Our first port of call is Kagoshima, one of Japan’s most southerly major cities. The skyline is dominated by Sakurajima, a legendary active volcano that broods, churns and puffs out ash nearby. This draws comparisons to its sister city of Naples.
We start our visit with a tour of beautiful Sengan-en, the stately home and lovely gardens of the Shimadzu family, which dates back to 1658. It is still a bit too early for full cherry blossoming, but the landscaping is gorgeous nonetheless.
Our excursion concludes with a ferry ride across Kinko Bay for a closer look at Sakurajima. The huge cone is impressive and the vistas across the area are wonderful.
