Kyūshū
Picturesque, tangerine Kirishima-jingū has a good vantage point. Though the original dates from the 6th century, the present shrine was built in 1715. It is dedicated to Ninigi-no-mikoto, who, according to Kojiki (a book compiled in 712), led the gods from the heavens to the Takachiho-no-mine summit. The shrine is accessible by bus (¥240, 15 minutes) from JR Kirishima-jingū Station.
There's a small village with inns and restaurants at the foot of the shrine.
23.89 MILES
In 1658, the 19th Shimazu lord laid out his pleasure garden on this hilly, rambling bayside property of groves, hillside trails and one of Japan's most…
Museum of the Meiji Restoration
26.82 MILES
This museum offers insights into the unique social system of education, samurai loyalty and sword techniques that made Satsuma one of Japan's leading…
6.27 MILES
This attractive, lodge-like tourist centre has information, maps, models of the area's wildlife, topography and nature (in easily understandable English)…
23.77 MILES
The name 'Observatory' is misleading, as there's no building here. The site is a shaded picnic area with some lava escape tunnels and walking trails that…
24.83 MILES
South of the visitor centre is this observation point, where the 1914 lava flow engulfed a small island that had once been 500m offshore. There's now an…
21.22 MILES
Near Sakurajima's east coast, the top of a once-3m-high torii (shrine gate) emerges from the volcanic ash at Kurokami; the rest of it was buried in the…
23.24 MILES
A drive along the tranquil north coast and then inland will lead you to Yunohira Lookout, offering views of the mountain and back across the bay to…
Nishi Hongan-ji Kagoshima Betsuin
26.08 MILES
The current building of this large Buddhist temple near Tenmonkan dates from 1982 and was renovated in 2013. Inside, it's unlike most temples you may have…
1. Ebino-kōgen Eco Museum Centre
6.27 MILES
This attractive, lodge-like tourist centre has information, maps, models of the area's wildlife, topography and nature (in easily understandable English)…
12.67 MILES
Kurozu (amber rice vinegar) has been produced for centuries in the former rice-shipping port of Fukuyama, in Kirishima. The Sakamoto company has made it…
21.22 MILES
Near Sakurajima's east coast, the top of a once-3m-high torii (shrine gate) emerges from the volcanic ash at Kurokami; the rest of it was buried in the…
23.24 MILES
A drive along the tranquil north coast and then inland will lead you to Yunohira Lookout, offering views of the mountain and back across the bay to…
23.77 MILES
The name 'Observatory' is misleading, as there's no building here. The site is a shaded picnic area with some lava escape tunnels and walking trails that…
23.89 MILES
In 1658, the 19th Shimazu lord laid out his pleasure garden on this hilly, rambling bayside property of groves, hillside trails and one of Japan's most…
24.04 MILES
Adjacent to Sengan-en, this 1850s building, a Unesco World Heritage site as Japan's first modern factory, has been converted into a museum. Historical…
8. Karasujima Observation Point
24.83 MILES
South of the visitor centre is this observation point, where the 1914 lava flow engulfed a small island that had once been 500m offshore. There's now an…