Kagoshima is located on the southwest tip of Kyushu Island in Japan. Chances are, it will be either your first or last port in Japan, depending on the direction your ship is traveling. The region's largest city, it's home to about 600,000 people and one really big, active volcano. The climate is balmier than what you'll find in more northerly cities, so don't be surprised when you see palm trees.
Kagoshima has long been a thriving port town and managed to trade with the outside world even when international trade was banned, thanks to the powerful Shimazu clan, which ruled there for many centuries. The area is famous for its Kurobuta pork and shochu, a liquor distilled from sweet potatoes, sugarcane or grains.
Why go to Kagoshima?
The port is conveniently placed for day tours to the spectacular lava fields of Sakurajima volcano
It is roughly 6 kilometers south of the city center and there are no subway stations nearby
Modern port with a picturesque coastal park, all in walking distance of shops and restaurants
