[Back Post] Kyushu with Momiji, Day 10~11: Kagoshima

(This post is a work-in-progress.)

Momiji at Sengan-en, Kagoshima, the former residence of the Shimazu clan, now UNESCO World Heritage site (on IG).

At this point, we were nearing the end of this Kyushu road trip. Things got a bit rushed because we had quite a bit of long distance travel, and had made impromptu changes to the original itinerary, and ended up underestimating the time we took to travel. We did not do Kagoshima justice at all, and I am determined to go back again. At the very least, we were able to briefly visit the Miyama district (below), as well as explore the highlights of Sengan-en (below), the former villa of the Shimazu clan, the daimyo of the Satsuma Domain (today, Kagoshima). We also threw out the original Fukuoka plans because Hubby was craving omakase sushi and booked us for dinner at Teruzushi in (posted here), which meant taking the shinkansan to Kitakyushu.

Day 10: Yakushima to Kagoshima

Flying the same propeller plane back to Kagoshima Airport.

On the way to the airport, we popped by Suginoya杉の舎 (map), a shop in Yakushima that crafts and sells items made from yakusugi. Suginoya also holds chopstick-making workshops for tourists, a good idea for a souvenir from Yakushima to take home. We didn't have much time before our flight, to take part in the workshop, but I did get my paws on a yakusugi hair clip and natsume as personal souvenirs. While posting this, I chanced upon another yakusugi gallery-cum-shop, Yakusugi Gakunan屋久杉 岳南 (map). Looks like another place to pop by if we ever return (and I hope we do!). Senganen in Kagoshima mainland also has a shop that carries yakusugi items, but at 1.5 to 3x the price!

Kurobuta tonkatsu at Mansaku

On the way from the airport, we stopped to have lunch at Mansaku万さく in the town of Aira. Mansaku specialises in tonkatsu, and uses only kurobuta (black pig) produced in Kagoshima. Hubby went for the Nanboku kurobuta-rosu南国 黒豚ロース katsuzen gokujo-toro-rosuかつ膳 極上とろロース (loosely translates to Nanboku black pig first-rate fatty loin cutlet).

The gokujo kurobuta fatty loin cutlet, Mansaku (on IG)
名代かつ屋 万さくの南国黒豚ロースかつ膳 極上とろロース

Apparently, this part is a rare cut that is limited to 3~4 portions. It was a luxurious and juicy part indeed. But I wanted something leaner, and got the Nanboku kurobuta-rosu南国 黒豚ロース katsuzen tokujo-rosuかつ膳 特上ロース (basically, the less fatty loin cut from Hubby's choice).

The tokujo kurobuta loin cutlet, Mansaku (on IG)
名代かつ屋 万さくの南国黒豚ロースかつ膳 特上ロース

Super delicious, definitely one of the best tonkatsu we've had, hands down. Super crispy panko-crumbed crust, and juicy, tender pork loin.

Miyama

After lunch, we didn't have much time left. We made a quick stop at the Chin Jukan Kiln沈壽官窯沈 in the Miyama district. With over 100 kilns, Kagoshima is one of Japan's largest producers of ceramics, and is known for Satsuma ware. Of these kilns, the Chin Jukan Kiln is a popular and well known kiln with a long history that reaches back to the beginnings of Satsuma ware production in Japan. Currently headed by the 15th generation, the kiln continues to produce traditional white and black Satsuma ware with the traditional techniques that have been handed down through the generations of the Chin family.

Chin Jukan Kiln, Miyama, Kagoshima.

