2025 Kirishima Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in April)

#MarchGoodPlaces2025 Kirishima Jingu Shrine is located in the forest. It has a quiet environment and elegant scenery. It is a famous large shrine in southern Kyushu. As soon as you step into the cedar forest approach, you will feel full of positive energy and fairy spirit. The shrine is built on the hillside of Mount Kirishima, facing the Takachiho Peak. There are several quiet trails behind it, which lead to the mountain shrine, the forest area and the observatory. It is highly recommended that you take some time to walk to the observatory and enjoy the beautiful scenery after visiting Kirishima Shrine. However, Kirishima Jingu Shrine is located in a remote area and is difficult to reach without a car. It takes 50 minutes to take the JR from Kagoshima Chuo Station to Kirishima Jingu Station, and then take a bus to the shrine in front of the station, which takes another 15 minutes. You also have to pay attention to the return schedule. #KyushuTravel #Kagoshima #Kirishimajingu⁣

, breakfast, dinner, hot springs and guest rooms are all by the river. Listening to the sound of water all day long in the hotel is really refreshing. There are three private baths and a foot bath outside. Bathing during the day and at night are two different feelings. The omakase level of dinner Very high, every dish uses local ingredients, with excellent freshness and taste. Breakfast is also very rich, and the room rate includes breakfast and dinner~ After checking out the next day, you can walk for 30 minutes to a nearby large waterfall. There are almost no people, it is very spectacular!

Here it is! At the end of the 800-year-old cedar forest lies the ancient Kirishima Shrine. Here's a photo guide for easy exploration on your own! Kirishima Shrine is one of Japan's ancient Shinto shrines, known as the "Western Toshogu Shrine." It is famous for its vermilion walls and exquisite colored reliefs, surrounded by lush trees that add to its mystique. Legend has it that this is the place of worship for Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the deity of Japan's founding, and is considered a national treasure. Best Photo Spots • Grand Torii Gate: Upon entering the shrine, you'll see the grand torii gate, standing 22.4 meters tall with a 16-meter gap between the two pillars. It's the largest torii gate in western Japan, perfect for capturing a divine maiden vibe. • Main Building: The vermilion main building exudes an ancient charm, with a strong classical Japanese temple style. Combined with the surrounding natural scenery, it's an ideal photo spot. • Forest Behind the Shrine 🌳: Explore the rarely visited forest behind the shrine, where towering trees create a serene and mysterious atmosphere for your photos. • 800-Year-Old Cedar: The cedar tree standing beside the main building has a history of 800 years, guarding this sacred place filled with spiritual energy. It can serve as a photo backdrop, allowing you to feel the ancient power. Transportation Guide Take the JR train from Kagoshima Chuo Station for about 50 minutes to Kirishima Shrine Station. Remember to choose a seat on the right side to enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery. From Kirishima Shrine Station to the shrine, you can take a bus or taxi. A taxi ride takes about 12 minutes and costs around JPY 1,800.

When it comes to hot springs in Kirishima, Ryokojin Sanso is the place to be. No matter how many times you visit, the hot springs never fail to impress. Although it's a ryokan, you can also use it for day trips. Guests can use the private baths for free, so it's recommended to reserve a private bath as soon as you book your stay. The abundant hot water and the scenery surrounded by nature offer an extraordinary experience. The most popular private bath is Akamatsu no Yu. ✱----------------------------------------------- 【Name】Ryokojin Sanso 【Location】3865 Takachiho, Makizono-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture 【Access】About 15 minutes by taxi from JR Nippo Line Kirishima Jingu Station 【Fees】Check the official website for accommodation, day trips, and private baths -----------------------------------------------✱

A hotel with a great view where you can go to the hot springs by cable car. Even though it's advertised as a great view, we checked in during rain so strong that the mountain roads were a muddy torrent🤣 After the bath, you can eat the famous local Shirokuma ice cream for free🐻❄️ Of course, the meals are full of local ingredients. In Aso, I stayed in the room, but this place was very nice overall. All you have to do is choose a sunny day to go🥹☀️ . . . 📍Hoshino Resorts Kai Kirishima 🗺️Kagoshima, Japan 🕑Check in 15:00/Check out 12:00 💰¥70,000/room #FreeTabi #KyushuTourism #HotelStay

