From Famous Products To Foods - 4 Select Souvenirs From Kagoshima

Souvenirs from Kagoshima

Kagoshima is a prefecture located in southern Kyushu known for its abundant nature and great regional cuisine.

There are a lot of souvenirs available here that make use of locally produced foods, such as confections made from sweet potatoes and brown sugar, karukan (*1), processed foods made from kurobuta, or Berkshire pigs, not to mention the nationally known shirokuma ice dessert - there are just too many to list.

Oshima tsumugi weave textiles

If you are looking for food items that have a long shelf-life to take with you, then we recommend the cookies, shortbreads, or shochu, all of which are made from sweet potatoes. For traditional handicrafts, Satsumakiriko cut glass, Satsumayaki porcelain, and Oshima tsumugi woven textiles are all exceptionally famous products from here.

Today we will introduce our selection of the top four souvenirs to pick up when in Kagoshima as well as where they can conveniently be purchased.

When you are visiting Kagoshima, please take some time to visit the nearby islands of Yakushima and Amami Oshima as well.

For more comprehensive information about traveling in Kagoshima, please take a look at our Kagoshima Travel Guide: 32 Sightseeing Spots, Local Food, and More!.

*1 Karukan: a yokan-like (sweet bean jelly) dessert made from Japanese yam; white in color, it has a faint sweetness to it.

Ekimachi Itchome Kagoshima Omiyage Yokocho (Kagoshima Chuo Station)

Ekimachi Itchome Kagoshima Omiyage Yokocho is located right outside the Kagoshima Chuo Station central ticket gate.
Not only is it close to the station, but here you will find 30 different shops selling everything from sweets and foods, sake and many, many other famous Kagoshima-specific products. They don't solely sell souvenirs, though; restaurants and cafes selling local specialties offer great places to take a break from your travels and shopping as well.

Kagoshima Meihingura is one of the great souvenir stores you will find within the Omiyage Yokocho (souvenir shopping area). This shop specializes in Kagoshima's regional dishes, selling processed products made with Berkshire pork, and satsuma-age (*2) made by famous brand name stores within the area. One of their most popular products are the cute pork buns known as Kurobuta-zamurai (package of 3 costs 1260 yen with tax).

For those who are concerned with expiration dates, picking up some Kagoshima mild soy sauce or other foods with a long shelf-life is recommended. There are also plenty of sweets that fit this bill as well.

*2 Satsuma-age: a local specialty - fried minced fish cakes. These cakes have a rich umami flavor and a subtle sweetness as well.

Satsuma kiriko cut glass. Photo courtesy of: Kagoshima Sightseeing Alliance
Satsuma Kobo is the place to go if you are looking for authentic Kagoshima folk crafts like Oshima tsumugi woven textile products or kiriko cut glass. Fashion items like Oshima tsumugi neckties and wallets, or clothing made from this fabric, which make you feel quite cheerful, are perfect gifts.

In addition to this, we also recommend Akashiya, a traditional confectionery shop established in 1854 for their karukan (a package of 5 costs 1080 yen with tax), and Satsuma Senbei Yamatoya, a shop selling homemade crackers made with sweet potato and seafood caught off the coast of Kagoshima (3 packages for 1296 yen with tax), among others.

Ekimachi Itchome Kagoshima
Address: Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Chuocho 1-1-1
Phone Number: 099-259-3185
Hours: 8:00-21:00 (depends on the shop)
Website: Ekimachi Itchome Kagoshima

Ichibangai Iddo Kagoshima Sightseeing Souvenir Center (Kagoshima Chuo Station)

Ichibangai Iddo is the closest shopping street to Kagoshima Chuo Station, and has been loved by the locals for ages. There are also plenty of souvenir shops to chose from in this area. At the Kagoshima Sightseeing Souvenir Center, karukan, satsuma-age, tsubotsuke pickles, shocho, and many other items can be found. And at Amamidori Yoshimi Sangyo, you can find island miso and other specialty products from Amami Oshima.

Other than souvenir shops, there are also clothing and alcohol shops, as well as delicatessens where the local residents come to do their daily shopping. This is a great place to see the everyday life of the Japanese as well as shop for souvenirs. And because it is a covered shopping arcade, this is also an excellent place to shop on rainy days.

Ichibangai Iddo Kagoshima Sightseeing Souvenir Center (Kagoshima Chuo Station)
Address: Kagoshima, Chuocho 25-1
Phone Number: 099-259-0177
Website: http://www.c-itibangai-iddo.jp/index.html

Kagoshima's Main Shopping District - Tenmonkan

Tenmonkan is the largest shopping district in the Kyushu area. In this shopping arcade you will find many shops, restaurants, and cafes offering regional dishes, as well as stores selling clothing and much more.

Kanko Busankan Ikehatatenmondo is the place to go if you are looking for a broad range of souvenirs, as they have sweets, shochu, handicrafts, character-based goods, and more. Chizumon, a cream cheese bun filled with sweet potato, red bean and white bean paste, (5 for 540 yen, 10 for 1080 yen) is their original dessert, and may be purchased in a set that includes a mini bottle (100ml) of shochu for 1995 yen. These and other popular original items can only be found here.

At the Satsumaimokan you can find numerous foods all made with sweet potatoes - sweets, shochu, and many other items.

Satsumayaki porcelain. Photo courtesy: Kagoshima Sightseeing Alliance
If you want to purchase traditional handicrafts, then we recommend visiting the Shimadzu Gallery. Here you will find Satsuma kiriko cut glass items, Satsumayaki porcelain (Iso Oniwa porcelain) and many other traditional handicrafts all collected together in one place. Established in 1909, this shop has also been recognized by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs as a registered Tangible Cultural Property as well.

Kanko Busankan Ikehatatenmondo
Address: Kagoshima city, Higashi Sengokucho 14-5
Phone Number: 099-226-5225
Hours: 10:00-20:00

Satsumaimo no Yakata
Address: Kagoshima city, Higashi Sengokucho 6-28
Phone Number: 099-239-4865
Hours: 10:00-19:30
Website: Satsumaimo no Yakata

Registered Tangible Cultural Property - Shimadzu Gallery
Address: Kagoshima city, Yoshinocho 9688-24 (Kitafuto/Kagoshima Station area)
Phone Number: 099-247-8490
Hours: 08:30-17:30 (March 16th-Oct. 31st), 8:30-17:20 (Nov.1st-March 15th)
Website: Shimadzu Gallery

Kagoshima Airport

There are plenty of souvenir shops in Kagoshima Airport as well, both in the departure lobbies of the domestic terminal on the first and second floors, and within the boarding gate as well.

It wouldn't be overstating it to say that they have everything here - sweets, rice crackers, sake, handicrafts, Berkshire pork products, airport-exclusive items and more can be found here.

Those who will be flying should give themselves plenty of time to shop when they are heading to the airport. It is a lot of fun to search for souvenirs and dishes that you can only find in Kagoshima.

Kagoshima Airport
Address: Kagoshima, Kirishima, Mizobecho Fumoto 822
Phone Number: 0995-73-3638
Website: Kagoshima Airport