Satsuma ware has a 400-year history in Japan, and Miyama is the centre of it. After the final offensive of the invasions of the Korean peninsula (then under Joseon rule) in 1598, the 17th head of the Shimazu clan Shimazu Yoshihiro島津 義弘 kidnapped around 80 Korean master potters back to Japan. Besides being known as a skillful general for Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his battle exploits in Hideyoshi's Korea campaigns, Yoshihiro was also known for forcibly bringing or kidnapping Korean potters to Japan. During this time, several daimyo competed to obtain the ceramics produced by skilled Korean potters, resulting in many Korean potters were kidnapped or forcibly taken as prisoners to Japan in order to produce them. (K-drama fans, remember Goddess of Fire, Jung-yi? Okay, albeit partly fictionalised.) As many as 50-60,000, some estimate even 200,000. Unfortunately, this aspect of the history of Japanese ceramics is often overlooked or glossed over, but it's undeniable that Korean potters had a major hand in the development of Arita and Satsuma ware, and their arrival in Japan was done against their will.

Chin Jukan Kiln, Miyama, Kagoshima.

In around 1603, most of the potters were settled in Miyama (then called Naeshirogawa) and established kilns. The kilns were protected by the Shimazu clan until their privatisation following the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Miyama eventually became a major pottery production area where the Korean and Japanese potters worked to produce the distinctive style of Satsuma ware. The traits of the various schools of Satsuma ware, created by these potters some 400 years ago, as well as its traditions and Korean customs, are still present in Satsuma ware today.

The Chin Jukan Kiln is said to be the origin of overglaze Satsuma ware, and retains its distinctive Korean customs. Also, Chin Jukan XII, the kiln's 12th generation master is said to have contributed to the international success of Satsuma ware when he produced pieces for the 1873 World Exposition and 1893 World Columbian Exposition, and won awards in the 1900 and 1904 World Expositions. Update (11 Feb 2024): Found this wonderful interview of Chin Jukan XV in 2022, in which he shared about 2 episodes in his life that had a great impact on him as a young potter struggling to find his way. I was personally very moved and inspired by his words.

Chin Jukan Kiln, Miyama, Kagoshima.

Hidden behind a wood fence and trees, with historic white-washed kura warehouse, the Chin Jukan Kiln is like a tranquil enclave. Besides the pottery workshop, there is a museum that displays Satsuma ware made by the previous generations of Chin Jukan master potters, handed down from the time the Chin family came from Korea to Japan, and establishing their kiln at Miyama.

As mentioned, we had little time left. So, it was almost closing time when we arrived, and we had only a little time to hit up the shop on the grounds. Guess this means another trip back, some day.

Shiroyama Park

After leaving the kiln, we headed for Shiroyama Park to catch the iconic view of Kagoshima. We arrived a couple of hours before sunset, and went up to the viewing point.

The iconic Kagoshima view - Sakurajima from the Shiroyama Park viewing point.

Initially intended to stay to catch a time-lapse video of the turning light, but the our hunger pangs got too much to ignore. Plus it was getting cold! That rather surprised us as we're down south! In the end, we left just around blue hour.

Being ramen obsessed lovers, we went in search of Kagoshima style ramen for dinner. I assumed Kagoshima style ramen would be very much like Hakata style ramen. Well, both are Kyushu, right? So wrong! Kagoshima style ramen is known to have milder, mellower tonkotsu broth, and the noodles are served quite soft.

Our guide in Shiratani Unsuikyo, Akihiro-san, had recommended 2 ramen shops to us, Kuroiwa Ramenくろいわラーメン and Komurasakiこむらさき. Both are popular Kagoshima ramen shops located at Tenmonkan, not far from our Kagoshima hotel. And after some discussion, we made the decision to go to Kuroiwa Ramen. (Hubs distinctively remembered Akihiro-san saying Komurasaki is "very healthy" with "a lot of vegetables". This was the game-changer. I love veggies, Hubs doesn't.)

Kuroiwa Ramen, classic Kagoshima style ramen.

The menu at Kuroiwa is really short. It's just a simple choice of ramen, miso ramen, chashu ramen, gyoza and chahan (fried rice). Prices are also pretty cheap, the ramen was 780 yen, while the miso and chashu ramen were 880 yen. While I chose the plain ramen, Hubby had the chashu ramen.

