Kagoshima | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Kagoshima restaurant village

November 6, 2016 by David Herd

Kagomma Furusato Yataimura

Kagoshima restaurant village

Kagoshima restaurant village near the railway station is called Kagomma Furusato Yataimura. There are about 25 small restaurants that seat only 8 or 10 people.

Kagoshima restaurant village

Many of the places are so tiny it’s hard to get a seat. 🙂

Some have seats outside as well

Big & small, it doesn’t matter, the atmosphere is fantastic.

Big crowd for a Sunday

I’m guessing this place is crowded every night.

Yakitori washed down with hot sake.

One of my favourite Japanese dishes.

Such a busy place

The action never stops here. There really isn’t any English spoken however you can get by just pointing at the menu. 🙂

This nice guy spoke a little English

Not only that he was in Thailand on holiday the previous week. He took great delight in telling me how much he enjoyed Soi 4 & Nana Plaza. 🙂

Lots of narrow little alleys

This village reminded me so much of “Piss Alley” in Shinjuku in Tokyo.

Wonderful smiling faces

Some things in Japan you can be sure of, happy smiling faces, they love to be in a photograph, & people are just so nice & polite.

Hot sake coming up sir. 🙂

I realised after my first two glasses of sake the waitress was adding about 30% hot water, I thought they were tasting a little weak. Perhaps she did me a favour. 🙂

Great location & excellent hotel

My hotel was only 10 minutes walk to lots of restaurants & the ferry terminal, a great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

A very busy village

I didn’t see any other foreigners here, I was the only one.

Kagoshima restaurant village

Here is a wonderful documentary

Watch this video on YouTube

The village is quite close to the railway station which is adjacent to the Ferris wheel.

Keeping the rain out

Rain is absolutely no problem here.

Happy customers

You gotta love the Japanese people, as soon as they see a camera they want to be in the photo. 🙂

Here is a map of the village

That’s all folks

Thank you for visiting my Kagoshima restaurant village photo blog. Just a reminder my hotel was in a great location, you will get a discounted room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Here is another photo blog for Kagoshima.

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Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

November 6, 2016 by David Herd

Ferry across Kinko Bay to Sakurajima

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan Sakurajima had been peaceful since 2013 until July 2016, then suddenly plumes of smoke, cracks of lighting and a flow of lava came bellowing out of Japan’s Mount Sakruajima in July 2016. Located in a scenic bay on the southern island of Kyushu, this 1,117 meter high volcano has been a sleeping giant for the past three years prior to this fiery spectacle. The incident took place at 12:02 am on Tuesday at the mountain’s Showa crater, which resulted in a 5,000 meter high column of ash – but officials say no fatalities have been reported. Credit to STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Read about it here.

Experts have voiced concerns about the volcanic activity on the Pacific Island, primarily that it could be completely wiped by one massive eruption in the next century – killing all of its some 127 million inhabitants.

Leaving the terminal

Plenty to see on the short voyage across Kinko Bay.

On deck with the breeze in your face (or the phone)

Best spot for a photo opportunity.

Here I am heading for the island.

Hope to see at least a few puffs of smoke. 🙂

We arrive at Sakurajima

It’s a very short ferry ride, about 4 km at a cost of 170 Yen.

It is also a car ferry

About 5,000 people live on the island.

Tour bus around the island

For a 90 minute trip the cost was 500 Yen or about $6 AUD. You can get on & off the bus at different points of interest.

SAKEBI-NO-ZO (Shouting Statue) Park

Apparently a rock musician held a concert in 2004 in front of 75,000 screaming fans. To commemorate the concert, he built a statue of himself, this statue shouts at Sakurajima.

Up close to the volcano

We enjoy a 15 minute stop at the lookout to take some photos.

Sakurajima active volcano Kagoshima lava spread

Many types of fruit & vegetables florish due to the volcanic ash. The Sakurajima radish is a representative traditional vegetable of Kagoshima Prefecture, normally weighing about 10kg but one may also see radish that weigh as much as 20 – 30 kg. This is the world’s heaviest radish (weighing 31.1kg) and is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Sakurajima Radish is cherished by people across Japan as a uniquely original product of Kagoshima. It stays consistent when boiled and has a flavor that absorbs well, along with a fine flesh that looks as white as snow. Sakurajima Radish can be used in a wide variety of ways, such as boiled or pickled to name but a few.

Here is a wonderful documentary

Watch this video on YouTube

Eruption in 2012

This spot is only 5 minutes walk from my hotel & another 5 minutes to thee ferry terminal. A great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

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Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay

October 22, 2016 by David Herd

Looks like Sydney Opera House

Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay

Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay has a similar look to the Sydney Opera House. Not nearly as spectacular of course but certainly well worth a visit.

Whale shark

The whale shark is the largest of the fish species. The biggest confirmed individual had a length of 12.65 meters and a weight of around 21.5 ton.

Here is a video of the Whale Shark & others.

Huge whale shark at Kagoshima aquarium in Japan.

Watch this video on YouTube

I’t’s so peaceful & relaxing watching these amazing fish swim lazily in circles around the huge pool.

Another big guy

I can’t remember how many years it has been since I was at an aquarium, it was a total pleasure visiting the aquarium at Kagoshima. Entry was 1500 Yen or $14 USD.

Another huge tank with a great variety of fish

The women in the photo gives you an idea of the size of the tank & the fish.

Jelly fish

Jellyfish are the most efficient swimmers in the oceans. They use less energy to cover a given distance than any other ocean creature. Follow THIS LINK for some great information.

Big body, small head.

The huge variety of marine life is quite amazing.

Hiding among the reeds

This little guy was only about 6 inches long.

Here are some starfish in the background

The starfish is not a fish. It’s an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars.

There are some 2,000 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor. The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.

They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers. Purely marine animals, there are no freshwater sea stars, and only a few live in brackish water.

Beyond their distinctive shape, sea stars are famous for their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, entire bodies. They accomplish this by housing most or all of their vital organs in their arms. Some require the central body to be intact to regenerate, but a few species can grow an entirely new sea star just from a portion of a severed limb.

Most sea stars also have the remarkable ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clams or oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stomach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body. Credit National Geographic.

Here is another video, great shots of sharks swimming.

Great variety of fish & sharks at Kagoshima aquarium

Watch this video on YouTube

These sharks are absolutely fascinating creatures, so streamlined & graceful.

Great location & excellent hotel

My hotel is only 10 minutes walk to the aquarium, a great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Now for some more sashimi 🙂

Another beautiful looking creature.

Deep sea worms

Despite being an inland bay, Kinko Bay reaches depths of more than 200 meters, making it home to deep see marine life as well. Additionally, a new species of tube worm, or Lamellibrachia Satsuma, can be found on the sea floor at depths of around 90 meters in the upper bay. Research has shown that this unique population is supported by underwater volcanic vents from Mt. Sakurajima that spew hydrogen sulfide from the sea floor.

A few small fish among the coral

The coral itself makes a beautiful display.

You have seen the worms, now how about a sea snake?

Snakes are one of the things I have always been afraid of. Growing up in Australia which has nine of the ten most venemous snakes in the world, is it any wonder we are scared of them? 🙂

Beautiful colours

You really can spend hours watching these wonderful creatures.

Stonefish, most venemous fish in the world.

Stonefish are venomous, dangerous, and even fatal to humans. It is one of the most venomous fish known. They are found in the coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific.