Sakurajima — Attraction in Kagoshima

Getting ready for our port of call, Japanese city Kagoshima, we expected nothing special except for a finally good sunny weather. We have been soooo mistaken! ...Our ship approaches Kagoshima located on the Kyushu Island, when from the bridge we hear a notification: 'A volcano is erupting!' We look through the window and see the Sakurajima volcano with a white 'hat' above it. We make sure we are the first at the gangway and we leave the ship right after the immigration clears it. We go to the city on the first shuttle bus and we take an energetic 30 min. walk to the Mt. Shiroyama and a 40 min. climb to the tip of it (110 m). A reward is a great panoramic view of Kagoshima and, of course, our primary target - Sakurajima volcano. We enjoy the views, make pictures, and also clearly see the volcano 'warming up'. What a good timing of being there! Before this moment, the Mt. Shiroyama was only famous for the death of the 'Last Samurai' Saigo Takamori in 1887 (committed seppuku), but from now on this mountain will be always remembered as the place of T&O observing a volcano eruption! Thank you Kagoshima and Japan for an unforgettable and...

Magnificent, in every way. Totally underestimated what I’d see and how much there was to see on this volcano. There is an entire town living and thriving on there.

Took the ferry, which was a cool ride with great views. Only cost two hundred yen one way.

I spent only 5 hours in Kagoshima, covered plenty by foot, and then hired the coolest cab driver who drove me around the rest of Sakurajima, stopping at places I would have otherwise missed on foot.

From observation decks, towns lining the perimeter, lava rocks, mammoth daikon farms, an army of fishing boats, bridges, and epic views of the mighty Sakurajima volcano, this place had so much.

The cab driver served as a voluntary tour guide sharing facts about the island and his personal life living near the volcano. All I was looking for was a ride back to the ferry, this man went above and beyond.

Be sure to try some roadside sweet potatoes and mango juice, refreshing.

I will return again and rent a bike. Although you can walk the entire island and explore on foot, it has over 50km+ if not more of roads, trails, etc. so unlikely one day...

1955 I was in NAVY & was a bit too adventurous ! Got brilliant idea Why not jump the bus & hike up an obscure- side of the volcano • A Japanese guy had the same IDEA • We two got the bus to let us out where we could see a bit of smoke up there" • Off we went climbing up old lava hillside • Smoke. blowing to the south • We wanted a glimpse into the edge looking down into the fumeral. • SURE ! We had it ALL FIGURED OUT ! Two sharp guys ! THEN %#●•☆● Volcanic-bombs about 6" in diameter all around us• Bushes on either side igniting & smoke all about us• I knew we were. Dead ! My erstwhile. adventurer-new friend looked like mouth-open End-Stage GRIM !! WE BOTH TURNED & FLEW DOWN WITH 10 Ft. steps / smoking rocks chasing us for a while. • Never have two Macho- men been "speed-converted" into two gasping sissy-pants fools•▪so rapidly • Later we could calm down & wait for the bus • LookWe were alive & no smoking-rock-bomb had hit our...