Kagoshima recommends Kirishima, Ibusuki, and Sakurajima. 🎏 Day 1 and the morning of Day 2: Ibusuki (Pictures 1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣) 🚂 Departing from Kagoshima Chuo Station, you can take the black and white Ibusuki no Tamatebako train (Picture 14), which runs three times a day, all reserved seats, and requires advance reservation. The train offers limited edition black and white puddings. On the train, the black side has views of the mountains, and the white side has views of the sea, which is quite unique. It is recommended to stay near Ibusuki Station, where there are buses, electric bicycle rentals, and taxis. Ibusuki recommends visiting Chiringashima, Lake Ikeda, and Nagasakibana Shrine. ☀️ Chiringashima is an uninhabited island that emerges in Kinko Bay, isolated from the world. A sand bridge about 800 meters long appears on the sea surface connecting the island to the mainland for a few short hours before low tide, which is interesting. It is safe to walk on it only from March to October during low tide, and it takes about 20 minutes on foot to reach Chiringashima. The island largely retains its original natural ecology. 🌄 The sunset at Nagasakibana is very beautiful, but the last bus to Nagasakibana leaves at around 3 PM (Picture 6️⃣), which is a bit early for sunset viewing. The nearest train station to Nagasakibana is Nishi-Oyama Station, 18 minutes from Ibusuki Station, but there is no transportation from Nishi-Oyama Station to Nagasakibana, and it takes about an hour on foot. One option is to take a taxi round trip, another is to rent an electric bicycle at Ibusuki Station. 🎏 Afternoon of Day 2 and morning of Day 3: Kirishima (Pictures 7️⃣8️⃣) Kirishima is very beautiful, especially during the cherry blossom season, with cherry trees all along the way. The hot springs here are also famous. Kirishima Shrine is a must-visit for its beauty and atmosphere, and it is recommended to go there before 8 AM. (For more about Kirishima and Kirishima Shrine, please refer to my previous notes) 🎏 Afternoon of Day 3 and Day 4: Sakurajima (Pictures 9～13) Sakurajima is Japan's most active volcano, only four kilometers away from Kagoshima, so it is recommended to stay near Kagoshima Chuo Station on the nights of Day 3 and Day 4. From the port of Kagoshima City, take the ferry to Sakurajima, which runs every 20 minutes and takes 20 minutes for the whole journey. ⚠️ No ticket is needed for the ferry to Sakurajima; just board the ferry, and pay upon arrival at Sakurajima Port, where change machines are available. The return trip is paid at Sakurajima Port before boarding. Upon arriving at Sakurajima, get a Chinese version of the 'Sakurajima Area Map' (Picture 13) at the information center, and you can also buy a sightseeing bus ticket, a one-day pass for 500 yen, with hop-on hop-off privileges. The bus's highest point is 'Yunohira Observatory' (Pictures 11 and 12), and I highly recommend the 'Lava Coast Walking Trail' (Pictures 9️⃣🔟), which is less crowded and offers views of large black volcanic rocks by the sea🪨, very impressive. Not far from the trail, there is also a free foot bath to enjoy. 🎏 On the evening of Day 4, you can visit Kagoshima Chuo Station (end of the pictures), where there are plenty of restaurants and shopping.

