Kagoshima, Kagoshima
Encyclopedia
is the capital city
of Kagoshima Prefecture
at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū
island of Japan
, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples
of the Eastern world
" for its bay location (Aira Caldera
), hot climate
and impressive stratovolcano
, Sakurajima
.
As of 1 January 2010, the city had an estimated population
of 605,855 and a density
of 1,107.49 persons per km². The total area is 546.71 km². In 2003, the city had an estimated population
of only 554,136 and density
of 1,911.41 persons per km². The total area was 289.91 km².
The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of five towns—the towns of Kōriyama
and Matsumoto
, both from Hioki District
, the town of Kiire
, from Ibusuki District
, and the towns of Sakurajima
and Yoshida
, both from Kagoshima District
—merging into Kagoshima on November 1, 2004.
Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport
, and the city features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has many restaurants featuring Satsuma Province
regional cuisine: kibi (a kind of tiny fish), tonkatsu
(caramelized pork, as opposed to the breaded version encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made from steamed yams and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium
has been installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Sengan-en (Isoteien) Japanese garden is just outside the city.
The St. Xavier church is a reminder of the first Christians who came to Japan.
One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the bay) is from the Amuran Ferris wheel on top of Amu Plaza Kagoshima
, the shopping centre attached to the main Kagoshima-Chūō Station
.
of samurai
for many centuries. It was a busy political and commercial port city throughout the medieval period and into the Edo period
(1603–1867) when it formally became the capital of the Shimazu's fief, the Satsuma Domain. The official emblem is designed Shimazu's kamon to shape of the character "市"(shi, means "city"). Satsuma remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country throughout the period, and though international trade was banned
for much of this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent vassal kingdom of Ryūkyū
; Ryukyuan traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special Ryukyuan embassy building
was established to help administer relations between the two polities
and to house visitors and emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of Christian
activity in Japan prior to the imposition of bans against that religion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Kagoshima was bombarded by the British Royal Navy
in 1863 to punish the daimyō
of Satsuma
for the murder of Charles Lennox Richardson
on the Tōkaidō
highway the previous year and its refusal to pay an indemnity in compensation. (See 'Bombardment of Kagoshima
').
Kagoshima was the birthplace and scene of the last stand
of Saigō Takamori
, a legendary figure in Meiji Japan in 1877 at the end of the Satsuma Rebellion
.
Japan's industrial revolution is said to have started here, stimulated by the young students' train station. Seventeen young men of Satsuma broke the Tokugawa
ban on foreign travel, traveling first to England and then the United States before returning to share the benefits of the best of Western science and technology. A statue was erected outside of the train station as a tribute to them.
The city was officially founded on 1 April 1889.
Kagoshima was also the birthplace of Tōgō Heihachirō
. After naval studies in England
between 1871 and 1878, Togo's role as Chief Admiral of the Grand Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
in the Russo-Japanese War
made him a legend in Japanese military history, and earned him the nickname 'Nelson
of the Orient' in Britain. He led the Grand Fleet to two startling victories in 1904 and 1905, completely destroying Russia as a naval power in the East, and thereby contributing to the failed revolution in Russia
in 1905.
The 1914 eruption of the volcano across the bay from the city spread ash throughout the municipality, but relatively little disruption ensued.
On August 6, 1993, a heavy torrential rain and debris landslide, following hit flood in around area, include Ryugamizu area, which 49 persons lives in natural disaster.
Shinkansen
(bullet train) service opened on 13 March 2004 between Kagoshima-chūō and Shin-Yatsushiro
.
Sadomitsu Sakoguchi, the renowned Japanese diplomat, revolutionized Kagoshima's environmental economic plan with his dissertation on water pollution and orange harvesting.
Today, Kagoshima is home to a distinctive dialect of Japanese, differing from the usual Kyūshū
dialects with its pronunciations of the yotsugana
.
is the capital city
of Kagoshima Prefecture
at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū
island of Japan
, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples
of the Eastern world
" for its bay location (Aira Caldera
), hot climate
and impressive stratovolcano
, Sakurajima
.
As of 1 January 2010, the city had an estimated population
of 605,855 and a density
of 1,107.49 persons per km². The total area is 546.71 km². In 2003, the city had an estimated population
of only 554,136 and density
of 1,911.41 persons per km². The total area was 289.91 km².
The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of five towns—the towns of Kōriyama
and Matsumoto
, both from Hioki District
, the town of Kiire
, from Ibusuki District
, and the towns of Sakurajima
and Yoshida
, both from Kagoshima District
—merging into Kagoshima on November 1, 2004.
Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport
, and the city features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has many restaurants featuring Satsuma Province
regional cuisine: kibi (a kind of tiny fish), tonkatsu
(caramelized pork, as opposed to the breaded version encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made from steamed yams and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium
has been installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Sengan-en (Isoteien) Japanese garden is just outside the city.
The St. Xavier church is a reminder of the first Christians who came to Japan.