When he recommended Kuroiwa, Akihiro-san told us that the broth is delicious, but he thought the noodles aren't great. He also warned us that the noodles will be soft, but we were quite unprepared for how soft they were. Super soft, almost soggy. I hated the noodles; hated them. (Could be a matter of preference too. After all, we're the kata-men type when we eat ramen.) But I loved everything else. The broth was delicious. We've always enjoyed Kyushu's rich tonkotsu broth, but Kuroiwa's milder and sweeter version was also delicious and aromatic, nicely topped with crisp beansprouts, crispy fried chopped onions and garlic, and green onions.

Day 11: Kagoshima to Fukuoka

We only had a couple of hours to fit in one Kagoshima sight, and the obvious choice was Sengan-en仙巌園. Indeed after about 1.5 hours, I saw why it aroused in Sir Harry Smith Parkes "a desire to stay for three years at least". I was already planning to come back.

Sengan-en

Sengan-en is a remnant of the villa of the Shimazu clan島津氏, the ruling clan of the Satsuma Domain薩摩 藩 from the Edo era until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Construction of Sengan-en began in 1658 under the design of Shimazu Mitsuhisa島津 光久, the 19th clan head and 2nd daimyo of the domain. It was named Sengan-en supposedly because the area resembled China's Longhu Shan龙虎山.

Sengan-en, Kagoshima

A bunch of shops line the pathway to the main residence (called the Iso Residence). The shops are housed in the same period wooden buildings, and blend into the overall look of the place, but there's no missing the commercial aspect....

Having a murasaki-imo soft serve at Sengan-en (on IG). Two of Kagoshima's bext in 1 spot!

On the way in, I had a murasaki-imo soft serve ice cream. We are in Kagoshima after all.... The satsuma-imo (sweet potatoes) are a famed local produce of Kagoshima, and the purple ones are a popular in soft serve. Besides being a food product on its own, satsuma-imo also go into some of Kagoshima's other famous (i.e. delicious!) local food produce: it is fed to Kagoshima kurobuta, and it is used to make shochu.

As we neared the Iso Residence, we passed the site of the Shuseikan reverberatory furnace. A sunken area in the ground lined with stone slabs, it is the remains of a 20m high furnace that was built in 1857. The furnace was used to melt iron that was used to cast cannons, and was the result of combining Western knowledge with Japanese craftsmanship.

Site of the reverberatory furnace, Sengan-en, Kagoshima.

From the 1600s, the Japanese have benefited from Western knowledge from the Dutch (rangaku), and the Shimazu clan was no different. In the late 1800s, towards the end of the Edo period, under its 28th head Shimazu Nariakira島津 斉彬, the Shimazu clan exerted much effort towards the industrialisation and modernisation. Nariakira had a great interest in rangaku, and established a rangaku school in the domain to teach Western science and technology. He also adopted Western technology into shipbuilding and military defenses within the domain. Concerned by Western encroachment in East Asia, Nariakira constructed the Shuseikan Industrial Complex on the grounds of Sengan-en, in an effort to produce iron for shipbuilding and cannons.

Most of the Shuseikan complex is gone, except for some surviving structures (such as the ruins of this reverberatory furnace) which received UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015, as part of the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Revolution". (This list also includes some sites in Nagasaki, posted here.) One of these surviving structures is the stone building that houses the Shoko Shuseikan Museum (Japan's oldest stone built Western factory). And near Sengan-en is the Former Kagoshima Spinning Engineers House, an Edo period ijinkan異人館 that used to house British engineers who taught spinning and milling techniques to the domain's residents.

A small shrine to the local land and water gods at Sengan-en.

To get to the house, we walked up a gravel path and entered through the Suzumon錫門 (the Tin Gate), a traditional Japanese gate at the end of the path lined with dwarf pines. The gate's rich red contrasted beautifully against the tree-covered hillside in the background.

The Suzumon (Tin Gate) at Sengan-en, previously only the daimyo and his heirs could use this gate (on IG)

The Suzumon is named for its tin roof, which is made of Kagoshima tin. Historically, this was the private entrance used only by the daimyo and his heir.The daimyo would arrive by boat, which would be moorted at a jetty at the bottom of the slope that led to the Suzumon. All other members had to use the nearby main gate, which was built in 1895 of camphor wood.

