Top 5 gourmet recommendations from Kagoshima locals

One of the great joys of travel is finding unique local specialties. Here we present the gourmet recommendations of Kagoshima locals from classics with a long history to the new ideas creating the hottest hits!

Udon noodles on the Sakurajima Ferry - a trip in a bowl

The Sakurajima Ferry takes 15 minutes to reach the world-famous active volcano Sakurajima, but one of the pleasures of the locals is to eat a bowl of noodles in that short time. Eating a bowl of noodles in the sea breeze while gazing at the majestic Sakurajima Island and Kinko Bay is something special. You might even spot an eruption on Sakurajima?

Sakurajima Ferry

Taste the yakisoba at a venerable department store

The most popular order among locals at the Yamakataya Shokudou eatery in the long-serving Kagoshima department store is "yakisoba". Unlike the usual dish with sauce, this version has crispy noodles with a thickened soup, meat and vegetables. Changing the flavor by adding the special vinegar is also recommended.

Yamakataya Dept. Store

Somen nagashi (flowing noodles), symbol of summer in Kagoshima

In summer, you can enjoy somen nagashi "flowing noodles" all over Japan. For the flowing noodles at Jigenji Park, which is open from mid-March to the end of October, a machine inspired by the eruption of Sakurajima is used to flow the noodles downstream.
There are other somen noodle flowing spots in the prefecture that are open all year round, so go out and find your favorite.

Jigenji Somen Nagashi

Fresh fish of the season in Kagoshima, seafood mecca

Surrounded by sea, you won't want to miss out on fish here in Kagoshima, where the volume of seafood caught is high and the species varied. A deepwater fish caught in Kinko Bay (Kagoshima Bay), located in between Kagoshima's two peninsulas, has been very popular lately. Won't you try something you can only find in Kagoshima?

Cast off the day's fatigue with a delicious beverage and local cuisine!

Try local dishes like hot, fluffy satsuma-age (fish cake) and chicken sashimi from southern Kyushu which perfectly complement shochu, our famous tipple.