FEEL THE EARTH

In the morning we took the Toden Arakawa tram, which is between a streetcar and a tram. We went to the Sugamo Togenuki-jizo, Koganji Temple, where we washed our hands in water and prayed. Afterwards we tasted some local sweets made from sweet potato and strolled around the neighbourhood.

For lunch we ate eel at "Yatsumeya Nishimura," which I had never eaten before. It was served over rice and also came with pickles and soup on the side. I thought the eel was moist and tasty and it was interesting to see the chefs cooking it downstairs in the open kitchen.

We stopped in a coffee shop called Papa Noel on Joyful Minowa shopping street, where the owner prepared a cup of hot cocoa for each of us. He told us about his efforts to learn English, as well as his encounter with singer John Lennon and his recent travels to New York. It was really nice to chat with a local person.

The Museum is dedicated to the artist Katsushika Hokusai, who is the creator of famous works such as The Great Wave and Red Fuji, which are pieces from the collection Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. The museum is located here because it is where Hokusai was born and spent most of his life. I loved the modern architecture of the building and the permanent exhibition allows visitors to discover more about the artists life and woodblock prints. Inside the permanent exhibition there is an artwork showing Hokusai working with his daughter - the dollls are so life-like that I was almost convinced they were real people!

The Sky Bus is a sightseeing bus with an open-air roof, allowing tourists to take in the views of the city. I enjoyed seeing Tokyo Tower at night, as well as the Rainbow Bridge. It was interesting to learn that the Rainbow Bridge is actually only lit up like a rainbow at Christmas. The Sky Bus is definitely a great way to see the city.

The Tsukiji Sushiko restaurant served a large selection of sashimi, nigiri and sushi rolls.You can order individual pieces or a platter, so I ordered a platter of various different nigiri, as well as a maki roll. The server also brought us a plate of tiny tempura shrimp to try, which were really good.

The room of Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyobashi had a comfortable bed and featured everything I needed, including pajamas, hairdryer, TV and charging cables for my phone. Breakfast featured a buffet with a variety of hot and cold options. I loved the smoothies that were available in the morning.

Our ANA flight departed on time and took 2 hours to reach Kagoshima. Staff were very friendly and we were offered a complimentary drink, such as apple juice, water or coffee, in flight. I really liked the fact that there was free Wi-Fi on board the aircraft so I could check my emails and post to social media.

Kagoshima airport had free WiFi and a new tourist information/welcome centre at arrivals. Our bags arrived quickly, and then we went straight to the car to start our itinerary in Kagoshima.

I had actually only ever heard of sake here in the UK, but shochu is an incredibly popular Japanese alocohlic drink made from sweet potatoes. It was very interesting to see how shochu is produced and I was also able to make a small piece of art from the glass fragments from the shochu bottles. Later that evening I was able to try shochu for myself - I enjoyed it hot, mixed with water.

Sengan-en is a very beautiful stately home and Japanese garden, which was built as a second residence by Shimadzu Mitsuhisa in 1658. The traditional gardens are very tranquil and scenic, with beautiful views of the Sakurakima volcano. We had lunch in the restaurant, which overlooks the garden and serves a selection of Kagoshima cuisine, including Kurobuta Pork. The house also features a stunning replics of a pair of vases sent to Shimadzu family as a gift to Nicholas II of Russia.

To get to the Sakurajima volcano we took a ferry. The ferry is a car ferry but we got out of the car and walked to the upper deck to enjoy the views of the volcano as we approached. The weather was gorgeous and I managed to get some great photos of the volcano in the distance.

When we arrived at Sakurajima we watched a special video, which explained how the volcano formed and what life is like in the shadow of the volcano. There are 24 hour ferries so people can leave the island in case of an eruption. After watching the video we went to bathe our feet in the Nagisa Foot Bath Park.

Next we drove to the Arimura Lava Observatory, which has 360-degree views of the volcano, lava fields and island. The sun was setting and it was incredible to see just how fertile and green the volcanic soil actually is.