This time I went to Kagoshima, which I've always wanted to go to, and to Kai Kirishima, which I've always wanted to stay at. Conclusion: "I'm glad I went. ᐟ.ᐟ Great success ·͜· ︎︎ᕷ" The view from the view terrace was great, of course, but the view from the room felt like a painting or art, probably because of the window frame. Kagoshima food, such as Kagoshima-produced bonito flakes, black pork shabu-shabu, and Satsuma soup for breakfast. Local entertainment, such as Tenson Korin ENBU, the Satsuma ware buttons embedded in the room key, and Kagoshima culture in the shop and library. By traveling by slope car and on foot, it was quiet, and bathing in a place with only Japanese pampas grass fields and spectacular views was a great way to experience the nature of Kagoshima. Very happy *ˊᵕˋ* A hotel that I thoroughly enjoyed. ⚠︎Some things to be concerned about... ・The bathing hut is far away, so it may be a bit cold in the middle of winter when you have to walk or wait for the slope car (It was surprisingly warm in Tanzen, so it's okay) ・If the meal had been for a growing son, it might not have been enough?! Maybe because the last dish was soba noodles, we finished it quickly and that's how I felt (It was enough for two adult women) We got a discount for early reservations, so it was good value for money and overall we were very satisfied with our stay Fully recommended✨ 📍Kai Kirishima @hoshinoresorts.kai 899-4201 2583-21 Kirishimayama, Kirishima-taguchi, Kirishima-shi, Kagoshima 🚃𓈒𓏸︎︎︎︎About 15 minutes by taxi from JR Kirishima-jingu Station 🚗³₃From Fukuoka, about 45 minutes from Ebino IC From Miyazaki, about 35 minutes from Takahara IC From Kagoshima, about 40 minutes from Mizobe Kagoshima Airport IC ✧We used a rental car The road was mountainous from the middle, but there wasn't much traffic and the road was wide, so we arrived without any trouble! #KagoshimaHotel

ANA546 Propeller Plane DHC8-Q400 Kagoshima Airport (11:35) → Itami Airport (12:50) Boarding in early November 2023 It happened to be a propeller plane. Its characteristic is that it flies at a low altitude. You can enjoy a different view than usual. When I asked the flight attendant, he brought me the in-flight magazine. The seats were arranged in a 2:2 configuration, there were no power outlets or Wi-Fi, but drinks were provided. It is quite noisy, so please be careful when riding a propeller plane. #BoardingReport #ItamiAirport #KagoshimaAirport #Propeller #PropellerPlane #ANA #All Nippon Airways #Airplane

The hotel is located near the Kirishima Mountains, but the quality of the spring is completely different from Kirishima Onsen and contains more metal components. All guest rooms are independent and equipped with indoor baths and open-air baths, so you can spend a relaxing private time without worrying about the surrounding environment. The spring is turbid but has no sulfur smell. The room baths and open-air large baths are dark brown hydrogen carbonate hot springs, and the indoor small baths are colorless low-temperature carbonated hot springs. We had two meals per stay, and breakfast and dinner were also very delicious and exquisite. In addition to the very fresh seafood, the Osumi beef has the unique taste of Wagyu beef, and the Kirishima Tanada rice is shiny, has a good texture, is slightly sweet, and is very delicious. #Overseas travel#Parent-child travel#Japanese travel#Kagoshima#Kirishima #日本Koreacityhotel

This is the best hot spring in Japan! Many hot spring lovers say that this is the best hot spring in Japan! We went to the luxury inn "Myoken Ishiharaso" in Kagoshima, Kyushu. Soaking in the great outdoors The quality of the hot spring is as expected, and the open-air baths in the rooms, the private baths, and the large public baths all have different spring qualities, and they are so particular that they replace all the hot springs in the bathtubs once an hour! The atmosphere of the stone accommodation building and the meals where you can enjoy the bounty of Kagoshima have made this my favorite hot spring inn, with the highest level of satisfaction among all the inns I have stayed at so far♨️ ■Facility information Myoken Ishiharaso 4376 Kareigawa, Hayato-cho, Kirishima-shi, Kagoshima Prefecture, 899-5113 #Luxury hotel #Beautiful view hotel #Hot spring inn #Hot spring

#TokyoHotel ♨️Traveler Villa♨️Hot ​​Spring Hotel This hot spring hotel is located on the top of a mountain in Kirishima City, Kagoshima. It has a long history and an elegant and tranquil environment. The hot spring water is thick, has a faint smell of sulfur, and is clear. From the open-air bath, you can see the misty Sakurajima. Also, don't miss the private bath called Akamatsu no Yu, which is located in the forest and has a very beautiful view and high privacy. The room is new and clean, with a great view. The service is very considerate. When we returned to the room after dinner, we found that the mattress had been made for us. Take a walk in the beautiful forest in the back in the morning. You may have the chance to see deer walking in front of you, which is a very rare experience. Breakfast and dinner are served in the spacious hall with great views. Address－Japan 〒899-6603 Kagoshima, Kirishima, Makizono-cho Takachiho 3865 Environment/Facilities - Large open-air bath, indoor bath and private bath Price per person: hk$2500 (one night with two meals) #Kagoshima #Kirishima #Hot Spring Hotel #Good Place for Families #Forest Hotel #Japan Travel Rating - ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