One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the bay) is from the Amuran Ferris wheel on top of Amu Plaza Kagoshima
, the shopping centre attached to the main Kagoshima-Chūō Station
.
of samurai
for many centuries. It was a busy political and commercial port city throughout the medieval period and into the Edo period
(1603–1867) when it formally became the capital of the Shimazu's fief, the Satsuma Domain. The official emblem is designed Shimazu's kamon to shape of the character "市"(shi, means "city"). Satsuma remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country throughout the period, and though international trade was banned
for much of this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent vassal kingdom of Ryūkyū
; Ryukyuan traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special Ryukyuan embassy building
was established to help administer relations between the two polities
and to house visitors and emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of Christian
activity in Japan prior to the imposition of bans against that religion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Kagoshima was bombarded by the British Royal Navy
in 1863 to punish the daimyō
of Satsuma
for the murder of Charles Lennox Richardson
on the Tōkaidō
highway the previous year and its refusal to pay an indemnity in compensation. (See 'Bombardment of Kagoshima
').
Kagoshima was the birthplace and scene of the last stand
of Saigō Takamori
, a legendary figure in Meiji Japan in 1877 at the end of the Satsuma Rebellion
.
Japan's industrial revolution is said to have started here, stimulated by the young students' train station. Seventeen young men of Satsuma broke the Tokugawa
ban on foreign travel, traveling first to England and then the United States before returning to share the benefits of the best of Western science and technology. A statue was erected outside of the train station as a tribute to them.
The city was officially founded on 1 April 1889.
Kagoshima was also the birthplace of Tōgō Heihachirō
. After naval studies in England
between 1871 and 1878, Togo's role as Chief Admiral of the Grand Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
in the Russo-Japanese War
made him a legend in Japanese military history, and earned him the nickname 'Nelson
of the Orient' in Britain. He led the Grand Fleet to two startling victories in 1904 and 1905, completely destroying Russia as a naval power in the East, and thereby contributing to the failed revolution in Russia
in 1905.
The 1914 eruption of the volcano across the bay from the city spread ash throughout the municipality, but relatively little disruption ensued.
On August 6, 1993, a heavy torrential rain and debris landslide, following hit flood in around area, include Ryugamizu area, which 49 persons lives in natural disaster.
Shinkansen
(bullet train) service opened on 13 March 2004 between Kagoshima-chūō and Shin-Yatsushiro
.
Sadomitsu Sakoguchi, the renowned Japanese diplomat, revolutionized Kagoshima's environmental economic plan with his dissertation on water pollution and orange harvesting.
Today, Kagoshima is home to a distinctive dialect of Japanese, differing from the usual Kyūshū
dialects with its pronunciations of the yotsugana
.
is the capital city
of Kagoshima Prefecture
at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū
island of Japan
, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples
of the Eastern world
" for its bay location (Aira Caldera
), hot climate
and impressive stratovolcano
, Sakurajima
.
As of 1 January 2010, the city had an estimated population
of 605,855 and a density
of 1,107.49 persons per km². The total area is 546.71 km². In 2003, the city had an estimated population
of only 554,136 and density
of 1,911.41 persons per km². The total area was 289.91 km².
The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of five towns—the towns of Kōriyama
and Matsumoto
, both from Hioki District
, the town of Kiire
, from Ibusuki District
, and the towns of Sakurajima
and Yoshida
, both from Kagoshima District
—merging into Kagoshima on November 1, 2004.
Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport
, and the city features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has many restaurants featuring Satsuma Province
regional cuisine: kibi (a kind of tiny fish), tonkatsu
(caramelized pork, as opposed to the breaded version encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made from steamed yams and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium
has been installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Sengan-en (Isoteien) Japanese garden is just outside the city.
The St. Xavier church is a reminder of the first Christians who came to Japan.
One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the bay) is from the Amuran Ferris wheel on top of Amu Plaza Kagoshima
, the shopping centre attached to the main Kagoshima-Chūō Station
.
of samurai
for many centuries. It was a busy political and commercial port city throughout the medieval period and into the Edo period
(1603–1867) when it formally became the capital of the Shimazu's fief, the Satsuma Domain. The official emblem is designed Shimazu's kamon to shape of the character "市"(shi, means "city"). Satsuma remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country throughout the period, and though international trade was banned
for much of this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent vassal kingdom of Ryūkyū
; Ryukyuan traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special Ryukyuan embassy building
was established to help administer relations between the two polities
and to house visitors and emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of Christian
activity in Japan prior to the imposition of bans against that religion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Kagoshima was bombarded by the British Royal Navy
in 1863 to punish the daimyō
of Satsuma
for the murder of Charles Lennox Richardson
on the Tōkaidō
highway the previous year and its refusal to pay an indemnity in compensation. (See 'Bombardment of Kagoshima
').
Kagoshima was the birthplace and scene of the last stand
of Saigō Takamori
, a legendary figure in Meiji Japan in 1877 at the end of the Satsuma Rebellion
.
Japan's industrial revolution is said to have started here, stimulated by the young students' train station. Seventeen young men of Satsuma broke the Tokugawa
ban on foreign travel, traveling first to England and then the United States before returning to share the benefits of the best of Western science and technology. A statue was erected outside of the train station as a tribute to them.
