Acquaintance with Kagosima Prefecture

In the center of the Gulf, Sakuradzim Vulcan ries on the island, whose name is translated as "Sakura Island". He constantly smokes and erupted several times. The largest eruption occurred in 1914. Then, from the depths of the mountain, so much lava was strengthened that a semi-kilometer sheds of a depth of 400 m was blocked by a coastal width of 72 m. So the island became the peninsula. Leaving lava, black and lifeless, and topped with gray ashes, it resembles a moon, rather than the earth’s surface.

Sakuradzim Vulcan became a business card of the prefecture. He is also famous as the Italian Vesuvius, so the city of Kagoshima is often called Japanese Naples. It was the volcano that is one of the most attractive places for tourists, the number of which annually translates over 40 million. human.

On the slopes of the volcano there is a village. Locals are occupied mainly by vegetable growing, since the land arrested by ashes is very fertile. People who are accustomed to live here are not afraid of the smell of Gary, nor Siraça – a light gray volcanic ash, constantly present in the air, no threat that the volcano will resume its activities. Despite the fact that the volcano refers to the existing, the peasants do not want to leave here.

And the administrative center of the prefecture – kagosima located on the opposite shore of the bay – often cover the clouds of ash. In antiquity she was the castle city of Satsuma Province. Under the control of the clan Simaja Kagosima became the political, financial, cultural and transport center of the South Kyushu. It is thanks to Kagoshima Japan got acquainted with Europe. In 1549, Francis Xavier arrived here – Spanish Jesuit, who opened the first Christian mission in Japan.

Taking advantage of his advantageous geographical location, Kagosima managed to establish contacts not only with Europeans, but also with the countries of Southeast Asia, so the prefecture served as the southern goal to Japan. One of the results of this was the accumulation of wealth in such a quantity that the World Exhibition in Paris in 1867 Kagoshima (then the province of Satsuma), speaking as a separate principality, sent much more exhibits than all Japan.

Suites from this prefecture – Saigo Takamori and Ochbo Tosimiti were one of the ideologues of the bourgeois restoration of Maidzi in 1868 and played an important role in the destruction of feudal orders in the country.

Nevertheless, Kagoshima has long remained the backyards of the country. Affected the distance from the capital. Only in the post-war years life here lived here.

Around tourists come here not only historical sights, but also the resorts of prefectures. These include sand dunes of Fukiage Beach, stretched by 30 kilometers on the west coast of Satsuma Peninsula. Here in the city of Casca, an annual sand festival is held, which attracts many sculptors on the construction of sand figures.

Yakushima Island is located 130 km south of Kyushu, but administratively he is part of the Kagosima Prefecture. The island area is relatively small – just over 500 kV. km, however, when it comes to something else, he can safely go into leaders. In 1993, Yakusima became the first area in Japan, which was listed by UNESCO World Heritage. The Isle of such honors was honored for the picturesque and pretty high Miyanoura Mountains (1936 m) and Nagata (1886 m), which the Japanese were poeticly ordered soaring alps, sandy beaches and amazing forests of cryptomeries. Here a tree of cryptomeria grows, whose age is more than 72 centuries. It is called Dzemon Suga, which means "Cryptomeria of the Epoch of Jemon" (10,000-300 years before.NS.).

In the north of the prefecture there are also many interesting and picturesque places. The city of Izumi is famous for the cranes, every year arriving here for wintering. For some estimates, in the season of these graceful birds here lives about ten thousand. This area is also famous for its hot springs.

Most prefecture lakes were formed in crater former volcanoes. The most famous among them – IKED – 15 km in circle and 233 m depth. It is the biggest on Kyushu. Located Lake in the southern Peninsula Satsumum. According to the legend, the monster of Issi dwells in the lake, but no one seen him. It is famous for Lake Ikad and gigantic eels, some of them reach one and a half meters long.