We arrived Kirishima late in the evening and wanted to find a place to eat near our hotel. Many restaurants were near closing at 9pm but we were lucky to find Izakaya Mitsunaga which opens until midnight. From the outside, it seemed to be just a two story Japanese style house and the sign was not too clear from the road. There were a few parking spaces in front of the entrance. Once you walked in, the vibe was totally different. There were a few tables of locals and one large group was having a gathering with lots of food and beer on the table! It was perfect for Friday night! We ordered fish cake, gyoza, sukiyaki and yakisoba. The portion for the one person sukiyaki was quite big and excellent quality for the price. My favorite was the eggplant gyoza which was crispy and light. The yakisoba was also delicious and filled just the right spots. The lady who run the izakaya was really kind. While she didn’t speak any English, she did everything she could to make sure we had everything we needed and enjoyed the dinner. She even gave me the remote control to find my preferred tv program! Izakaya Mitsunaga is the kind of restaurant that I always try to find in all my travels. Meet the locals, enjoy local food! Address: 5 Chome-12-1 Kokubuchuo, Kirishima, Kagoshima 899-4332, Japan Hours: 6pm- midnight daily #kyushu #Kirishima ##japanesefood ##izakaya

It is located in Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park. The vast grounds are packed with facilities where you can play, eat, see, and shop. It has been featured on television. Name: Roadside Station Kirishima/Kirishima Shinwa no Sato Park Address: 2583-22 Kirishima Taguchi, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 Access: About 20 minutes by bus from JR Kirishima Jingu Station, get off at the "Kirishima Shinwa no Sato Park Entrance", about 40 minutes by car from Kagoshima Airport A road train (paid) runs from the parking lot to the lift station. The view from the parking lot was also enjoyable. It was a roadside station that both adults and children can enjoy😊 #Domestic travel #Kirishima #Kirishima sightseeing #Roadside station #Kagoshima trip #Kagoshima prefecture #Kagoshima sightseeing #Sightseeing

Name: Kagoshima Airport Address: 822, Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima-shi, Kagoshima Access: By car, immediately after exiting the Kyushu Expressway at the Mizobe Kagoshima Airport IC Visit date: Early April 2023 When renting a car at Kagoshima Airport, first request a shuttle car at the tourist information desk in the arrival lobby. After that, you wait outside, and there is a natural hot spring foot bath (free of charge). You can also take a photo with Saigo Takamori. Real Yakusugi trees are also on display. You can enjoy Kagoshima from arrival to departure. You can see planes taking off and landing up close from the 34th end (Gate NO7, photos 14 and 15) on the perimeter of Kagoshima Airport, so it was fun just at the airport☺️ #trip202304 #Kagoshima trip #Kagoshima Airport #34th end #Kagoshima #KOJ

Kirishima Shrine is located in Kirishima, Kagoshima, and was built in the sixth century AD and is over 1400 years old! Kirishima Shrine is the largest shrine in Southern Kyushu and was just recognized as a national treasure of Japan in 2022! The main purpose is to worship the legendary founding god of Japan, "Qiongjungyuzun". To enter Kirishima Shrine, you must pass through the 23-meter-high torii gate, which is the largest torii gate in Western Japan! If you keep walking in, you will see a fir tree that is 800 years old! The big torii and cedar trees are very vigorous and feel enhanced the energy of Kirishima Shrine! In the main hall, it feels luxurious, the bright vermilion hall, colorful text and inlaid with gilded decoration! Kirishima Shrine Observation Deck can also see many famous attractions in Kagoshima, which is especially beautiful at sunset! It is recommended that if you come to Kirishima to bathe in hot springs, you must stop by Kirishima Shrine to visit! If you are interested, you can rent a kimono to take pictures! #Japan Attractions #Kyushu Attractions #japanshrine

