Day 10 - Ibusuki to Kagoshima
The short run up to Kagoshima hugs the coastline and has no elevation gain to speak of. Leaving the hotel you round the headland and roll on bikeways and footpaths under blue skies and overlooking azure waters. From the outskirts of Kagoshima there is a series of long parks with paths through the middle providing off road, shaded riding.
The problem is between the two, the main coastal road deteriorates into a narrow, busy thoroughfare. Where there is footpath to ride on it was lumpy, uneven and in many places so narrow it is necessary to walk the bikes. Not a pleasant experience at all. If you plan to ride this way, I'd encourage you to investigate route options slightly inland. It will invariably involve more climbing but will be more pleasant riding and much safer.
Route
Stay and Eat
We booked an apartment through Airbnb call Perch 301. The location was great, just a few blocks from the Tenmonkan shopping district. It's a minimalist, open plan apartment that had a balcony where we were able to store the bikes. It suited our needs perfectly.
See and Do
We allowed three days (four nights) in Kagoshima. The first day we took in the Museum of the Meiji Restoration and spent the remainder of the day shopping in the kilometres of covered arcades in Tenmonkan.
The presence of Sakurajima is hard to escape. It's often visible from the city and the weather includes a volcanic ash forecast. A ferry trip across to the 'island' is a must if you are in Kagoshima. The experience actually on Sakurajima isn't that great. There are loop buses that run up to a lookout but with an hour between buses it's not very convenient. There weren't many options for lunch.
Our last day we visited Sengan-en which is absolutely worth a visit. There is a tour of the residence of the Shimazu clan, you can enjoy a leisurely ramble through the gardens and see the remains of one of the first electric power stations in Japan. Unlike Sakurajima, there is a variety of restaurants, cafes and snack foods. Make sure you don't miss the industrial exhibition hall.
