Visiting Japan's Volcanic Prefecture, Kagoshima

A couple years ago I visited Japan. I was there for a few months for work (I'm always travelling for work!) and made the most of whatever free time I had to do some tourism. This is an account of my visit to Kagoshima prefecture. Note that this was pre-Covid, Japan cannot be visited right now.

Sakurajima is an active volcano and, while it may at times spew ash that covers the city of Kagoshima (Kagoshima citizens separate ash during their rubbish disposal, you will likely see those yellow bags around the city), it is almost always possible to visit. However, that is not the case for the Kirishima area, the multiple active volcanoes sometimes require cutting hiking trails or evacuating the entire Kirishima area. Make sure to look up the current status of volcanic activity and which sections allow access before your trip!

Day 1: Kirishima Shrine + Maruo Onsen

I already wrote about my visit to Kirishima shrine on my blog if you’re interested in seeing photos and details of that. After Kirishima shrine I took a bus to Maruo Onsen where I’d be sleeping. There are some ryokans and minshuku in different hot spring towns of the area, but I chose Maruo because it’s the only one with buses to the volcano range I’d be visiting the following day.

Upon arrival to Maruo I left my bag at my minshuku and then visited Maruo Falls. It’s a short drop, nothing grand, but there is a small trail through the bush that leads to the river above. The water is warm like the hot springs of the town and has steam coming out of it, there are some big flat rocks if one ones to sit there for a while.

And I had an early dinner at Maruo Market, the single stand has food (vegans can have corn, mochi, imo (sweet potato) and manjû) cooked with the vapour of the springs, which was a fun little experience!

Day 2: Mt. Takachiho-no-mine

• 8:30am Bus from Maruo to Takachiho-gawara ¥740
• 13:29pm or 15:30pm Return bus Takachiho-gawara to Maruo ¥740. THESE ARE THE ONLY BUSES! If you miss the return bus you will be stranded at the volcano, so beware.

My next day I took the first bus to the volcano called Takachiho-no-mine. At the parking there is a small visitor centre with some information on the route and the volcano itself, and then a shrine a short while into the walk.

To hike Takachiho-no-mine one has to go up one volcano, circle half of the crater, then go up the second volcano attached to the first. It was quite tiring but it is one of the easiest volcano hikes in the area. The first half was a 60° uphill lava wall that we just had to climb, then it was slippery gravel, a safe trail of red rocks around the crater and finally some difficult steps up to the second crater that felt a bit like the Lord of the Rings. I am not exactly known for my hiking prowess, so I took my time. A man was also going at my same slow pace and we kept meeting each other along the way, encouraging each other but mostly just nodding because we were too tired to speak.

It took me two hours to go up and another to go down, but I arrived in time for the bus back to the onsen town.

I got off the bus at the first stop back in Maruo and crossed through the pampass grass fields and walked around town. There are many pipes in this grass area so vapor fills the air. I also tried my inn's hot springs but onsen are often too hot for me. My legs mostly went underwater, so I guess that's good enough!

I got off the bus at the first stop back in Maruo and crossed through the pampass grass fields and walked around town. There are many pipes in this grass area so vapor fills the air. I also tried my inn's hot springs but onsen are often too hot for me. My legs mostly went underwater, so I guess that's good enough!

Day 3: Onwards to KAGOSHIMA

My last day in the Kirishima area I was supposed to visit Ebino Kogen and Lake Onami. However, it was raining and not great hiking conditions, so I just changed my plans and headed into Kagoshima instead. It is a long train ride, not because it's far but because trains are slow. From Maruo I took a bus down to Kareigawa. There are other buses to other stations so one doesn't have to take this specific route, but I wanted to visit Kareigawa station. It's an old and scenic little station building and nice trees in the area for autumn leaves.