Mythokuri Park is located in Kirishima, Minami Kyushu, at an altitude of 670 meters! You can enjoy the beauty of Kagoshima, Jinjiang Bay and Sakurajima from a high angle! Small trains and small cable cars are also provided here to make it easier for visitors to ascend the heights! The design of the small cars is simple, each has only 1 seat, and there are no seat belts, so sitting on it will be a bit exciting! The most popular activity is the scooter, where visitors can ride the scooter on the 390-meter-long slide at their own speed, while also enjoying the beautiful views of Takachiho Peak, Sakurajima, and Kagoshima! The park also features a small animal house where children can interact with cute little animals, which is fun! And there are several special photo spots in the park where we can take pictures! #Japan Attractions #Kyushu Attractions

Kirishima International Hotel Yukemuri Terrace 3930-12 Takachiho, Makizono-cho, Kirishima-shi, Kagoshima A hotel located in the heart of Kirishima Onsen. Restaurant renovated in 2022. 90 types of dishes are available, so the food is great! There is also a live kitchen, and some dishes are cooked right in front of you, so you can enjoy your meal! Highly recommended. #KirishimaOnsen

Kirishima Hotel is a hot spring hotel with a long history. Its Sulphur Valley Garden Bathhouse is as large as three football fields and has four types of springs and more than ten hot spring baths. It is like a hot spring paradise, allowing me to fully relax and unwind! In addition, the century-old cedar courtyard outside the hotel, with its tall cedar trees, is well worth a visit! As for the room, we stayed in a Japanese-style room this time. Although the room was a bit old, the food was OK, the size was moderate, and the facilities were complete! As for the food, I initially thought that I would not be full, but after eating one dish after another, it was really rich and delicious! If you want to experience the old-style Japanese hot spring hotel, you can try this place! #Japanese Hotel #Hot Spring Hotel #JapanTravel #Kagoshima

The rooms are clean and the lobby is large and open. This is a very nice hotel and I recommend it for enjoying sightseeing in Kagoshima. The large public bath is also available, so you can relax and unwind after your trip. I would like to stay here again. Hotel Kyocera 1409-1 Mitsugi, Hayato-cho, Kirishima-shi, Kagoshima #Photogenic hotel #Hocanes #Artistic hotel

Osumi Yokogawa Station is one of the oldest stations in Kagoshima and is unmanaged. The wooden station was built in 1903 and has a history of more than 100 years since today, so the station is full of Showa nostalgic atmosphere☺️ Like Karikawa Station, although it is a century-old station, it is well maintained 👍🏻 Although the decoration inside is simple, the wooden structure seems to take people to the past 🥰 There are still traces of being swept by the US military on the pillars of the room. They are traces of history! It's worth spending time here💓 #Japan Attractions

Kagawa Station is the oldest station in Kagoshima Prefecture, more than 100 years old, this station is made of wood, here you can feel the strong nostalgic atmosphere, as if time has stopped 😝 We also bought this 3 consecutive years in the station in the JR Kyushu Railway Bento Awards "Century Journey Bento", which won the first place in the JR Kyushu Railway Bento Awards, that day we were very lucky, just bought the last 😙 Railway Bento I itself is average, but delicious 😝 #Japan Attractions

I like Shinhwa Park very much. You can take the crane up the mountain. The scenery along the way is beautiful and the air is fresh. Up the mountain, in addition to taking photos of the Ryoma couple’s human-shaped plaques, you can also see the beautiful scenery and cherry blossoms when you climb to the higher observation deck. The view of the island and Jinjiang Bay is unobstructed😝 The round trip of the crane (you can go down the mountain with the slide) is 500yen. It was so fun. We played it twice. It was great! 🤩🤩🤩 --- Kirishima Shinhwa no Sato Park Address: 2583-22 Kirishima Taguchi, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture #japanattractions

