Warm Scenes of Kagoshima

Posted on November 25, 2024  •  4 minutes  • 667 words  • Other languages:  Korean

Sengan-en, the Satsuma Garden

After returning to Kagoshima from Yakushima late in the evening, I spent some time organizing my wet clothes and shoes.
The next morning, I had only about half a day to explore Kagoshima for the last time.
Even within that short span, I had a few places to visit: Shiroyama Observatory, Sengan-en, and Sakurajima.
Craving a peaceful morning walk, I decided to head to Sengan-en first.

Although it was already October 18th, Kagoshima’s sun was still quite intense.
Yet, the bright and clear weather made me feel welcomed rather than uncomfortable.

Jambo Mochi, a must-try snack in Sengan-en.
It’s said to symbolize the two swords of a samurai, but regardless of its story, it was sweet and delicious—perfectly paired with tea.

Sengan-en was built in 1658 as a villa for the Shimazu clan.
Its emblem, a circle with a cross inside, was visible throughout the garden.
In fact, I noticed this emblem frequently while riding Kagoshima’s City View Bus around the city.

It made me realize just how deeply rooted the Shimazu clan’s influence was in Kagoshima, having ruled the region for over a thousand years.

Instead of Sakurajima, a Trip to the Aquarium

I had hoped to visit both Shiroyama Observatory and Sakurajima, but there simply wasn’t enough time.
The visit to Sengan-en took longer than expected.
So, on a whim, I decided to visit Kagoshima Aquarium instead.
The aquarium is conveniently located right next to the Sakurajima Ferry terminal, which made missing out on Sakurajima even more bittersweet. 😂

The Kagoshima Aquarium didn’t feature any uniquely rare fish that couldn’t be seen elsewhere in Japan.
However, because of this, most visitors were local schoolchildren and their parents, with hardly any foreign tourists.
This provided a unique opportunity to observe and appreciate the warm, everyday life of Kagoshima.

It had been at least eight years since my last visit to an aquarium, so even the fish felt fascinating.

It seemed that Sakurajima and I were not meant to meet on this trip.
I couldn’t set foot on it, and even from a distance, it remained shrouded in clouds—or was it smoke?
But what could I do?
It was my choice to allocate such a short time to Kagoshima.

Will I Ever Return to Kagoshima?

After finishing my visit to the aquarium, I still had some time left before my reserved Shinkansen departure.
So, I decided to explore the Tenmonkan area in Kagoshima City.

I strolled around Tenmonkan Park, had a quick udon meal, and browsed through a tall building’s dessert shop, souvenir stores, and bookstore.
On a whim, I went up to the rooftop of that building, where I unexpectedly found a breathtaking view.

(Why didn’t I record a longer video?)
The rooftop view allowed me to soak in the serene and warm atmosphere of Kagoshima one last time.
But soon, I had to leave this beautiful sight behind and return to Kagoshima-Chuo Station.

Of all the cities I visited during this trip to Japan, leaving Kagoshima felt particularly heavy.
I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay a bit longer and enjoy the place even more.
Part of the reason was that I had only half a day to truly explore it.
But I realized that this lingering regret encompassed something bigger.

The excitement I felt traveling from Fukuoka to Kagoshima, and then onward to Yakushima.
The comfort of a warm shower and the cozy embrace of my hotel in Kagoshima, after returning drenched and tired from Yakushima.
Kagoshima during this journey was much more than “just half a day.”

And there was another reason.
Fukuoka, Osaka, Tokyo, and Sapporo—all well-known destinations—felt like places I could visit again anytime.
Even Yakushima, being a special place, seemed like a destination I’d return to with proper preparation.
But Kagoshima? Would I ever have the chance to return here, even once in my lifetime?
That uncertainty made leaving Kagoshima especially bittersweet and left it etched in my memories as a nostalgic travel destination.