LOVE Kagoshima – Kaori Square Feet

The Day in Kagoshima

After our amazing trip to Yakushima, we came back to Kagoshima and I got to spend the whole weekend with S and her husband before heading back to reality (aka Tokyo).

Kagoshima is a really beautiful prefecture surrounded by many volcanic mountains (most of which aren’t active anymore). This means that they also have many onsen (温泉), or hot springs, to enjoy. Kagoshima is famous for many things including Sakura-jima (桜島), the still active volcano, and Kuro-buta (黒豚), the Kagoshima black pig (which I’ve never eaten because I’m vegetarian…but I hear it’s really good!).

They also seem to be very proud of the rich history they have, such as the Satsuma-han (薩摩藩), and you will see statues of various scenes from history all around the city. You can even listen to a recorded explanation of each scene. If you’re into history, you’ll love it.

The city of Kagoshima also has a very convenient tram system. One of the things I noticed was that every tram station had grass growing on the tramway. Apparently this is one of the city’s countermeasures for the urban heat-island effect which they started in 2006. And according to data regarding these areas, not only has the temperature gone down but so has the noise level. Isn’t that great?

I have a few more Kagoshima posts coming up, but until then, here are some photos of our day hanging out in the city! x

The beautiful tram station in front of the JR Kagoshima-chuo Station.

The statues of a scene in Kagoshima history…my friend said they are life-size statues!

Heading to the organic chikyu-batake cafe for lunch!

I got the delicious korokke set, which also included a salad bar.

We had a choice of regular, brown, or black rice to go with our set menu.

The tempura set looked delicious, too. You can see we were pretty happy with our lunch!

Kagoshima is also known for their Shiro-kuma shaved ice. Yum!

S and her husband are always fun to hang out with…love them both!

The prestigious Hotel Shiroyama has a fantastic view of Sakura-jima.

It also has a great view of the city below…and it’s all free! 😀

CHIKYU-BATAKE CAFE (地球畑カフェ草原をわたる船)
3-17-1 Shimo-arata
Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima JAPAN
鹿児島県鹿児島市下荒田3丁目17番1号
TEL: 099-201-7000
HOURS: 11:00am-10:00pm (closed Tuesdays)

HOTEL SHIROYAMA
41-1 Shinshoin-cho
Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima JAPAN
鹿児島県鹿児島市新照院町41番1号
TEL: 099-224-2211

The Trip To Kagoshima: Prologue

Hi everyone!

I’m back from my trip to Kagoshima and I can tell you…there will be lots of posts coming. I took so many pictures, it was ridiculous. It’s going to take awhile to go through them all.

I was initially worried heading into this trip because about a week before my flight, I found mangoes on sale at the super market. And because I love mangoes, I jumped at the chance to buy one. Well, this ended up being a teeny tiny mistake.

Did you know that mangoes and hay fever are a dangerous combination?

I wasn’t feeling 100% from my hinoki allergies already but the day after I ate the mango, my lips started itching. And they started feeling like they were super swollen, like Angelina Jolie’s lips on steroids. Then the itching spread all over my face and neck, getting all red and puffy.

By this time, I’d figured out it was probably the mango so I went to the hospital to get medication. This was two days before flying to Kagoshima and I wasn’t feeling up to a trip at all.

But some how the swelling and itchiness was mildly better by the time I took off to Kagoshima and it got better as the days went on. You could say it was maybe due to the fresh air in Yakushima and all the onsen time I had in Kagoshima. Either way, I ended up having a great time!

Can’t wait to tell you all about it! x

The Next Trip: Kagoshima

Guess where I’m headed next month!

Yakushima has been on my destination list since forever. In my head, it’s a lush mystical island. An island filled with thousand year old trees that have a million stories to tell. Oh and did I mention there’s tons of moss? I really love moss.

Growing up next to the woods, I’ve always appreciated those moments when you’re surrounded by nothing but trees that reach to the sky and all you hear around you is the sound of nature. The rustling of leaves, a bird here and there, the wind rushing through the path. I took it for granted back then but the state of tranquility at that moment is like none other.

So what better place is there to get back in touch with nature than Yakushima, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site? I can’t wait!

I’m also excited to see my best friend from high school, who lives in Kagoshima. We’ve been wanting to take a trip to Yakushima for years but it’s finally finally happening! We’ll only be in Yakushima for 2 days but we’re renting a car and plan on driving around and exploring the island one day and hiking in the forest the next. I’ll also be in Kagoshima city for a couple days, too. Whoop whoop!

If you have any suggestions or advice, I’d love to know! xx