The city was officially founded on 1 April 1889.
Kagoshima was also the birthplace of Tōgō Heihachirō
. After naval studies in England
between 1871 and 1878, Togo's role as Chief Admiral of the Grand Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
in the Russo-Japanese War
made him a legend in Japanese military history, and earned him the nickname 'Nelson
of the Orient' in Britain. He led the Grand Fleet to two startling victories in 1904 and 1905, completely destroying Russia as a naval power in the East, and thereby contributing to the failed revolution in Russia
in 1905.
The 1914 eruption of the volcano across the bay from the city spread ash throughout the municipality, but relatively little disruption ensued.
On August 6, 1993, a heavy torrential rain and debris landslide, following hit flood in around area, include Ryugamizu area, which 49 persons lives in natural disaster.
Shinkansen
(bullet train) service opened on 13 March 2004 between Kagoshima-chūō and Shin-Yatsushiro
.
Sadomitsu Sakoguchi, the renowned Japanese diplomat, revolutionized Kagoshima's environmental economic plan with his dissertation on water pollution and orange harvesting.
Today, Kagoshima is home to a distinctive dialect of Japanese, differing from the usual Kyūshū
dialects with its pronunciations of the yotsugana
.
(JR Kyūshū)
in Kirishima (35 km NE of Kagoshima)
, Italy
; Perth
, Australia
; Miami
, United States
;
and friendship cities with Changsha, People's Republic of China
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
of Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
island of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
of the Eastern world
Eastern world
__FORCETOC__The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures or social structures and philosophical systems of Eastern Asia or geographically the Eastern Culture...
" for its bay location (Aira Caldera
Aira Caldera
Aira Caldera is a gigantic volcanic caldera in the south of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. The caldera was created by a massive eruption, approximately 22,000 years ago. Eruption of voluminous pyroclastic flows accompanied the formation of the 17 × 23 km-wide Aira caldera...
), hot climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
and impressive stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
, Sakurajima
Sakurajima
, also romanized as Sakurashima or Sakura-jima, is an active composite volcano and a former island of the same name in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyūshū, Japan...
.
As of 1 January 2010, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 605,855 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,107.49 persons per km². The total area is 546.71 km². In 2003, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of only 554,136 and density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,911.41 persons per km². The total area was 289.91 km².
The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of five towns—the towns of Kōriyama
Koriyama, Kagoshima
was a town located in Hioki District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Kōriyama, along with the town of Matsumoto, also from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the towns of Sakurajima and Yoshida, both from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
and Matsumoto
Matsumoto, Kagoshima
was a town located in Hioki District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Matsumoto, along with the town of Kōriyama, also from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the towns of Sakurajima and Yoshida, both from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
, both from Hioki District
Hioki District, Kagoshima
Hioki was a district located in Kagoshima, Japan. As of the merger of the town of Kinpō into the city of Minamisatsuma the district no longer exists....
, the town of Kiire
Kiire, Kagoshima
was a town located in Ibusuki District, Kagoshima, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 12,648 and the density of 206.57 persons per km²...
, from Ibusuki District
Ibusuki District, Kagoshima
Ibusuki was a district located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of June 30, 2005 population data , the district had an estimated population of 14,761 and a density of 134 persons per km²...
, and the towns of Sakurajima
Sakurajima, Kagoshima
was a town located in Kagoshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Sakurajima, along with the towns of Kōriyama and Matsumoto, both from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the town of Yoshida, also from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
and Yoshida
Yoshida, Kagoshima
was a town located in Kagoshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Yoshida, along with the towns of Kōriyama and Matsumoto, both from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the town of Sakurajima, also from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
, both from Kagoshima District
Kagoshima District, Kagoshima
Kagoshima is a district located in Kagoshima Prefecture. As of October 1, 2008, the district has an estimated Population of 1,087 and a Density of 8.19 persons/km². The total area is 132.71 km²....
—merging into Kagoshima on November 1, 2004.
Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport
Kagoshima Airport
-External links:* *...
, and the city features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has many restaurants featuring Satsuma Province
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
regional cuisine: kibi (a kind of tiny fish), tonkatsu
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu , invented in the late 19th century, is a popular dish in Japan. It consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage and/or miso soup...
(caramelized pork, as opposed to the breaded version encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made from steamed yams and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
has been installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Sengan-en (Isoteien) Japanese garden is just outside the city.
The St. Xavier church is a reminder of the first Christians who came to Japan.
One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the bay) is from the Amuran Ferris wheel on top of Amu Plaza Kagoshima
Amu Plaza Kagoshima
is the terminal building adjacent to Kagoshima-Chūō Station. It is owned by the Kagoshima Terminal Building Corporation which belongs to JR Kyūshū....
, the shopping centre attached to the main Kagoshima-Chūō Station
Kagoshima-Chuo Station
is the main railway station in Kagoshima, Japan. It is the southern terminus of the Kyūshū Shinkansen and is located on the Kagoshima Main Line, and Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line...
.
