Kagoshima Prefecture

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kagoshima Prefecture corresponds to the ancient Japanese provinces Ōsumi and Satsuma, including the northern part of the Ryukyu Islands (Satsunan). This region played a key role in the Meiji Restoration (Saigō Takamori), and the city of Kagoshima was an important naval base during Japan's 20th century wars and the home of admiral Tōgō Heihachirō. More recent incidents are the sinking of a North Korean spy ship (100 ton class) in 2001 by the Coast Guard, which was later salvaged and exhibited in Tokyo, and the abduction of an office clerk from a Kagoshima beach in 1978 by agents from the same country. This became known only recently under the Koizumi administration.

Reader's Guide

Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu on the Satsuma Peninsula and Ōsumi Peninsula, and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest, the most important group being the Amami Islands. It has a bay called Kagoshima Bay (Kinkowan), sandwiched by the two peninsulas. The prefecture boasts a chain of active and dormant volcanoes, including Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes. Major eruptions occurred in 1914, when the island mountain spilled enough material to become permanently connected to the mainland, and a lesser eruption in 1960. The prefecture has strong agricultural roots, producing Japan's largest volume of unagi eels and being the largest beef-producing and pork-producing prefecture in Japan. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has several facilities within the prefecture, including the country's main launch facility on Tanegashima and the Uchinoura Space Center. The two main ethnic groups of Kagoshima Prefecture are the Japanese and the Ryukyuans (Amami Islands).

Did You Know?

• Kagoshima Prefecture is the largest beef-producing and pork-producing prefecture in Japan.
• Sakurajima's 1914 eruption spilled enough material to permanently connect the island mountain to the mainland.
• The prefecture is officially recognized by the World Trade Organization as the home of shōchū, with over 113 distilleries producing about 1,500 brands.
• Japan's main space launch facility is located on Tanegashima, part of Kagoshima Prefecture.
• The abduction of an office clerk from a Kagoshima beach in 1978 by North Korean agents became known only recently under the Koizumi administration.