The southernmost road with the sea breeze and Satsuma Fuji in the background! 5 areas in Satsuma Peninsula, Kagoshima Prefecture

27 Recommended Touring Spots in the 7 Prefectures of Kyushu

Hello, I am Tetsuma Photographer, a photographer who loves traveling in Kyushu! Using the know-how I gained from my coverage activities for touring magazines that I started in 2017, I will introduce selected recommended touring spots in the Kyushu area from the viewpoint of Tetsuma Photographer. In this 27th issue, we will introduce touring spots on the Satsuma Peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture, with Mount Kaimon in the background. The Satsuma Peninsula is an area with many attractions for riders, such as the majestic Mount Kaimon, Lake Ikeda, the hot springs of Ibusuki, the history of Chiran, and the endless coastline.

1. Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots" is a place where you can reconfirm that you are living in the present.

Photographs of the Kamikaze pilots who went to war are lined up in the order of their deaths. Many of them were young men in their late teens or early twenties. Many of their last letters to their families and loved ones are on display. The dignified words of those who, facing death, wished for the happiness of their remaining family members, will leave anyone speechless.

On display are actual Type Zero fighters (Zero fighters) salvaged from the seabed, as well as the "Hayate" and "Hien," which were the Army's mainstay fighter planes.

Tomiya Shokudo (Firefly Hall) is located a few minutes from the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots. Tome Torihama, who ran the designated military cafeteria at the time, loved the young soldiers as if they were her own children, and gave up her own family fortune to help them.

2. It is just like the Edo period! Chiran Buke Yashiki, the Little Kyoto of Satsuma

Chiran Buke Yashiki (samurai residences) is the site of an agency called "Tojo" built by the Satsuma clan in the Edo period (1603-1868). The streetscape of those days has been preserved for about 700 meters, and is designated as "Little Kyoto of Satsuma" by the national government as an important traditional building preservation district.

Selected as one of the 100 best roads in Japan, it is 700 meters in a straight line and is a group of samurai residences in the form of fortified fortifications, which makes it difficult for enemies to attack because of the refraction of the road.

The house and garden of the Sata family, a branch of the Shimazu family that ruled this area during the Edo period, have been preserved as they were in their original state!

3. Mysterious lake protected by Issy! Lake Ikeda

Lake Ikeda is Kyushu's largest caldera lake, located in Ibusuki City, Kagoshima Prefecture. It was formed when water accumulated in a depression created by volcanic activity about 6,400 years ago. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 233 m and is filled with a mysterious "azure" (Lake Ikeda blue) color.

In the 1970s, the lake became famous nationwide after a series of sightings of the unidentified creature "Issy," likened to England's Nessie. There is a stone statue of Issy by the lake, making it a fun B-movie spot.

Lake Ikeda is surrounded by a winding road of about 15 km (19 km around), with moderate curves and ups and downs that make for an exhilarating ride.

4. Riders love the edge! Nishi-Oyama Station, JR's southernmost station

Nishi-Oyama Station on the JR Ibusuki-makurazaki Line is a sacred place where not only railroad fans but also riders from all over Japan gather in search of the "edge. The main reason why Nishi-Oyama Station is one of the "most beautiful unmanned stations in Japan" is Mount Kaimon (Satsuma Fuji), which sits directly in front of the platform.

Nishioiyama Station, JR's southernmost station, with Mt. Kaimon (Satsuma Fuji) in the background, is a highly recommended photo spot!

The station only has a few stops a day, which means that if you happen to run into the train at the exact moment it stops, you are extremely lucky!

5. Change your helmet to a kamabuta and pay a visit to the shrine! Kamabata Shrine

Kamahata Shrine, officially called Itatatewamono Shrine, is a very unique and energetic power spot built on a rocky outcrop jutting out into the East China Sea on the southern coast of the Satsuma Peninsula. For riders, it is an unmissable power spot that offers a "too unique worship experience" that appears in the middle of a spectacular road trip.

The name "kama no kabana no kabana" ("the lid of the kettle") refers to the history of the shrine, which was once worshipped during wartime with the hope that the enemy's bullets would not hit it (to cover it), and today is famous as the "god of victory."

It is said that if you can walk the 10 meters from the torii to the shrine without dropping the "wooden cauldron lid" placed in the shrine on your head, your wish will come true.

The southernmost road running with the sea wind and Satsuma Fuji in the background! Kagoshima, Satsuma Peninsula Area 5 to Gallery (10)