Kagoshima: the city in the shadow of an active volcano

Nicknamed the 'Naples of Japan' for its scenic bay, Kagoshima coexists daily with the volcanic ash of Sakurajima, one of the world's most active volcanoes.

A frequent ferry connects the city centre to the volcano.

Sakurajima, an active volcano that erupts small quantities of ash almost daily, dominates Kagoshima Bay just minutes by ferry from the city center.

A short walk from the port, the Senganen Garden, a former residence of a Japanese feudal clan, offers direct views of the volcano among century-old pines and artificial streams.

Continuing on, you visit the Museum of Meiji Restoration, which recounts the crucial role of the region in Japan's modernization in the late nineteenth century.

Toward evening, the city's hot springs, fed by underground volcanic heat, offer a relaxing bath with a view of the still-smoking Sakurajima.

Kagoshima residents receive regular wind direction alerts to know when Sakurajima's ash will cover the city center, a phenomenon now integrated into daily local life.

The Kagoshima region was among the first in Japan to open up to Western technologies in the nineteenth century, hosting some of the country's first modern factories.