Miyazaki vs Kagoshima: Which for a First Trip?

The short answer

Miyazaki is the main city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the southeast coast of Kyushu. Palm-lined shores give it a southern feel, with sea views like Aoshima Island and the Devil's Washboard rocks and many shrines tied to Japanese mythology. Further south along the Nichinan Coast you can visit Udo Jingu, a shrine inside a sea cave, and the old castle town of Obi.

Kagoshima sits at Kyushu's southern tip, facing Sakurajima, a volcano island that still puffs smoke across the bay. The ferry from the city port reaches Sakurajima in about 15 minutes, and you can add Ibusuki's sand baths, Kirishima's hot springs and black pork dishes.

Best for: Miyazaki suits travelers who want sea views and myth-linked shrines by bus and train on a shorter trip. Kagoshima suits those who want to take a ferry to a volcano island and combine sand baths and mountain hot-spring villages on a slightly longer trip.

• Full Miyazaki travel guide →
• Full Kagoshima travel guide →

Getting there and airport to city

Miyazaki's gateway is Miyazaki Bougainvillea Airport. Route buses toward Miyazaki Station leave from stop 1; there are no reservations, and if the bus is full you stand. The rapid Airport Liner stops at only a few stops on the way to Miyazaki Station. Local and limited express trains on the JR Miyazaki Airport Line also leave from Miyazaki Airport Station.

Kagoshima Airport (KOJ) is in Kirishima, well north of the city. The limousine bus to Kagoshima-Chuo Station and Tenmonkan is easiest, and a bus also runs from the airport to the Kirishima hot-spring villages, handy if you start with a soak. A car makes it easy to reach spread-out Ibusuki, Kirishima and Chiran.

Check flight schedules with the airlines.

• Miyazaki airport route bus: about 25-30 min to Miyazaki Station, JPY 530 for adults (children JPY 270), transit IC card or cash
• Miyazaki JR Miyazaki Airport Line: check JR Kyushu for timetables and fares
• Miyazaki taxi: stand at the terminal's front entrance; from 8:30 to 21:30 a taxi concierge helps arrange taxis and carry luggage. Check official information for fares to the city
• Kagoshima airport limousine bus: about 40-55 min to Kagoshima-Chuo Station, about 1,300-1,500 JPY
• Kagoshima airport → Kirishima Onsen bus: about 40 min to 1 hour depending on the stop (check official information), about 1,000 JPY
• Kagoshima taxi: about 40 min to the city, about 12,000 JPY+

How many days and how much it costs

Plan on 2 to 3 days for Miyazaki (with the Nichinan Coast) and 3 to 4 days for Kagoshima.

In Miyazaki, on day 1 take the airport bus to Miyazaki Station and JR to Miyazaki-Jingu Station for Miyazaki Jingu, then have charcoal-grilled chicken or chicken nanban in Nishitachi for dinner. On day 2, take the JR Nichinan Line to Aoshima Station for Aoshima Shrine and the Devil's Washboard, a route bus to Udo Jingu, then Obi castle town, and return from JR Obi Station. In Kagoshima, plan Shiroyama Observatory and black pork in Tenmonkan on day 1, the ferry to Sakurajima (check volcano information) and Sengan-en in the afternoon on day 2, a drive to Ibusuki's sand baths and Chiran on day 3, and Kirishima Shrine and a hot spring before the airport on day 4.

According to a Japan Tourism Agency survey (2025), foreign leisure travellers visiting Miyazaki Prefecture spent an average of about ¥42,000 per person per visit, and those visiting Kagoshima Prefecture about ¥66,000 (both excluding travel between prefectures). These are per visit, not per day, and for the whole prefecture, not just the city; actual costs vary widely with itinerary and accommodation.

Other figures are listed separately for each city: item prices for Miyazaki, and daily budgets for Kagoshima.

• Miyazaki: one-day route bus pass JPY 2,500 for adults, or the VISIT MIYAZAKI BUS PASS for foreign visitors JPY 2,500 (the regular Miyazaki Station-Obi round trip is JPY 4,480); Obi combined ticket JPY 800; bicycle rental JPY 500 (JPY 1,000 deposit). Miyazaki Jingu and Aoshima Shrine are free to visit.
• Kagoshima per day: budget about 7,000 JPY (business hotel, local restaurants, streetcar); mid-range about 14,000-20,000 JPY (city hotel, black pork dinner, hot-spring entry); high-end about 35,000 JPY+ (hot-spring ryokan, set-course dinners, rental car)

Weather by month, side by side

Both cities share the same good months. In Miyazaki, March-May and October-November are good for walking, and in Kagoshima, March-May and October-November are mild and clear, the best times. So we line up those five months.

The figures are 1991–2020 normals from the Japan Meteorological Agency: Miyazaki station for Miyazaki and Kagoshima station for Kagoshima. Each line shows average high / average low / monthly precipitation.

In all five months Kagoshima's highs and lows are about 1-2°C higher than Miyazaki's. Precipitation is similar in March, April and November, while Miyazaki gets more in May and October; in October it is 197mm in Miyazaki against 105mm in Kagoshima. Over the whole year, June is the wettest month in both cities (Miyazaki 516mm, Kagoshima 570mm).

