You’ve decided to head all the way down to Kyushu’s most southern prefecture? That’s pretty cool, but what should you actually do in Kagoshima city? Here is a list of the five best places you should definitely check out.

Amu Plaza

Amu Plaza is a large department store centered bang in the middle of the city. The plaza itself is connected directly to the main train station, so chances are if you’re going to Kagoshima – you’ll pass by here. Inside the plaza, you’ll find several floors of your typical shops – including a Pokemon shop and a Snoopy shop. Towards the upper floors, you’ll find a wide variety of restaurants, an arcade, a cinema, and even a Ferris wheel. On the bottom floor, you’ll also find a great food market where can enjoy hundreds of tasty treats.

Tenmonkan Shopping District

The majority of the Tenmonkan shopping district is roofed – so you don’t have to worry about the weather. Here, you’ll find hundreds and hundreds of shops – including an anime shop and a Don Quijote. Close by are Kagoshima’s main drinking streets, full with restaurants and Japanese-style drinking establishments.

Iso Beach

If the weather is nice, how about spending a day at the beach where you can gaze at the beautiful Sakurajima from afar? In the summer season, it’s a great place to swim and relax. A short walk from the beach is the Sengen-en, a place you can visit (for a small fee) to see beautiful Japanese gardens and folk homes.

Dolphin Port and Kagoshima Aquarium

If you’re looking for a standard day out with the kids, try visiting Kagoshima’s aquarium. The aquarium has a great dolphin show and has one of the largest litre aquarium tanks in the world. A short walk from the aquarium is Dolphin Port, a nice park that has a few restaurants and shops that you can explore (Dolphin Port will be closed down next year).

Sakurajima

You can’t go to Kagoshima city without a visit to the amazing volcanic island known as Mt. Sakurajima. Walk up the volcano, go to the beach, or even go fishing – Sakurajima has plenty to do. So much to do in fact that it warrants its own article. Click here for a detailed list of everything you can do on Sakurajima!

                                                                                                      (Photo was taken from Iso Beach)