History
Kagoshima was the center of the territory of the Shimazu clanShimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
for many centuries. It was a busy political and commercial port city throughout the medieval period and into the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
(1603–1867) when it formally became the capital of the Shimazu's fief, the Satsuma Domain. The official emblem is designed Shimazu's kamon to shape of the character "市"(shi, means "city"). Satsuma remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country throughout the period, and though international trade was banned
Sakoku
was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
for much of this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent vassal kingdom of Ryūkyū
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
; Ryukyuan traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special Ryukyuan embassy building
Ryukyu-kan
' were institutions serving as homes and bases of operations for Ryukyuan missions in early modern Fuzhou and Kagoshima .-Kagoshima:...
was established to help administer relations between the two polities
Polity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
and to house visitors and emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of Christian
Kirishitan
, from Portuguese cristão, referred to Roman Catholic Christians in Japanese and is used as a historiographic term for Roman Catholics in Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries. Christian missionaries were known as bateren or iruman...
activity in Japan prior to the imposition of bans against that religion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1863 to punish the daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Satsuma
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
for the murder of Charles Lennox Richardson
Charles Lennox Richardson
Charles Lennox Richardson was an English merchant based in Shanghai who was killed in Japan during the Namamugi Incident. His name is properly spelled as “Charles Lenox Richardson” according to the census and family documents.-Merchant:Richardson was born in London in 1834. He relocated to...
on the Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
highway the previous year and its refusal to pay an indemnity in compensation. (See 'Bombardment of Kagoshima
Bombardment of Kagoshima
The Bombardment of Kagoshima, also known as the , took place on 15–17 August 1863 during the Late Tokugawa shogunate. The British Royal Navy was fired on from the coastal batteries near town of Kagoshima and in retaliation bombarded the town...
').
Kagoshima was the birthplace and scene of the last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
of Saigō Takamori
Saigo Takamori
was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai.-Early life:...
, a legendary figure in Meiji Japan in 1877 at the end of the Satsuma Rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
.
Japan's industrial revolution is said to have started here, stimulated by the young students' train station. Seventeen young men of Satsuma broke the Tokugawa
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
ban on foreign travel, traveling first to England and then the United States before returning to share the benefits of the best of Western science and technology. A statue was erected outside of the train station as a tribute to them.
The city was officially founded on 1 April 1889.
Kagoshima was also the birthplace of Tōgō Heihachirō
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
. After naval studies in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
between 1871 and 1878, Togo's role as Chief Admiral of the Grand Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
made him a legend in Japanese military history, and earned him the nickname 'Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
of the Orient' in Britain. He led the Grand Fleet to two startling victories in 1904 and 1905, completely destroying Russia as a naval power in the East, and thereby contributing to the failed revolution in Russia
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
in 1905.
On August 6, 1993, a heavy torrential rain and debris landslide, following hit flood in around area, include Ryugamizu area, which 49 persons lives in natural disaster.
Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
(bullet train) service opened on 13 March 2004 between Kagoshima-chūō and Shin-Yatsushiro
Shin-Yatsushiro Station
is a JR Kyushu railway station located in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.The station opened on March 13, 2004, to coincide with the opening of a section of the Kyushu Shinkansen high speed railway line...
.
Sadomitsu Sakoguchi, the renowned Japanese diplomat, revolutionized Kagoshima's environmental economic plan with his dissertation on water pollution and orange harvesting.
Today, Kagoshima is home to a distinctive dialect of Japanese, differing from the usual Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
dialects with its pronunciations of the yotsugana
Yotsugana
refers to the four kanaジ, ヂ, ズ, ヅ of the Japanese language. Traditionally four distinct phonemes, currently they are either one, two, three, or four distinct phonemes depending on dialect...
.
is the capital city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
of Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
island of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
of the Eastern world
Eastern world
__FORCETOC__The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures or social structures and philosophical systems of Eastern Asia or geographically the Eastern Culture...
" for its bay location (Aira Caldera
Aira Caldera
Aira Caldera is a gigantic volcanic caldera in the south of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. The caldera was created by a massive eruption, approximately 22,000 years ago. Eruption of voluminous pyroclastic flows accompanied the formation of the 17 × 23 km-wide Aira caldera...
), hot climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
and impressive stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
, Sakurajima
Sakurajima
, also romanized as Sakurashima or Sakura-jima, is an active composite volcano and a former island of the same name in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyūshū, Japan...
.
As of 1 January 2010, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 605,855 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,107.49 persons per km². The total area is 546.71 km². In 2003, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of only 554,136 and density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,911.41 persons per km². The total area was 289.91 km².
The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of five towns—the towns of Kōriyama
Koriyama, Kagoshima
was a town located in Hioki District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Kōriyama, along with the town of Matsumoto, also from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the towns of Sakurajima and Yoshida, both from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
and Matsumoto
Matsumoto, Kagoshima
was a town located in Hioki District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Matsumoto, along with the town of Kōriyama, also from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the towns of Sakurajima and Yoshida, both from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
, both from Hioki District
Hioki District, Kagoshima
Hioki was a district located in Kagoshima, Japan. As of the merger of the town of Kinpō into the city of Minamisatsuma the district no longer exists....
