Kagoshima Shore Excursion: Custom Car Tour — Guide Kaz
September, 2026
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan.
Tour Itinerary
- Marine Port Kagoshima 9:00 – 9:30 Sengan-en 10:30 – 10:45 Tsurumaru Castle Ruins 11:15 – 11:20 Terukuni Shrine 11:35 – 11:45 Shiroyama Observatory 11:55 – 12:05 Ichi-ni-san (lunch) 13:00 – 14:00 Yunohira Observatory 14:20 – 14:40 Arimura Lava Park 14:55 – 15:10 Kurokami Buried Torii 15:30 – 16:10 Don Quijote 16:30 – 17:00 Marine Port Kagoshima
What Is a Private Kagoshima Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Sengan-en, Sakurajima, and City Sights
Due to the effects of a typhoon, clouds hung low over Sakurajima in the morning, so I rearranged the order and toured the city in the morning, visiting Sengan-en and the ruins of Tsurumaru Castle, then went to Sakurajima in the afternoon. Even in the afternoon the clouds over Sakurajima did not fully clear, but the view became quite good, and the guests were pleased. The guests were visitors from North America, and we talked about sumo wrestlers such as Akebono and Konishiki, and there were questions about sumo as well. They were very happy with the black pork dishes and tuna sashimi. Because the typhoon meant they would remain moored in Kagoshima until the following day, I suggested visiting the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots the next day, and they eagerly looked into it. A notable stop on the tour was Sengan-en. Sengan-en is a traditional Japanese garden and villa built in the 17th century by the Shimazu clan, who ruled the Satsuma domain. It is famous for its scenic landscape that incorporates Sakurajima and Kinko Bay as borrowed scenery, and it is also part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site related to Japan's early industrial modernization.
Click here for more details: Kagoshima Shore Excursion: Custom Car Tour, Licensed Guide
Experienced guide in Tokyo, Kanto, Kansai, Chugoku and Kyushu as lived in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Shiga, Wakayama, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka and Kumamoto. Can introduce local favorite restaurants and shops in these areas. Flexible and tailored itinerary is available with car transport transportation. Can escort outdoor activities such as fishing and hiking. Can provide private tours at Sake breweries in Fukuoka and Saga area with personal networks. Respect and adapt to diverse cultures and religions as worked with colleagues around the world for 38 years.
Sep 19, 2026
Romy_B
Kagoshima guided tour with driver
Viator review: Kagoshima Shore Excursion: Custom Car Tour, Licensed Guide
Everyone in our group agreed this…
Sep 19, 2026
Romy_B
Kagoshima guided tour with driver
Viator review: Kagoshima Shore Excursion: Custom Car Tour, Licensed Guide
Everyone in our group agreed this was the best tour we did during our 12 day cruise to Japan & S. Korea. Kaz was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and informative. We enjoyed every one of our tour stops and our lunch was delicious.
Sep 2, 2026
Lee_T
A wonderful day in Port
Viator review: Kagoshima Shore Excursion: Custom Car Tour, Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful private tour…
Sep 2, 2026
Lee_T
A wonderful day in Port
Viator review: Kagoshima Shore Excursion: Custom Car Tour, Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful private tour with our guide Kaz. The vehicle was very comfortable and our driver was very professional. Kaz was great communicating with us prior to the tour and on the day communicating our meeting time at the port, everything was seamless.
Kaz let us customize our tour and also arranged a delicious authentic Japanese lunch. We had a wonderful day and the extra service was amazing. We would definitely recommend this tour.
Jun 7, 2026
Kim_K
Viator review: Kagoshima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Beautiful, insightful and memorable!
We definitely had a beautiful, insightful and memorable…
Jun 7, 2026
Kim_K
Viator review: Kagoshima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Beautiful, insightful and memorable!
We definitely had a beautiful, insightful and memorable day in Kagoshima. Kaz, our private guide, had excellent English and shared so much insight to the area from the volcano to Sochu!
We highly recommend this day tour. Our big bonus was the eruption that morning which made us appreciate the active personality of Sakurajima!