Perched at the southern tip of Kyushu, Kagoshima Prefecture has earned the nickname “Naples of the East” for its dramatic bay setting and mild, sun-drenched climate. The prefecture is incredibly active geologically and is home to the great volcanoes of Mt. Kirishima and Mt. Sakurajima, with the latter — one of the world’s most active volcanoes — looming directly across the bay from the prefectural capital and occasionally dusting the city in fine ash. It’s a quirky, endearing reality that locals have long made peace with.
Christianity was first introduced to Japan in Kagoshima by Francis Xavier, and Western technology entered Japan at Tanegashima in the form of muskets. But perhaps most notably, the powerful Satsuma Domain, which ushered in the Meiji Restoration, was located in Kagoshima; not surprisingly, the leader of the Satsuma Rebellion, the revered Saigo Takamori, was born there as well.
The prefecture is a feast for nature lovers. The main draw is Yakushima Island, a World Natural Heritage site whose ancient forests hide some of the most rewarding hiking routes on earth. Wild monkeys and deer roam among towering cedar trees, and a 10-hour hike leads to the Jomonsugi, a cedar estimated to be up to 7,200 years old and one of the oldest living trees on earth. The ancient forests are also said to have inspired the woodland settings in Studio Ghibli’s animated classic Princess Mononoke.