The house was originally built at the same time as the gardens in 1658, and was the second residence of the Shimazu clan. The house was renovated several times, and additions to the house and the grounds were made over the generations by Shimazu clan heads. The current building dates to 1884 when it was extensively reconstructed in preparation for Shimazu Tadayoshi島津 忠義, the 29th clan head and last daimyo of the Satsuma Domain. After the abolition of the han system, the house became Tadayoshi's main residence in 1888.

The residence represents a fusion of Japanese, Chinese and Western architectural elements and design. The house is constructed of yakusugi wood, a fact that totally floors me because I have seen some living examples of these ancient trees in Yakushima (see Days 8 & 9). As mentioned in that post, yakusugi are cedars that have lived for over 1,000 years. Valued for their high resin content and tight grain, yakusugi became a popular timber commodity that the Shimazu clan exploited during the Edo period.

The room of Shimazu Tadashige, 30th clan head, Sengan-en.

Tadayoshi's son Shimazu Tadashige島津 忠重, the 30th clan head, also lived in the house from his birth in 1886 to when he moved to Tokyo at age 12. When Tadashige moved, the house was eventually reduced to one-third of its original size. What remains of the house are the areas in which Tadayoshi lived.

By all means, the Shimazu clan has an illustrious lineage and history. The clan descended from the Seiwa Genji清和 源氏 (i.e. descendants of Emperor Seiwa), and was one of the few Edo period daimyo clans that held continuous control of their territory since the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The clan at its peak was also the wealthiest and most powerful tozama daimyo外様 大名 families.

Shimazu family tree

After the abolition of the han system, Tadayoshi was made koshaku公爵 (Prince/Duke) under the new kazoku system, a title that Tadashige inherited, along with the clan's headship. Tadashige's brothers were also given kazoku titles, and his sisters married into the Tokugawa clan and other kazoku families. His sister Shimazu Chikako married into the imperial family and became the mother of the Empress Kojun. (This makes Tadashige the maternal grand-uncle, and Tadayoshi the maternal great-grandfather, of the current Emperor Emeritus.) The clan is still extant today, and continues to be influential in Kagoshima. The current family head is the president of Shimazu Ltd which owns and manages, among other things, Sengan-en.

Replica of the pair of Satsuma ceramic vases sent as a gift from Shimazu Tadayoshi to Nicholas II of Russia on his coronation as Emperor of Russia in 1896. Sengan-en, Kagoshima.

Besides being used as a residence for the Shimazu clan, Sengan-en also served as a place to receive important guests who visited Kagoshima. Due to the domain's pivotal role in the Meiji Restoration, Sengan-en received visits from the Meiji Emperor, and later the Taisho and Showa Emperors. Other important guests have included Saigo Takamori, Katsu Kaishu, Willem Huyssen van Kattendijke, Dr. Johannes Lijdius Catharinus Pompe van Meerdervoort, British diplomat Sir Harry Smith Parkes, Nicholas II of Russian, Prince George of Greece and Denmark, Prince Arthur of Connaught, and Edward VIII.

The reception room in Sengan-en.

The reception room was used to receive these guests. All the doors (screens) leading to the reception room are made of yakusugi timber. The chandelier was order-made in London during the Meiji period, and has light shades that feature the Shimazu clan crest. It was powered by hydroelectricity that was generated nearby. Although the room displays a blend of Western and Japanese elements, its architectural style is largely traditional Japanese.

Sengan-en has also been used as a filming location for NHK taiga dramas Atsuhime『篤姫』 and Segodon『西郷どん』, based on the real historical figures linked to the Shimazu clan: Atsuhime篤姫 (adopted daughter of 28th clan head Shimazu Nariakira島津 斉彬, and wife of 13th Tokugawa shogun Tokugawa Iesada徳川 家定) and Saigo Takamori西郷 隆盛 (Shimazu clan retainer, and one of the leaders of the Meiji Restoration).

