Elevate Your Well-being on Holiday
Yoga, spa & breakfast: Why you should wake up early when traveling

You probably have heard the cliché, “how you spend your morning determines how you perform during the day,” but this is especially true when you’re on a trip. On this topic, we will explore some of the amazing activities you can try in the early hours of Kagoshima City, ranging from an outdoor yoga and hot spring bathing that will liberate your body and mind to freshly baked bread for breakfast that will give you the energy for the day. To experience these activities is Michele Matsunaga, a 25-year resident currently working as a guide for foreign tourists. She guided us around the city while showing some of the fun ways to maximize your trip by taking advantage of the morning time, speaking from a tourist’s perspective.

About – Michele Matsunaga
First visited Japan 25 years ago as part of the Japanese government initiative that invites foreign youth as language teachers (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme).
She taught English in many places in Kagoshima Prefecture. She later met her husband and has lived in the prefecture ever since.
Mother of two. She currently works as an instructor teaching local guide interpreters at IS Interpreters Systems. Her favorite foods are Sakurajima Komikan mandarin, sweet potato, and green tea.

Immerse yourself in yoga & relax with views from a hilltop overlook

A 107-meter-high hill, Shiroyama, sits in the heart of downtown Kagoshima. Many of the city’s iconic tourism photo and video materials you might have seen are taken here. The area is home to a plethora of wild flora that grows in temperate and subtropical climates. Many locals and visitors come up to this observatory for anything from a morning walk or jog along the well-maintained promenades to watching the golden rays shining from behind Sakurajima. We’ll start the day with yoga, which is a fun, super accessible activity for anyone.

Stretching feels good!

Early Morning Yoga Experience
YOGA WORKS MM
Owner: Michiko Maekawa
Booking: Required
Price: ¥5,000/person. Minimum of two.
Yoga mat to be provided. Requires comfortable exercise clothing.
Contact: Send a DM on Instagram

YOGA WORKS MM Instagram

Plunge at the downtown communal bath: Morning spa rejuvenation with just a few coins

After a refreshing detox from the yoga and promenade stroll, it’s time to freshen up at a hot spring spa (onsen). “Hot spring heaven” is a common moniker for Kagoshima Prefecture as it enjoys the second largest number of geothermal springs in Japan. Unlike other regions, the public baths (sentō) scattered around Kagoshima City are fed by natural hot spring water (instead of regular heated tap water). This makes them an affordable choice if you want to dip in onsen. One such bathhouse is Kagoshima Onsen, which is where Michele took us next. The entrance curtain, drawn with the historical local figure Saigo Takamori, serves as an easy landmark.
Inside, the sentō is full of nostalgia with old Japanese songs playing in the background. Another notable feature is of course the untreated water in the bathtub, sourced straight from the underground. Michele pays ¥460 at the reception counter (bandai) and enters the women’s room.

Time to rinse off the sweat!
Hand the admission fee at bandai

Intercultural exchange with locals

Michele seems refreshed after soaking in the natural spring water. While she is drying her hair, a local grandma, a regular of the bathhouse, comes up to her and starts asking where she is visiting from. Chatting with locals certainly is one of the most joyful moments of a trip. Shampoo, rinse, and body soap are all provided in the bathing area and towels are sold at bandai, so you can really drop by here on a whim with no worries. “I woke up early and did these activities and now I feel recharged. I’m looking forward to continuing my travel in the afternoon.”

“Come again soon!”

KAGOMMA ONSEN BATH
3-28 Yasui-chō, Kagoshima City
099.226.2688
8am–12am (Next day)
Closed: 5th, 15th, 25th monthly
Parking: Available, 20 spots (First 60 min free, metered)
Price: Age 13+, ¥460; Age 6–12, ¥150; Under 6, ¥80
Access: 3-min walk from tram stops either No. 3 or 4 (Shiyakusho-mae / Suizokukan-guchi)
Amenities: Sauna, cold bath, waterfall shower, bubble bath, family/solo private baths