Kagoshima faces an active volcano. Sakurajima rises from the bay barely four kilometres from the centre of the city, its flanks scarred with old lava flows and its summit often trailing a plume of ash, and the locals live with it as others live with weather. A ferry crosses to the island every few minutes through the day and night, and on the far side you can ride a loop road around the base of the mountain, past lava fields and small farms where radishes and mandarins grow in the black soil. On windy days the ash drifts over the city and settles on cars, pavements and rooftops, and residents have special bags for sweeping it up.
The city has a proud and slightly rebellious character. It was the capital of the Satsuma domain, whose samurai played a key role in the overthrow of the shogunate in 1868 and the creation of modern Japan. SaigÅ Takamori, the great Satsuma leader who later led a rebellion against the new government and died on Shiroyama hill above the city in 1877, is still a hero to people here. The Sengan-en garden, built by the Shimazu lords, borrows the volcano as its backdrop.
For motorcyclists, Kagoshima is a good place to arrive and a great place to leave from. Roads north climb into the Kirishima mountains, with crater lakes, steam vents and forested passes, and long smooth bends that suit a big bike. South, the Satsuma peninsula road leads to Ibusuki, where you can be buried in warm volcanic sand at a seaside bath. Volcanic ash on the road is slippery, particularly when damp, so treat any grey dust with caution.
Fuel is easy, with stations in all directions, and attendants in many Japanese stations will fill your tank for you. Do not miss the local black pork, the sweet-potato shochu, and the ramen. Spring and autumn are best; summer is hot and humid, with typhoons from August into early autumn.