Shimazu Tadayoshi's bedroom, Sengan-en.

After the East-West fusion of the reception room and Tadayoshi's dressing room, the other rooms (his bathroom, toilet, bedroom and study) are surprisingly traditional, except for the electric lights. After the reception room, the bedroom looks rather spartan, but the details on the screens and the radish-shaped kugi-kakushi stand out in contrast. The screen door is made of yakusugi and decorated with cherry blossoms.

The inner garden of the house in Sengan-en.

Enclosed within part of the house is an inner courtyard garden. The inner garden is quite unique as the pond has a sunken octagon inside it. Overall the inner garden seems to convey some form of stillness, with the pond water reflecting the sky like a mirror, broken by the occasion ripple from the bright orange koi in it. Around the pond are rather short, well-tended plants, and elegant stone lanterns.

I finally found my way to the main garden, which is the main highlight of Sengan-en. The garden was designed by the 19th clan head Shimazu Mitsuhisa島津 光久 (ja). The main garden really lives up to its reputation as an extensive, beautiful Japanese stroll garden that effectively employs shakkei借景, incorporating Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay.

The main garden at Sengan-en.

At the time of our visit, the irises were in bloom, and some azalea shrubs still had bright pink blossoms. So it was really quite lovely. The garden's plants are a mix of typical Japanese garden plants (irises, azalea, dwarf pines), and subtropical plants, like the sago palm cycads. So it doesn't look like a typical Japanese stroll garden.

Near the pond is a pavilion, the Bogakuro望嶽楼, which was a gift presented to Mitsuhisa in 1672 from Shō Tei尚貞, the king of the Ryukyu Kingdom (today Okinawa), at the time a vassal of the daimyo. Unlike the villa's traditional Japanese architecture, the pavilion is of Ryukyuan design. The pavilion was also used to entertain guests, and hosted visiting Ryukyu Kingdom guests and dignitaries.

The main garden at Sengan-en.

Two stone bridges crossing the pond in the main garden, an arched one and a zigag one. The zigzag one reminded me a bit of the wooden one in the south garden of Tenjuan (posted here). But the overall look is, of course, very different.

The garden doesn't have a lot of tall plants. I suppose that's why it looks bigger than it actually is, because there's nothing tall to interrupt the seamless incorporation of Sakurajima, as well as the coastline and hills of Kagoshima Bay, into the garden's views.

The main garden at Sengan-en.

Seeing the stone lanterns in the inner garden, as well as those around the main garden, it's not hard to see why Sengan-en is known for its stone lanterns. The main garden has 2 large stone lanterns that can't be missed: the Jumping Lion Lantern and the Crane Lantern. The imposing and massive Lion Lantern was designed by Sengan-en's head gardener Oda Kisanji in 1884. Its coping stone is equivalent to the width of 8 tatami mats and was once used as a wave-breaker at the nearby Iso Beach. As for the Crane Lantern (I didn't take a photo), it was supposedly Japan's first gas light when Shimazu Nariakira conducted an experiment in 1857 (which was abandoned when he died).

From the garden, looking towards the house, the characters 千尋巌 (senjingan) carved into a rock face on the cliff behind the house can be seen. In 1814, these characters were carved into the cliff face on the orders of the 27th clan head Shimazu Narioki島津 斉興. It took 3,900 people and 3 months to carve the characters onto the cliff. The engraving measures 11m high in total, and were painted white using pigment from crushed shells. Although engraving characters on rock faces was common practice in China, it was rare in Japan. The characters literally mean "rock/cliff [of] great height". Personally, I don't understand what he was trying to achieve, or the purpose of this. If you're going to go through so much effort to carve something huge on a massive rock face, why not pick something meaningful or profound?

Kimono-clad tourists at Sengan-en.

The takamasu, Sengan-en.