, the town of Kiire
Kiire, Kagoshima
was a town located in Ibusuki District, Kagoshima, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 12,648 and the density of 206.57 persons per km²...
, from Ibusuki District
Ibusuki District, Kagoshima
Ibusuki was a district located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of June 30, 2005 population data , the district had an estimated population of 14,761 and a density of 134 persons per km²...
, and the towns of Sakurajima
Sakurajima, Kagoshima
was a town located in Kagoshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Sakurajima, along with the towns of Kōriyama and Matsumoto, both from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the town of Yoshida, also from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
and Yoshida
Yoshida, Kagoshima
was a town located in Kagoshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Yoshida, along with the towns of Kōriyama and Matsumoto, both from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the town of Sakurajima, also from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
, both from Kagoshima District
Kagoshima District, Kagoshima
Kagoshima is a district located in Kagoshima Prefecture. As of October 1, 2008, the district has an estimated Population of 1,087 and a Density of 8.19 persons/km². The total area is 132.71 km²....
—merging into Kagoshima on November 1, 2004.
Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport
Kagoshima Airport
-External links:* *...
, and the city features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has many restaurants featuring Satsuma Province
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
regional cuisine: kibi (a kind of tiny fish), tonkatsu
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu , invented in the late 19th century, is a popular dish in Japan. It consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage and/or miso soup...
(caramelized pork, as opposed to the breaded version encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made from steamed yams and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
has been installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Sengan-en (Isoteien) Japanese garden is just outside the city.
The St. Xavier church is a reminder of the first Christians who came to Japan.
One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the bay) is from the Amuran Ferris wheel on top of Amu Plaza Kagoshima
Amu Plaza Kagoshima
is the terminal building adjacent to Kagoshima-Chūō Station. It is owned by the Kagoshima Terminal Building Corporation which belongs to JR Kyūshū....
, the shopping centre attached to the main Kagoshima-Chūō Station
Kagoshima-Chuo Station
is the main railway station in Kagoshima, Japan. It is the southern terminus of the Kyūshū Shinkansen and is located on the Kagoshima Main Line, and Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line...
.
History
Kagoshima was the center of the territory of the Shimazu clanShimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
for many centuries. It was a busy political and commercial port city throughout the medieval period and into the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
(1603–1867) when it formally became the capital of the Shimazu's fief, the Satsuma Domain. The official emblem is designed Shimazu's kamon to shape of the character "市"(shi, means "city"). Satsuma remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country throughout the period, and though international trade was banned
Sakoku
was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
for much of this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent vassal kingdom of Ryūkyū
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
; Ryukyuan traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special Ryukyuan embassy building
Ryukyu-kan
' were institutions serving as homes and bases of operations for Ryukyuan missions in early modern Fuzhou and Kagoshima .-Kagoshima:...
was established to help administer relations between the two polities
Polity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
and to house visitors and emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of Christian
Kirishitan
, from Portuguese cristão, referred to Roman Catholic Christians in Japanese and is used as a historiographic term for Roman Catholics in Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries. Christian missionaries were known as bateren or iruman...
activity in Japan prior to the imposition of bans against that religion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1863 to punish the daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Satsuma
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
for the murder of Charles Lennox Richardson
Charles Lennox Richardson
Charles Lennox Richardson was an English merchant based in Shanghai who was killed in Japan during the Namamugi Incident. His name is properly spelled as “Charles Lenox Richardson” according to the census and family documents.-Merchant:Richardson was born in London in 1834. He relocated to...
on the Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
highway the previous year and its refusal to pay an indemnity in compensation. (See 'Bombardment of Kagoshima
Bombardment of Kagoshima
The Bombardment of Kagoshima, also known as the , took place on 15–17 August 1863 during the Late Tokugawa shogunate. The British Royal Navy was fired on from the coastal batteries near town of Kagoshima and in retaliation bombarded the town...
').
Kagoshima was the birthplace and scene of the last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
of Saigō Takamori
Saigo Takamori
was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai.-Early life:...
, a legendary figure in Meiji Japan in 1877 at the end of the Satsuma Rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
.
Japan's industrial revolution is said to have started here, stimulated by the young students' train station. Seventeen young men of Satsuma broke the Tokugawa
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
ban on foreign travel, traveling first to England and then the United States before returning to share the benefits of the best of Western science and technology. A statue was erected outside of the train station as a tribute to them.
The city was officially founded on 1 April 1889.
Kagoshima was also the birthplace of Tōgō Heihachirō
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
. After naval studies in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
between 1871 and 1878, Togo's role as Chief Admiral of the Grand Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
made him a legend in Japanese military history, and earned him the nickname 'Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
of the Orient' in Britain. He led the Grand Fleet to two startling victories in 1904 and 1905, completely destroying Russia as a naval power in the East, and thereby contributing to the failed revolution in Russia
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
in 1905.
On August 6, 1993, a heavy torrential rain and debris landslide, following hit flood in around area, include Ryugamizu area, which 49 persons lives in natural disaster.
Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
(bullet train) service opened on 13 March 2004 between Kagoshima-chūō and Shin-Yatsushiro
Shin-Yatsushiro Station
is a JR Kyushu railway station located in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.The station opened on March 13, 2004, to coincide with the opening of a section of the Kyushu Shinkansen high speed railway line...
