Kagoshima City (Japan Kagoshima)

Kagoshima is a major port city and the capital of Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture (southwestern Kyushu Island), with population around 610,000. The city is nicknamed "Naples of Japan" due to its bay location and scenic stratovolcano (Sakurajima).

The town was officially founded in 1889. It features a humid subtropical climate, with Japan's highest annual and winter average temperatures, relatively dry and cool winters, wet and warm springs, hot summers and relatively dry autumns.

The prefecture has a distinct food culture. The warm weather allows for its aquaculture and agriculture to flourish and gain worldwide recognition for unique cuisine with top-quality food products, with numerous restaurants offering Satsuma cuisine. The city is home to a distinctive Japanese dialect (Satsugu) differing greatly from the usual Kyushu.

On shore excursions is visited the port city Ibusuki (approx 50 km/~30 mi south of Kagoshima City) on the Satsuma Peninsula's southeastern tip. Ibusuki is accessed via railways (JR Kyushu's trains on the Ibusuki Makurazaki Line) and highways (national routes 226, 269, and 448).

Ibusuki is famous for its wellness amenities (sunamushi onsen/black-sand spas) and the food specialty somen nagashi (fine noodle). Ibusuki's other tourist attractions include Chiringashima (Kagoshima Bay's biggest island), Hirakiki-jinja (Hirasaki Shrine in the Kaimonjuttcho neighborhood), Ibusuki Shokubutsu Shikenjo (Experimental Botanical Garden, Kagoshima University), Ibusuki Onsen (group of three hot springs in the east of the city, named Surigahama, Yajigayu, and Nigatsuden), Iwasaki bijutsukan (1983-opened Art Museum in the gardens of a resort hotel), Ikeda-ko (a caldera lake ~40 km/25 mi south of Kagoshima), Kaimon-dake (mount/undissected volcano), Ryugu Shrine (dedicated to a sea goddess), Tōsenkyo (a gorge southwest of the Ikeda Lake).