The Shibushi, Kanoya, and Osumi Peninsula area offers tourist attractions such as Peace Park, Railway Memorial Hall, and Terukita Celestial Museum, tourist events such as horseback archery, Natsukoshi Festival, and Air Memorial in Kanoya, and local delicacies such as Karukan, brown sugar shochu, and Akumaki.
Uchinoura is also known as a rocket launch city. JAXA's Uchinoura Space Center, located on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, has launched numerous rockets carrying spacecraft since the "Osumi" in 1970.
Hayabusa" also left for space from here. Visitors can tour the base and see the launch pad and huge parabolic antenna up close.
For a base for your Uchinoura trip, we recommend the National Guest House Cosmopia Uchinoura. For a reasonable price, you can enjoy natural hot spring baths and local cuisine that makes the most of seafood such as eggane. However, it is difficult to make reservations before and after rocket launches due to the number of people involved and tourists, so early check is recommended.
In Osumi, you can also enjoy a factory tour and tasting at "Tenboshi Sake Brewery" named after the city to the space. The "Futamata River Campsite, Kinugen no Mori" is located along a beautiful valley and is equipped with camping equipment for rent, so beginners can easily try their hand at camping. Shower rooms are available, and there is even a Goemon Bath, which is recommended for female campers.
There are seven waterfalls in the vicinity of Kamikawa Otaki Park, the most impressive of which is Kamikawa Otaki Falls, which cascades down from a height of 25 meters with an explosive sound. You will be refreshed by the negative ions.
Cape Sata, the southernmost cape in Kyushu, is home to Japan's oldest lighthouse. We recommend exploring the promenade through the jungle to Misaki Shrine and the observatory. From the observatory, you can see seven islands, including Tanegashima and Yakujima, as well as Mount Kaimondake.
Travel to Kagoshima is generally by land or air, but you can also take the "Ferry Sunflower" from Osaka and land in Shibushi. It takes longer, but the advantage is that you can save a lot of money.
You can't miss the chance to interact with dolphins, penguins, and sea turtles at the "Daikoku Dolphin Land in Shibushi Bay. Cape Daguri Amusement Park is a leisure land on the sea where visitors can play with attractions such as a Ferris wheel, go-carts, and a fairy-tale train. In summer, the park has a water slide, swimming pool, and even a swimming beach, so don't forget your swimsuit.
Kanoya Rose Garden, located in Kanoya City on the Osumi Peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture, is one of the largest rose gardens in Japan. The spacious garden covers approximately 8 hectares and is home to more than 1,500 varieties and approximately 35,000 rose plants. Visitors can enjoy roses from around the world in a beautifully landscaped setting. The garden is especially spectacular during its ...»
Asahi Crab, known scientifically as Ranina ranina, is a distinctive crab found in the warm waters of southern Japan. It is prized as a specialty of Kagoshima Prefecture, particularly in the Shibushi, Kanoya, and Osumi Peninsula area. Its vivid scarlet-red color and striking shape make it an especially attractive seafood delicacy. The crab is also known by the Japanese name Kabutogani. Its elegant...»
Kanoya Kurobuta Curry is a local specialty that originated in Kanoya City, Kagoshima Prefecture. It is made using safe, carefully produced ingredients from Kanoya and the wider Osumi Peninsula, including the region's famous Kagoshima black pork. The dish was created as part of an initiative to encourage local production for local consumption. By making use of agricultural and other regional produ...»
Sejiro Chirimen Zanmai-don is a popular local rice bowl from Shibushi City in Kagoshima Prefecture. It features three different preparations of tiny whitebait fish, known in Japanese as chirimen, served generously over a bowl of warm rice. Shibushi Bay, located on the Osumi Peninsula, is an important fishing area where the Kuroshio Current flows into the bay. Whitebait fishing has long been popul...»
Chinese Sweet Potato Rare Cake is a popular confection made with sweet potatoes grown in Kagoshima Prefecture. It is produced by Festivalo, a specialty confectionery shop known for creating stylish sweets that make the most of the natural qualities of Kagoshima sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes, called karaimo in Kagoshima, come in a wide range of colors, including red, white, and purple. The differ...»
Karaimo Candy is a traditional confection from Kagoshima Prefecture, made using the region's well-known sweet potatoes. In Kagoshima, sweet potatoes are called karaimo, a name meaning “potatoes from the land of Tang China.” The crop is well suited to Kagoshima's warm climate and volcanic ash soil. For generations, Karaimo Candy has been enjoyed as a familiar local specialty. In the past, it was o...»
Akumaki is a traditional sweet from Kagoshima Prefecture. Locally, it is known as chimaki and is traditionally eaten around May 5, the Boys' Festival. It is also made at home for the occasion, continuing a food custom that has been passed down through generations. Unlike many other types of Japanese chimaki, Akumaki does not contain a sweet bean paste filling. Instead, it is made from glutinous r...»
Daidai Ponzu is a citrus-based Japanese seasoning made with Hetsuka Daidai, a specialty citrus fruit from Kimotsuki Town in Kagoshima Prefecture, formerly known as Uchinoura Town. Grown under the abundant sunshine of southern Japan and cooled by breezes from the Pacific Ocean, this daidai citrus is known for its gentle acidity and refreshing fragrance. The freshly squeezed juice is blended with n...»