.
Sadomitsu Sakoguchi, the renowned Japanese diplomat, revolutionized Kagoshima's environmental economic plan with his dissertation on water pollution and orange harvesting.
Today, Kagoshima is home to a distinctive dialect of Japanese, differing from the usual Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
dialects with its pronunciations of the yotsugana
Yotsugana
refers to the four kanaジ, ヂ, ズ, ヅ of the Japanese language. Traditionally four distinct phonemes, currently they are either one, two, three, or four distinct phonemes depending on dialect...
.
is the capital city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
of Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
island of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
of the Eastern world
Eastern world
__FORCETOC__The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures or social structures and philosophical systems of Eastern Asia or geographically the Eastern Culture...
" for its bay location (Aira Caldera
Aira Caldera
Aira Caldera is a gigantic volcanic caldera in the south of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. The caldera was created by a massive eruption, approximately 22,000 years ago. Eruption of voluminous pyroclastic flows accompanied the formation of the 17 × 23 km-wide Aira caldera...
), hot climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
and impressive stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
, Sakurajima
Sakurajima
, also romanized as Sakurashima or Sakura-jima, is an active composite volcano and a former island of the same name in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyūshū, Japan...
.
As of 1 January 2010, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 605,855 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,107.49 persons per km². The total area is 546.71 km². In 2003, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of only 554,136 and density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,911.41 persons per km². The total area was 289.91 km².
The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of five towns—the towns of Kōriyama
Koriyama, Kagoshima
was a town located in Hioki District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Kōriyama, along with the town of Matsumoto, also from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the towns of Sakurajima and Yoshida, both from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
and Matsumoto
Matsumoto, Kagoshima
was a town located in Hioki District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Matsumoto, along with the town of Kōriyama, also from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the towns of Sakurajima and Yoshida, both from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
, both from Hioki District
Hioki District, Kagoshima
Hioki was a district located in Kagoshima, Japan. As of the merger of the town of Kinpō into the city of Minamisatsuma the district no longer exists....
, the town of Kiire
Kiire, Kagoshima
was a town located in Ibusuki District, Kagoshima, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 12,648 and the density of 206.57 persons per km²...
, from Ibusuki District
Ibusuki District, Kagoshima
Ibusuki was a district located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of June 30, 2005 population data , the district had an estimated population of 14,761 and a density of 134 persons per km²...
, and the towns of Sakurajima
Sakurajima, Kagoshima
was a town located in Kagoshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Sakurajima, along with the towns of Kōriyama and Matsumoto, both from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the town of Yoshida, also from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
and Yoshida
Yoshida, Kagoshima
was a town located in Kagoshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Yoshida, along with the towns of Kōriyama and Matsumoto, both from Hioki District, the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the town of Sakurajima, also from Kagoshima District, was merged into the expanded city of...
, both from Kagoshima District
Kagoshima District, Kagoshima
Kagoshima is a district located in Kagoshima Prefecture. As of October 1, 2008, the district has an estimated Population of 1,087 and a Density of 8.19 persons/km². The total area is 132.71 km²....
—merging into Kagoshima on November 1, 2004.
Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport
Kagoshima Airport
-External links:* *...
, and the city features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has many restaurants featuring Satsuma Province
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
regional cuisine: kibi (a kind of tiny fish), tonkatsu
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu , invented in the late 19th century, is a popular dish in Japan. It consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick and sliced into bite-sized pieces, generally served with shredded cabbage and/or miso soup...
(caramelized pork, as opposed to the breaded version encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made from steamed yams and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
has been installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Sengan-en (Isoteien) Japanese garden is just outside the city.
The St. Xavier church is a reminder of the first Christians who came to Japan.
One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the bay) is from the Amuran Ferris wheel on top of Amu Plaza Kagoshima
Amu Plaza Kagoshima
is the terminal building adjacent to Kagoshima-Chūō Station. It is owned by the Kagoshima Terminal Building Corporation which belongs to JR Kyūshū....
, the shopping centre attached to the main Kagoshima-Chūō Station
Kagoshima-Chuo Station
is the main railway station in Kagoshima, Japan. It is the southern terminus of the Kyūshū Shinkansen and is located on the Kagoshima Main Line, and Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line...
.
History
Kagoshima was the center of the territory of the Shimazu clanShimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
for many centuries. It was a busy political and commercial port city throughout the medieval period and into the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
(1603–1867) when it formally became the capital of the Shimazu's fief, the Satsuma Domain. The official emblem is designed Shimazu's kamon to shape of the character "市"(shi, means "city"). Satsuma remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country throughout the period, and though international trade was banned
Sakoku
was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
for much of this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent vassal kingdom of Ryūkyū
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
; Ryukyuan traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special Ryukyuan embassy building
Ryukyu-kan
' were institutions serving as homes and bases of operations for Ryukyuan missions in early modern Fuzhou and Kagoshima .-Kagoshima:...