In Miyazaki, July-September also get a lot of rain and July-August are hot. In Kagoshima, June to early July is the rainy season, typhoons often pass in August-September, stopping ferries and flights, and in summer wind direction often brings volcanic ash onto the city. Normals are long-term averages, not this year's weather, so check the Japan Meteorological Agency forecast before you go.

• March: Miyazaki 17°C / 7°C / 156mm, Kagoshima 18°C / 9°C / 161mm
• April: Miyazaki 21°C / 12°C / 195mm, Kagoshima 22°C / 13°C / 195mm
• May: Miyazaki 25°C / 16°C / 228mm, Kagoshima 26°C / 17°C / 205mm
• October: Miyazaki 25°C / 16°C / 197mm, Kagoshima 26°C / 18°C / 105mm
• November: Miyazaki 20°C / 10°C / 106mm, Kagoshima 21°C / 12°C / 103mm

What you do there: sights, food and getting around

In Miyazaki, start with Aoshima, a small island about 1.5 km around, and Aoshima Shrine in its middle (open for worship from 6:00 until sunset, free). The Devil's Washboard rocks run for about 8 km along the coast south of Aoshima; at low tide you can walk on them, but wet spots are slippery. From Horikiri Pass on the Nichinan Coast you see rows of phoenix palms and blue sea, and in the city Miyazaki Jingu enshrines Emperor Jimmu. Further south are Udo Jingu, with its main hall inside a sea cave, and Obi castle town, where samurai-house gates and stone walls remain.

According to a notice of 7 September 2026, a road collapse blocks access to Udo Jingu's parking lots 1 and 2, and the main hall is about a 20-minute walk from the tourist parking lot. No reopening date has been set, so check the official notices before you go. Some buses from the airport to Obi go through the Horikiri Tunnel and do not stop at Udo Jingu, so check the marks on the timetable.

In Kagoshima, take the ferry to Sakurajima for its lookouts and lava trails, and check alert levels and access with the Japan Meteorological Agency and local official information on the day. In the city are Sengan-en Garden with Sakurajima as its backdrop, Shiroyama Observatory overlooking the city, the bay and Sakurajima, and the harborside Kagoshima City Aquarium. In Ibusuki to the south you lie buried in warm sand at the sand baths, and Kirishima Shrine in the forest pairs well with Kirishima Onsen. Chiran's samurai district is about 1 hour by car from the city, and the World Heritage island of Yakushima is reached by boat or plane, so allow at least 1 night.

For food, Miyazaki has charcoal-grilled jidori chicken, chicken nanban (born in Miyazaki), hiyajiru chilled soup popular in summer, spicy karamen noodles, summer mangoes and cheese manju. Kagoshima has black pork tonkatsu and shabu-shabu, satsuma-age, Shirokuma shaved ice, charcoal-grilled chicken and sweet potato shochu. Undercooked chicken carries a food-poisoning risk, so choose fully cooked dishes.

• Miyazaki route buses: board at the middle door and pay when you get off. Tap a transit IC card, or take a numbered ticket if paying cash; no change is given, so use the coin changer at the front while the bus is stopped.
• VISIT MIYAZAKI BUS PASS: a one-day route bus pass for foreign visitors (JPY 2,500) for route buses to Aoshima, Udo and Obi. Bring your passport and return ticket (or itinerary).
• JR Nichinan Line: runs from Miyazaki Station toward Aoshima and Obi stations. The UMISACHI YAMASACHI sightseeing train makes 1 round trip a day, and all reclining seats need a reservation.
• Miyazaki bicycles: rent one at the tourist information center in Miyazaki Station for JPY 500 (JPY 1,000 deposit) and ride the bicycle path along the Oyodo River.
• Kagoshima transport: the streetcar linking Kagoshima-Chuo Station, Tenmonkan and the port area is the backbone, and a sightseeing bus loops past Sengan-en, Shiroyama Observatory and the port. The Sakurajima ferry takes about 15 minutes and sails frequently.
• Around Kagoshima: public transport to Ibusuki, Chiran and Kirishima is sparse. If renting a car, bring an International Driving Permit and remember Japan drives on the left.
• Volcanic ash falls on some days in Kagoshima. Bring a mask, and contact-lens wearers may prefer glasses.

How to choose, and combining the two

If you want a palm-lined coast, rocks revealed at low tide, myth-linked shrines and an old castle town on a short trip, Miyazaki fits well. If you want a ferry ride to a volcano island, sand baths and mountain hot-spring villages, and black pork, Kagoshima fits well.

The JR KYUSHU RAIL PASS Southern Kyushu (3 days, JPY 12,000 for adults) covers trains around Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Kumamoto; check JR Kyushu for eligibility, online prices and the route and travel time between the two cities.

Typhoons in August-September can stop ferries and flights, so leave slack in your plans. Entry procedures and online arrival forms can change, so check Japanese government or embassy information before you travel.

• The tourist information center in Miyazaki Station stores luggage (small JPY 500, large JPY 1,000), and its hands-free service sends bags to your hotel for JPY 1,000 per bag.
• The Devil's Washboard rocks are most exposed at low tide. Take care on wet or mossy rocks, which are slippery.
• At hot springs, wash before entering the bath; some facilities restrict guests with tattoos.
• Check hours and fees for Ibusuki's sand baths on the facility's official information.

• Full Miyazaki travel guide →
• Full Kagoshima travel guide →
• Incheon → Kagoshima flights →

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