The garden's beauty seems to captivate people of all eras. After his 1858 visit, Kattendijke said of Sengan-en: "As soon as we entered the grounds a Sengan-en, I could scarcely believe my eyes, seeing such an elegant and well-kept garden. It was weeded neatly, and the path was gravelled. It was filled with beautiful flowers in bloom, and had a stream leading to a waterfall and a fountain."

And Sir Harry Smith Parkes wrote in 1867: "Sengan-en was faced to the port. I was entertained by the senior retainer. It was amazing entertainment. The garden is so wonderful that I don't know how to express it. Anyone who visits there must be stricken by a desire to stay for three years at least. ... The Japanese are fond of gardening, to which they apply a considerable degree of science. The fishponds, the rock-work, the labyrinthine quickset hedges, and pavements of variegated stones, which are introduced into a garden of moderate extent, with miniature hills and forests, usually made in imitation of some well-known features of the natural scenery of the county, afford the visitor an entertaining study. ..."

Walking along we came across this structure, called the takamasu高枡 (literally "tall measuring box"), which was used to distribute water. Groundwater was stored at this spot, and was used to supply the pond water at the house.

The suido, from Shofuku Bridge, Sengan-en

Further down the path, we crossed the Shofuku Bridge where there was a nice view of the canal (suido) with its stone embankments, the plants, and Sakurajima looming in the back.

The suido, from the Suido Bridge, Sengan-en

We took the path next to the canal, and as we were running short on time, we skipped other spots like the Shuseiso teahouse, Kyokusui Garden and the Konan bamboo grove.

We came upon the Oniwa Shrine御庭神社, a small shrine hidden away by a lush canopy of trees. This shrine is said to be the luckiest in Sengan-en. Apparently in 1918, 13 shrines from the Shimazu family residences were combined into this single shrine.

The Oniwa Shrine, Sengan-en.

To our surprise, we came upon a miniaturised shrine dedicated to cats!

The Nekogami Jinja, Sengan-en

The Nekogami Jinja猫神神社 (literally, cat god shrine) enshrines 2 cats that belonged to Shimazu Yoshihiro島津 義弘, the same guy who kidnapped the Korean potters, mentioned above. Here, visitors can pray and wish for the health of their beloved felines here in this shrine.

Cat-themed ema at the Cat Shrine, Sengan-en. I bought one back for Sheena.

Curiously, the Shimazu clan considered their cats the "gods of time". When Yoshihiro set sail with an expeditionary army to the Korean peninsula, he took 7 cats with him. It wasn't because he was an ardent furry feline lover who couldn't bear to be parted, but because he wanted to tell time. Apparently, he could tell time by looking at the eyes of his cats, as their pupil shapes changed over the course of the day. Of the 7, only 2 survived the journey and returned alive to Kagoshima. As gratitude for their service and loyalty, Yoshihiro built a shrine for them in 1602. The shrine was relocated here when the Shimazu clan relocated to Sengan-en.

Being the start of summer, some of the hydrangeas on the grounds were beginning to bloom.

Hydrangeas at Sengan-en.

Hydrangeas at Sengan-en.

Hydrangeas at Sengan-en.

Pardon the hydrangea spam... I just adore hydrangea blossoms....

Watching crafts people at work at the Shimazu Satsuma kiriko Glassworks, Sengan-en.

At a separate building, we were able to view crafts people at work on various Kagoshima traditional crafts, such as kiriko glassworks.

An ijinkan near Sengan-en, now housing a Starbucks.

Tontoro ramen at Tontoro Tenmonkan Honten, Kagoshima.

After Senganen, we had a quick lunch at Tontoro Tenmonkan Honten豚とろ 天文館 本店 (map). Tontoro is often recommended as one of Kagoshima's best ramen (see e.g. 5AM Ramen), and I just wanted to try tonkotsu ramen made using Kagoshima kurobuta. The rich and creamy tonkotsu broth was not at all like Kuroiwa's mellow sweet tonkotsu. This bowl was topped with crunchy black fungus, negi, crispy fried garlic, soft boiled egg, and chashu. The fatty tontoro chashu is touted to be the shop's signature, and was super tender and fatty, maybe a bit too fatty for me. We liked the noodles this time; they were not as hard as we like, but not super soft like Kuroiwa's noodles.