Kirishima is located at the junction of the Satsuma Peninsula and the Osumi Peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture. It is adjacent to Miyazaki Prefecture and close to Kagoshima Airport. It can be said to be the transportation center of Kagoshima Prefecture! There are many shrines and shrines in Kirishima, among which Kirishima Jingu is the most famous. Many people come here for the purpose of soaking in hot springs. Kirishima Onsen is located on the hillside of Kirishima Mountain, where there are many hot spring hotels to choose from. However, we did not choose a hot spring hotel in the hot spring market, but chose a hot spring hotel closer to Kirishima Jingu and Shinwa-no-Sato Park (Kirishima Mythos Park)! ♨️Sakura Hot Spring(♨️ Address: 2324-7 Kirishimataguchi, Kirishima, Kagoshima 899-4201 Check in: 16:00～18:00 Check out: 10:00 #JapaneseHotel #Japan #JapanKagoshimaJapan #KagoshimaHotel #Kagoshima #Hotspring #HotspringHotel #Kirishima

Kirishima Hidden Edition Secret Land 🥰 There is a "Mori no Taki Falls" near the Travel Hinshan Mansion Hotel to reach Hanabaku no Taki Falls☺️ Although the promenade is a public place, it is not a popular tourist attraction, so there may not be many tourists who will visit it exclusively😅 But if it is Traveler's Villa Guests, you must take a little time to go 😚 Because this "Mori no Promenade" is really very close to the hotel 👍🏻 "Mori no Promenade" is a flat road along the way, children are easy to go, about 15min walk to see this flower room no Taki Falls! The waterfall is 19.2m high and 16.8m wide.  #Japan Attractions

【Southern Kyushu Kirishima】Traveler's Mountain House, one night and two meals, dinner and breakfast will be enjoyed in the restaurant. To be honest, the quality of the dinner was very average, with not much variety and quantity 😣 The breakfast was average, but we were seated near the window. The view alone was worth the price of the ticket. The stunning view cannot be reflected in the photos. There was also a small amount of food for breakfast. The most enjoyable thing was the Kagoshima Hei Han, which is a specialty here. I love to drink so much that I drank a lot of cups haha. Although the food is not outstanding, but there is a secret hot spring and a beautiful view, it is still worth the price☺️ #Japanese Hotel

I visited Kitakyushu for the first time in June and fell in love with it the moment I got there. I heard that there are more natural scenery in Southern Kyushu, so I went there for 8 days and 7 nights at the end of the year. There are many hot springs in southern Kyushu, and I set my sights on Kirishima Onsen early in the morning. I chose this extremely cost-effective century-old hot spring hotel--Traveler Villa 😉 It is said to be cost-effective because you can make a free reservation for a 45-minute #借切露天風呂❣️❣️❣️. Among them, #AKAMATSUNOYU is the most famous and is called a #secret hot spring by many Japanese magazines! 😍As soon as I booked the hotel, I made a reservation for Akamatsu no Yu. It was really dreamy to be in the forest, soaking in the hot spring while watching the sunset. 😎 If you are lucky, you can meet wild deer 🦌 but I didn’t meet them this time. There are 2 public baths, one for men and one for women, which are switched every day. Each bath also has an indoor bath and an open-air bath. However, I felt that the environment was average when I went there at night. If I went there in the morning, I should be able to see Sakurajima. #Japanese Hotel

●Name Kirishima Shrine ●Access 2608-5 Kirishima Taguchi, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture 🚗Private parking available ●Points One of Kirishima's most powerful spots! ️ After passing through the quiet, green approach, a stately, vermilion-painted shrine building appears. Kirishima Shrine enshrines Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the protagonist of the Tenson Korin myth. I personally like the way the torii gate, approach, and shrine building are connected in straight lines. #Kagoshima Trip

Address-2583-22 Kirishima Taguchi, Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture Kirishima Shinhwa no Sato Park is more fun than expected. This is a self-driving tour, and parking and admission to the park are free. As soon as we entered the park, we saw a small train. You can pay to take a small train to Ji Station in the middle of the mountain. When you arrive at the cable car station, you can buy a ticket and take the cable car. The cable car is not very fast, and it takes about ten minutes to get to the top. Located at an altitude of 670m, you can see Kinko Bay and Sakurajima from the observation deck. The last step is to go down the mountain, which is also the most anticipated one. Just take a scooter and go down the mountain from the ropeway. #LookattheEarthInstantly