was established to help administer relations between the two polities
Polity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
and to house visitors and emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of Christian
Kirishitan
, from Portuguese cristão, referred to Roman Catholic Christians in Japanese and is used as a historiographic term for Roman Catholics in Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries. Christian missionaries were known as bateren or iruman...
activity in Japan prior to the imposition of bans against that religion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1863 to punish the daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Satsuma
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
for the murder of Charles Lennox Richardson
Charles Lennox Richardson
Charles Lennox Richardson was an English merchant based in Shanghai who was killed in Japan during the Namamugi Incident. His name is properly spelled as “Charles Lenox Richardson” according to the census and family documents.-Merchant:Richardson was born in London in 1834. He relocated to...
on the Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
highway the previous year and its refusal to pay an indemnity in compensation. (See 'Bombardment of Kagoshima
Bombardment of Kagoshima
The Bombardment of Kagoshima, also known as the , took place on 15–17 August 1863 during the Late Tokugawa shogunate. The British Royal Navy was fired on from the coastal batteries near town of Kagoshima and in retaliation bombarded the town...
').
Kagoshima was the birthplace and scene of the last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
of Saigō Takamori
Saigo Takamori
was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai.-Early life:...
, a legendary figure in Meiji Japan in 1877 at the end of the Satsuma Rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
.
Japan's industrial revolution is said to have started here, stimulated by the young students' train station. Seventeen young men of Satsuma broke the Tokugawa
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
ban on foreign travel, traveling first to England and then the United States before returning to share the benefits of the best of Western science and technology. A statue was erected outside of the train station as a tribute to them.
The city was officially founded on 1 April 1889.
Kagoshima was also the birthplace of Tōgō Heihachirō
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
. After naval studies in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
between 1871 and 1878, Togo's role as Chief Admiral of the Grand Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
made him a legend in Japanese military history, and earned him the nickname 'Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
of the Orient' in Britain. He led the Grand Fleet to two startling victories in 1904 and 1905, completely destroying Russia as a naval power in the East, and thereby contributing to the failed revolution in Russia
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
in 1905.
On August 6, 1993, a heavy torrential rain and debris landslide, following hit flood in around area, include Ryugamizu area, which 49 persons lives in natural disaster.
Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
(bullet train) service opened on 13 March 2004 between Kagoshima-chūō and Shin-Yatsushiro
Shin-Yatsushiro Station
is a JR Kyushu railway station located in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.The station opened on March 13, 2004, to coincide with the opening of a section of the Kyushu Shinkansen high speed railway line...
.
Sadomitsu Sakoguchi, the renowned Japanese diplomat, revolutionized Kagoshima's environmental economic plan with his dissertation on water pollution and orange harvesting.
Today, Kagoshima is home to a distinctive dialect of Japanese, differing from the usual Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
dialects with its pronunciations of the yotsugana
Yotsugana
refers to the four kanaジ, ヂ, ズ, ヅ of the Japanese language. Traditionally four distinct phonemes, currently they are either one, two, three, or four distinct phonemes depending on dialect...
.
Climate
Kagoshima has a humid subtropical climate, marked by cool, relatively dry winters, warm, wet springs, hot, wet summers and mild, wet falls.Points of interest
- Ishibashi ParkIshibashi Parkis a park in Hamachō, Kagoshima, Japan. At the end of the Edo period , local lord Shimazu Shigehide had five bridges, collectively called the Gosekkyō , built across the Kōtsuki River. Two of them collapsed in floods in 1993. The remaining three were moved to a new location and restored...
- Kagoshima Aquarium
- Kagoshima Botanical GardenKagoshima Botanical GardenThe , variously known as Kagoshima Tropical Botanical Garden, Kagoshima Tropical Vegetation Park, or Kagoshima Prefecture Botanical Gardens, is a botanical garden located at 1-7-15 Yojiro, Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan...
- Tenmonkan shopping arcade
Festivals
The Kagoshima Ohara Festival is the most famous festival in Kagoshima. It began in 1949 and is held annually on November 2 and 3. Among the festivities is a public traditional dance held at the main street in the Tenmonkan area, drawing as many as a thousand dancers.Neighboring municipalities
- Cities: AiraAira, Kagoshima (Aira)is a city in Kagoshima, Japan. It is located west of Kirishima and north of Kagoshima. The city was founded on March 23, 2010 by merger of municipalties from Kajiki, Aira, Kamō. As of May 2010, the city has an estimated population of 74,611 and the density of 323 persons per km². The total area is...
, HiokiHioki, Kagoshimais a city located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of May 1, 2010, the city had a population of 51,819 and a density of 205 persons per km². The total area is 253.06 km²....
, IbusukiIbusuki, Kagoshimais a city in Kagoshima, Japan, that was founded on April 1, 1954.Following the incorporation of Kaimon and Yamagawa on January 1, 2006, the city has an estimated population of 45,039 and a population density of 302 persons per km²...
, MinamikyūshūMinamikyushu, Kagoshimais a city on the southern tip of Satsuma Peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.As of March 31, 2011, the city has a population of 39,738, with a household number of 17,288 and an area of 357.85 km²...