Back to Fukuoka, onto Teruzushi

Taking the shinkansen from Fukuoka to Kokura, just to eat sushi.

After our flight back to Fukuoka, we checked into our hotel. But we had a little time to settle down and relax, as we had to catch the shinkansen to Kitakyushu for our dinner date at Teruzushi.

If there's a word I can use to sum up Chef Watanabe-san and the experience at Teruzushi, it'd be "dramatic", maybe even "melodramatic". Dramatic chef, dramatic presentation, dramatic sushi, dramatic portions. More about it (pictures and stuff) here.

Chef Watanabe Takayoshi of Teruzushi, Kitakyushu. More about it here.

Kyushu with Momiji, May 2019 ✈️ Day 0 • Singapore - Tokyo - Fukuoka 🚗 Day 1. Saga Prefecture (Route) • Yutoku Inari Shrine (Kashima) • Takezaki Kaisan (Tara) • Shiibasansou (Ureshino) 🚗 Day 2. Yame (Route) • Kitaya Brewery • Shutei Gin no Ka • Iwatoyama Kofun • Yame Traditional Craftwork Centre • Yame tea plantations • Yabe no Mori 🚗 Day 3. Kumamoto Prefecture (Route) • Tsuetate Onsen • Nabegadaki Falls • Ikeyama Suigen • Sozankyo 🚗 Day 4. Aso (Route) • Kusasenri • Daikanbo • Akaushidon Iwasaki • KAI Aso 🚗 Day 5. Takachiho (Route) • Takachiho Gorge • Takachiho Shrine • Ama no Iwato Shrine • Ama no Yasugawara Shrine (skipped) • Kunimigaoka (skipped) • Solest Takachiho • Restaurant Nagomi 🚗 Day 6. Aso & Kirishima (Route) • Kusasenri • Ramen Keika, Kumamoto • Kirishima Shrine • Kirishima Hotel 🚗 Day 7. Sakurajima (Route) • 100-Year Cedar Garden • Maruo Falls • Arimura Lava Observatory • Yunohira Viewpoint • Tsukiyomi Shrine • Sakurajima Michi-no-Eki Rest Stop, Hinoshima Megumikan • Karasujima Viewpoint • Nagisa Lava Trail • Nagisa Park Foot Baths • Kurokami Shrine • Kurokami Viewpoint • Sakurajima Ferry • Kagoshima wagyu at Gyu-do! ✈️ Day 8. Yakushima (Route) • Yakusugi Museum • Ryujin no Taki • Senpiro no Taki • Tsukasaki Tidal Pool • Ohko no Taki • Seibu Rindo • Yakushima Seaside Hotel 🚗 Day 9. Yakushima (Route) • Shiratani Unsuikyo • Hachimanju Cha-en ✈️ Day 10. Yakushima & Kagoshima (Route) • Suginoya • Yakushima Airport • Kurobuta tonkatsu at Mansaku, Aira • Miyama District (Miyama Toyukan & Chin Jukan Touen) • Shiroyama Viewpoint • Richmond Hotel Kagoshima Tenmonkan • Ramen Kuroiwa 🚗 Day 11. Kagoshima to Fukuoka (Route) • Sengan-en • Teru-zushi, Kitakyushu 🚅 Day 12. Fukuoka (Route) • Kushida Shrine • Hakata Traditional Craft and Design Museum • Hakata Riverain • Tenpyodo • Iwataya Annex • Canal City Hakata (Shodai Hidechan at Ramen Stadium, Hamleys) ✈️ Day 13. Tokyo • Hoshinoya Tokyo • Shopping • Sushi Nanba Asagaya ✈️ Day 14. Tokyo - Singapore • Sushi Kimura * * *