor, and singer. Career Sakagami was born in Kagoshima Prefecture but spent most of his childhood in Manchukuo. Winning an NHK song contest at age 19, he headed to Tokyo to try to make a name in the entertainment busin ...

, comedian *

Hiroyuki Sakai is a Japanese chef who specializes in French cuisine. Sakai is best known as the second, final, and longest-serving Iron Chef French on the Japanese television show ''Iron Chef'', first appearing at the beginning of 1994 (after Yutaka Ishinabe r ...

, ''

Iron Chef is a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1993, is a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle buil ...

'' cook *

Hitoshi Sakimoto is a Japanese composer and sound producer. He is best known for scoring the video games '' Final Fantasy Tactics'' and ''Final Fantasy XII'', though he has composed soundtracks for numerous other games. Sakimoto first played music and video games ...

, composer *

Nanami Sakuraba , is a Japanese gravure idol and actress who won "Miss Magazine 2008". In November 2024, she announced her departure from her agency ''Sweet Power'' and that she would continue her career under her real name. Personal life Sakuraba is the midd ...

, actress * Tokichi Setoguchi, composer *

Yoku Shioya is a Japanese actor and voice actor debuting in '' Triton of the Sea'' (1972). He has done some voice directing in such anime as '' Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls Ryota Miyagi in Slam Dunk and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.'' His real name is Tsub ...

, voice actor *

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 ...

, founder of

Kawasaki Heavy Industries 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, headquartered in Minato, To ...

Kento Tachibanada is a Japanese footballer currently playing as a defensive midfielder for J1 League club Kawasaki Frontale. Club career On 18 January 2023, Tachibanada was appointed as the captain of Kawasaki Frontale for the 2023 season. On 3 October 2023, ...

, football player *

Nabi Tajima was a Japanese supercentenarianSaigō Takamori Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...

, samurai *

Seiji Tōgō was a Japanese painter and artist known for his depiction of the female form. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture Japan, he graduated from middle school at Aoyama Gakuin University and displayed his first one-man show at Hibiya Art Museum at the age of ...

, artist *

Ōkubo Toshimichi Ōkubo Toshimichi (; 26 September 1830 – 14 May 1878) was a Japanese statesman and samurai of the Satsuma Domain who played a central role in the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration (維新の� ...

, statesman *

Yoshiyuki Tsuruta (October 1, 1903 – July 24, 1986) was a Japanese Swimming (sport), swimmer. He won a gold medal in the 1928 Summer Olympics, Amsterdam Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Olympics. Biography Tsuruta was born in Ishiki Villag ...

, swimmer, Olympic Games double gold medalist * Wowaka, singer

Mythical creatures

* Garappa (Kappa) * Issie * Ittan-momen

International relations

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, United States, since November 28, 1966 *

Gifu Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...

, since July 27, 1971 *

Jeollabuk-do North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of Sout ...

, South Korea, since October 1989, duo-declaration *

Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...

, China

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ; ; .

External links

* *

Official Kagoshima Prefecture Promotional Website
* National Archives of Japa
... Kagoshima map (1891)
{{Authority control Kyushu region Prefectures of Japan

History

Demographics

Geography

Economy

Municipalities

Cities

Districts

Mergers

Culture

Food

''Satsuma-age''

Sweets

Beverages

Dialect

Sport and recreation

Education

Universities and colleges

High schools

Science and technology facilities

Museums

Transportation

Rail

Trams

Roads

Expressways and toll roads

National highways

Ports

Airports

Notable people

Mythical creatures

International relations

See also

Notes

References

External links