During the last major eruption in 1914, the 3 metre torii gate of Kurokami Shrine was buried, with only its top beam still visible. The locals decided to leave the gate buried, to show the threat posed by the volcano for future generations. Next to it there is an old ficus tree, which managed to survive the eruption. As we drove around the island, we also saw bags of volcanic ash outside people's houses, which they collect and dispose of for recycling.

In the evening we went to a cozy, local restaurant for dinner. The owner is really friendly and there's no menu in the restaurant, so she prepares whatever she thinks guests would like. I tried chicken sahimi for the first time. I actually quite liked it with ginger and soy sauce. We had such a lovely evening!

The Shiroyama Hotel is a large hotel where you can watch the sun rise over the Sakurajima volcano from the room. From the outdoor section of the onsen, you can bathe while gazing at Sakurajima. The breakfast buffet had a wide selection of foods, including both Western and Japanese dishes. I particularly liked the apple vinegar drink they had on tap. My hotel room was very clean and comfortable, with a modern bathroom and two large beds.

The interior of the train is very special and the seats face the window, so you can enjoy the views as the train passes along the coastline. Everything on this train, including the food, has a black and white theme, representing the old and the young. It was a really unique experience and definitely one of the most scenic train rides I have ever taken: I didn’t want it to end!

Experiencing a “sand bath” was definitely one of the weirdest things I have done but it was a lot of fun. We were buried under the volcanic sand, with just our heads sticking out of the sand under an umbrella. The sand is hot and very heavy, so I was able to feel my heartbeat in my hands and my feet! Taking a sand bath improves circulation and can help with a number of health conditions. Initially I felt anxious but then as the time went by I began to feel more relaxed, wiggling my feet and my hands when it got too hot.

After the sunamushi onsen we went for ramen at Taketora, which has a friendly, modern atmosphere but with Japanese interiors. We had gyoza to start and ordered all sorts of different flavors of ramen; mine had a pork based broth with minced meat on top. I sprinkled over the fish flakes, which danced on the top of my ramen.

Chiringashima is an uninhabited island in Kinko Bay, which has a sand bar that only appears at low tide and according to certain times of the year and phases of the moon. We visited a lookout spot to take pictures and enjoy the pretty views of the island from above.

Following our visit to the lookout spot we visited another onsen called Tamatebako, which has two gender-segregated hot spring baths with views of Mount Kaimon. We didn't bathe here but we did get to enjoy the scenery.

Ryugu Jinja shrine is located on a cape in southern Kagoshima, and it is here that Oto-Hime (Princess of the Dragon Palace) is said to be enshrined. There is a custom for visitors to write wishes on sea shells, so I wrote my down my wishes, offered a coin and then rang the bell to make my wish come true. We then walked to the Nagasaki-bana Lighthouse to admire the views of the ocean and Mt. Kaimon.

To finish up the day, we visited Nishi-Oyama station, which is the southernmost JR station in Japan. Because this train station has incredible views of Mount Kaimon, the time waiting for a train seems to be short. Truly the most breathtaking train station I've ever seen on my travels!

At Kagomma Furusato Yataimura, we spent the evening bar hopping, enjoying different foods such as meat skewers and kurobuta pork. The atmosphere here is very lively and is a popular place for people to relax and enjoy a beer or glass of shochu after work. I had so much fun trying different types of foods and some local plum wine.

The Kirishima Open Air Museum consists of a number of different art pieces and sculptures designed by artists around the world, which are spread across a large park at the foot of Mount Kirishima. We walked through the forest areas, discovering different art works along the way.

Lunch on our last day was a special treat, since the Wasure-no-sato Gajoen was set in a beautiful forest landscape. The ryokan had a traditional Japanese atmosphere, so we took off our shoes and we were served a selection of dishes, including chicken sashimi, egg roll, pork and soup. Hospitality here was excellent.

In the trip in Tokyo, I loved trying eel for the first time and walking through the Minowa Shopping Street. The SkyBus allowed me to see the city from a different perspective and I loved being able to see some of the major landmarks.
I really enjoyed my trip to Kagoshima and found the place to be very beautiful. What I loved most about the prefecture was the friendliness of people, the foods and the incredible views. I would definitely return to Kagoshima as three days wasn't enough time to uncover all the things that the prefecture has to offer.