Kagoshima Prefecture

城市概覽

History

Kagoshima was known as Satsuma (薩摩) until 1871. It was one of the strongest Japanese provinces, at its height ruling an empire whose effective domain extended from Okinawa in the south to northern Kyushu. Fiercely reactionary, the city of Kagoshima was bombarded by English warships in 1863 in retaliation for the murder of an English trader, an event still known among the Japanese as the Satsuma-England War (薩英戦争 Satsu-Ei sensō). While at first supportive of the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and a key contributor to the military defeat of the Shogunate's forces, Satsuma soon balked at the new government's attempts to roll back the privileges of the samurai. By 1877, the province had done a U-turn and was now at the forefront of the Satsuma Rebellion (西南戦争 Seinan-sensō), somewhat reluctantly spearheaded by Saigō Takamori (西郷隆盛), a near-mythical figure whose story was (very loosely) adapted for the Last Samurai movie. Outnumbered and outgunned, the rebels failed to take Kumamoto's castle and were soon hunted down, Saigō dying in the final Battle of Shiroyama in Kagoshima. With the rebellion over, Satsuma's port was converted into an Imperial naval stronghold that gave birth to Japanese admiral Tōgō Heihachirō.

Climate Sub-tropical Kagoshima is the rainiest part of Japan, experiencing not one but two rainy seasons that stretch nearly uninterrupted from May to July. Parts of Yakushima get nearly 9000 mm — that's nine meters — of rain yearly, or about seven times more than Tokyo! Hot on the heels of the rainy season come typhoons, peaking in August and September. The shoulder season that follows is one of the best times to visit, as is spring, with cherry blossoms flowering in late March. Winter can be surprisingly cold, with average temperatures on the coast around 7° and snow in the mountains.

如何抵達

By plane Kagoshima's airport (KOJ IATA), about two hours by air from Tokyo, is well-connected to the rest of Japan and has links to Seoul and Shanghai. There are also direct flights to Amami Oshima from Tokyo-Haneda and Osaka-Itami. Also check New Tanegashima Airport (TNE IATA).

By train Kagoshima is the southern terminus of the Kyushu Shinkansen line. A bullet train service connects Kagoshima with Shin-Osaka in 3 hours and 45 minutes launched. With this leg of the bullet train route, northernmost mainland Japan and the southernmost point of Kyushu are effectively connected, although to travel the entire distance you would reportedly have to change trains at Tokyo station. Alternatively, the JR Nippō Main Line (日豊本線 Nippō-honsen) travels from Fukuoka to Kagoshima via Kyushu's eastern coast, passing through Oita and Miyazaki.

By ferry Virtually all ferries heading south towards the Amami Islands or Okinawa call in at Kagoshima. The main operators are A-Line Ferry, aka Maru-A (マルエー) and Marix Line, both of which run between Kagoshima and Naha (Okinawa) on alternating days. The full trip all the way from Naha takes about 24 hours and costs ¥14,200 in 2nd class — not much of a savings over a plane ticket.

當地交通

By plane Most of the prefecture's larger islands are served by flights from Kagoshima, although schedules are sparse and costs high. For example, JAC's 25-min hop to Yakushima costs ¥12,750 one-way.

By ferry Kagoshima's islands are connected by a web of ferries radiating out from Kagoshima, with some also calling in at Ibusuki.

美食

Kagoshima is an agricultural area, known for numerous products:

Black pork (黒豚 kurobuta) is from a variant of Berkshire hogs, and is the most highly prized pork in Japan. It is named for the color of the hogs, not the meat. Potatoes (芋 imo), particularly sweet potatoes (サツマイモ satsumaimo), are used in a variety of dishes and snacks, as well as in making shochu. Purple sweet-potato ice cream is available in various shops. Black beef (黒牛 kuroushi) is the well marbled local beef. Mandarins (ミカン mikan) from Kyushu have been exported worldwide, with the "Satsuma orange" commonly grown in Florida and Louisiana. Tropical fruits, grown both on the main Kyushu island and neighboring smaller islands, are available inexpensively at fruit markets around town. Brown sugar (黒糖 kokutō or 黒砂糖 kurozatō, both meaning "black sugar") made from sugarcane is a well known product of Kagoshima's southern islands. It is frequently used in candy, confectionery and can even be distilled into shochu. Local fish and shellfish are also common. Special dishes in Kagoshima cuisine include:

Chicken sashimi (鳥さし torisashi). Sliced raw chicken, served with a garlic and soy dip on the side. It tastes exactly like you'd expect raw chicken to taste like. In addition to the meat, liver, hearts and other parts are also eaten raw. The chicken used for this are specially bred, slaughtered and stored, reducing but not eliminating the odds of contracting salmonella or other nasties. If completely raw chicken is a step too far, try tori no tataki (鶏のタタキ), which has been lightly seared on the outside but is still raw and pink on the inside. Tonkotsu (豚骨). This is a pork stew where the meat is marinated in shochu and slow cooked; the bones turn into gelatin and are eaten as part of the dish. Not to be confused with tonkatsu, the fried pork cutlet! Satsuma-age (さつま揚げ). This is a kind of fried fish cake. Different shapes have different flavors, e.g. the large rectangular ones have carrot in the middle, t

飲品與夜生活

Kagoshima's specialty is imojōchū (芋焼酎), a strong liquor distilled from sweet potatoes (薩摩芋 satsuma-imo). Manufactured here for over 500 years, it's infamous for its peculiar smell (often likened to gasoline and other unpleasant things), but recent varieties have reduced it to bearable levels, revealing a complex, almondy taste and the humble workman's plonk has been transformed into a high-class tipple now enjoyed in Tokyo's fancy bars. The local custom is to drink shochu mixed with hot water, called oyuwari (お湯割り), but first-timers will probably want to start off drinking it with cold water, mizuwari (水割り), or ice instead.