Kagoshima (鹿児島市) 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 Senganen (Isoteien)
Japanese garden is just outside the city.
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," the shopping
centre attached to Kagoshima Central Train Station. The wheel has two
completely transparent gondolas which give a 360-degree view from 91 m above
the ground.
History
Kagoshima was the center of the territory of the Shimazu clan 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. 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.
The 1914 eruption of the volcano across the bay from the city did spread ash throughout the municipality; but relatively little disruption ensued.
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