, MinamisatsumaMinamisatsuma, Kagoshimais a city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on November 7, 2005 from the merger of the old city of Kaseda, with the town of Kinpō, from Hioki District, and the towns of Bonotsu, Kasasa and Ōura, all from Kawanabe District, ....
, SatsumasendaiSatsumasendai, Kagoshimais a city located in Kagoshima, Japan. It was established on October 12, 2004 with the merger of the city of Sendai, Kagoshima, the towns of Hiwaki, Iriki, Kedōin and Tōgō, and Koshikijima Islands , all from Satsuma District.As of January 1, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 100,730 in...
, TarumizuTarumizu, Kagoshimais a city located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 19,512 and the density of 120.55 persons per km². The total area is 161.86 km².The city was founded on October 1, 1958.-External links:* *...
Railways
All lines are operated by Kyushu Railway CompanyKyushu Railway Company
The , also referred to as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait between Fukuoka and Busan, South Korea.When Japan Railways was divided in...
(JR Kyūshū)
- Kyushu ShinkansenKyushu ShinkansenThe ' is a Japanese high-speed railway line between the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima in Kyushu, running parallel to the existing Kagoshima Main Line and operated by the Kyushu Railway Company . The southern 127 km opened on 13 March 2004...
- Kagoshima Main LineKagoshima Main LineThe is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company between Mojikō in Kitakyūshū, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu...
- Nippo Main LineNippo Main Lineframe|Nippō Main LineThe is a railway line in Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it follows the east coast of the island. The line originates at Kokura Station in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka...
- Ibusuki Makurazaki Line
Highways
- National Highway 3Route 3 (Japan)National Route 3 is a major highway on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It connects the prefectural capital cities of Kagoshima National Route 3 is a major highway on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It connects the prefectural capital cities of Kagoshima National Route 3 is a major highway on the...
- National Highway 10Route 10 (Japan)thumb|240px|right|Route 10, Oita, Oitathumb|240px|right|Route 10, Fukuoka, KandaNational Route 10 is a Japanese highway on the island of Kyūshū. It originates at the intersection with Route 2 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka and passes through the prefectural capitals of Ōita and Miyazaki, terminating at the...
- National Highway 58Route 58 (Japan)National Route 58 is a highway in Japan. This very unusual road has continuous numbering over disconnected segments on the islands of Kyūshū, Tanegashima, Amami Ōshima, and Okinawa. The road has a total of 255.5 km on land...
- National Highway 224Route 224 (Japan)National Route 224 is a national highway of Japan connecting Tarumizu, Kagoshima and Kagoshima, Kagoshima in Japan, with a total length of 14.2 km ....
- National Highway 225Route 225 (Japan)National Route 225 is a national highway of Japan connecting Makurazaki, Kagoshima and Kagoshima, Kagoshima in Japan, with a total length of 53.1 km ....
- National Highway 226Route 226 (Japan)National Route 226 is a national highway of Japan connecting Minamisatsuma, Kagoshima and Kagoshima, Kagoshima in Japan, with a total length of 157.4 km ....
- National Highway 328Route 328 (Japan)National Route 328 is a national highway of Japan connecting Kagoshima, Kagoshima and Izumi, Kagoshima in Japan, with a total length of 64.4 km ....
- Kyushu ExpresswayKyushu Expressway' is one of the Expressways of Japan from Kitakyūshū to west of Kagoshima linking with the Higashi Kyushu Expressway and the Ibusuki Skyline. It runs through the prefectures of Fukuoka, the eastern half of the Saga, Kumamoto, Miyazaki and the Kagoshima prefectures. The freeway runs entirely on...
- Minami-Kyushu ExpresswayMinami-Kyūshū ExpresswayThe starts from Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, and it is a highway of about 140km planned extension to reach Kagoshima, Kagoshima via Minamata, Izumi, Akune, Satsumasendai of the high standard highway...
- Ibusuki Skyline
Bus
- Kagoshima City Bus
- Kagoshima Kotsu
- Iwasaki Bus Network
- Nangoku Kotsu
- JR Kyushu bus
- MTA Bus
Ferry/jetfoil
- Sakurajima FerrySakurajima Ferrythumb|Sakurajima-maru No. 18 thumb|Sakurajima-maru No. 8 thumb|Udon of Yabukin and Mt. SakurajimaThe is Japanese ferry which links between Kagoshima Port and Sakurajima Port, both in Kagoshima prefecture....
- A Line (to southern islands)
- Marix Line (to southern islands)
- RKK Line (to Okinawa, cargo only)
- Toppy (to TanegashimaTanegashimais an island lying to the south of Kyushu, in southern Japan, and is part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands....
and YakushimaYakushima, one of the Ōsumi Islands, is an island of about 500 km² and roughly 15,000 islanders to the south of Kyūshū in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The Vincennes Strait separates it from Tanegashima. The highest point on the island is Miyanoura-dake at 1,935 metres...
) - Seahawk (to Koshikijima Islands)
Airport
Kagoshima AirportKagoshima Airport
-External links:* *...
in Kirishima (35 km NE of Kagoshima)
Sister cities
Kagoshima is sister cities with NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
;
and friendship cities with Changsha, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
External links
