Rediscovering Kagoshima before heading south via ferry to Okinawa
We have enjoyed being back in Kagoshima. It is a city we enjoy as it is not too large, it has much to offer culturally, great food, interesting shopping all in a super location. Kagoshima has an active port with a busy interesting waterfront, is surrounded by huge hills and it has an up close view of an active volcano, Sakurajima, on an island a few minutes away by ferry. This is our second time visiting this city as we also spent time here during our trip to Japan in the spring. Just going into a grocery store is an adventure: aisles of fresh fish including items we can’t identify, all of a quality that we wish we had at home. It is fun exploring the aisles as we see some familiar, and some odd items, but it is always an insight into Japanese culture and cuisine. How do Japanese people stay so slim? Grocery stores, convenience stores and countless specialty stores feature such an array of sweets, tempting pastries, mini cakes packaged to go and all of it it’s tempting- thank goodness we are getting lots of exercise.
When we first checked in, we were disappointed that the view from our room was the wall of the next building. It was so close you could almost touch it which made the room dark and was claustrophobic.. I went down to the front desk and they kindly moved us up to the 11th floor. A huge improvement…Arigato.
Well this is different from the other manholes we have been seeing throughout Japan. With their love of animated characters, it was just a matter of time. We liked this and it really drew our attention as we were walking along.
Visual stimulation is always a factor when wandering the streets of a city in Japan. We find that we are becoming more accustomed to the colourful images and displays…but then you look up and see the maze of wiring.
Lining up for a much loved treat, Kaiten Manju. This small shop called Horaku Manju has been around for a long time. They have never succumbed to changing times and modified what they do. Kaiten Manju dates back to 1752. As the expression goes, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Kaitenyaki has a sweetened filling of red bean or white bean with honey. The pancake exterior is crispy and the yummy inside is soft. These treats have been around since 1752. Yum.
Kagoshima is famous for many things. However, something locals (and visitors like us) agree on is that the frozen treat, Shirokuma which was created here in the 1930’s, is delicious and unique. Shirokuma translates as white bear and its likeness is often portrayed with this dessert. Tenmonkan Mujaki, is the restaurant in this photo and has been around for over 70 years. The dessert is made of shaved ice, condensed milk syrup, fresh and dried fruit, honey syrup and beans. As you can see, the white bear is considering eating a massive bowl of Shirokuma.
This is another white bear at the Shirokuma restaurant. The banner above the bear talks about the restaurant’s 74th anniversary. Christmas is coming and we are looking forward to it. Talking to a woman at the Tourist Office today, we asked her what Christmas Day is like here…would any stores be closed? She looked puzzled by our questions, but she clarified that Christmas is just a day with special cakes and beautiful coloured light displays. Nothing will be closed. She stressed that the holiday that matters to Japanese people is New Years…Jan 1,2 and 3. Things will be closed and people take a holiday, most often back to where they are from. She gave us good advice, we will book something for those days.
Well, we finally took the plunge and entered a Pachinko Parlour. OMG…it is so loud. We couldn’t wait to get out of there, but clearly playing Pachinko is loved by many people in Japan.
The Temonkan district is diverse and interesting. Historically it was a red light district, and it still has that element but to a lesser degree. Now it is an entertainment district with great shopping, pedestrian outdoor malls, restaurants and lots of local colour.
These cedar bowls, cups, carvings etc. have been crafted by hand from cedar trees of Yakushima Island.The cedar trees on Yakushima Island are protected as they are hundreds or thousands of years old. Wood for carvings must be from fallen trees.
The half curtain and sign tell us that this is a Ramen restaurant. The interior is usually fairly small with counter seating giving the diner an unrestricted view of the cooks at work. The line up shows that this is a good place and we can attest to that. We had our dinner here last night and it was delicious.
Our hotel, the Dormy Inn is prepared for an emergency if the elevator fails and leaves you stranded. This corner piece has many functions…it provides one with a seat to rest on, it has a toilet inside, and helpful supplies are inside as well. We have never seen something like this before, but it makes sense.
We went to the ferry terminal to book our cabin for the trip to Okinawa tomorrow. We were not allowed to book ahead and must return on the day of the sailing…seems weird but that is what we will do. The ferry pictured here is probably the ship we will be taking for the 25 hour journey.
It was the weirdest thing, as we approached the ferry terminal the sky was blue and Sakurajima, the volcano was very quiet with no smoke. However, when we came out we could see ash spewing and dense cloud billowed from the peak. It didn’t take long for the blue skies to disappear. What an eerie feeling.
This active volcano is not taken for granted as ash falling in the area is a common occurrence. Children wear hard hats to protect their heads when needed. Experts warn that a big eruption could happen without warning, yet people choose to make this their home and love Kagoshima. We worried about the safety of residents when we visited Mt. Aso earlier in the trip.
Steve Miller/GrampiesWe loved looking at the seafood sections in the Portuguese and Spanish markets. All so fresh and unusual to our eyes. Counters full to overflowing in the mornings and picked over and almost empty by end of day. Reply to this comment 5 months ago
What a great entrance into this gyoza restaurant. The great white shark from “Jaws” isn’t interested in the young woman swimming by, but gyozas are clearly a much tastier prey.
People of all ages like to walk around their neighbourhood at night. It is quite festive and pretty at night with the lights and decorations in the area.
