Monday 19th March 2018
The area was originally known as Satsuma and ruled by the Shimadzu Clan for over 700 years, it was the centre of the Satsuma Rebellion which was part of the Samurai Rebellion against the opening up of Japan and the end of it’s isolationist policy. Kagoshima City is in Kagoshima prefecture which is located on the southern tip of Kyushu, which is the most southerly of the four main islands in Japan. Kagoshima is nicknamed the ‘Naples of the East’ due to both the city and the bay being dominated by the magnificent active volcano, Sakurajima, on Kinko Bay. At its base, the Nagisa Lava Trail winds through lava fields filled with boulders. Once set on an isolated island, the volcano became connected to the Osumi Peninsula after an eruption in 1914.
Early alarm today, wether looking pretty poor, low cloud and rain about. Yvonne must have had a premonition as she had declined the pleasure of today’s trip, preferring to enjoy the delights of the laundry room!
Captain announced this morning that the wind and waves off Korea were too much to allow our proposed call to Busan to go ahead, therefore we would be cruising in more sheltered waters around Japan to avoid the worst. A great disappointment.
So, after joining my tour group set off through the rain, first stop to board the ferry to Sakurajima Island, well, almost an island, it now being joined to the mainland with a lava flow from the volcano.
Views of the volcano, still active and which regularly grumbles and belches out smoke and ash, obscured by the cloud.
This is the view we should have had, shame it's just a postcard!
Went to the viewpoint anyway, not so much rain here, view OK apart from the top half of the volcano!
This is what we actually saw
Among the strange formations of lava are things like this which from the right direction looks like a lion.
Just in case, all around the volcano the population and visitors are provided with shelters from falling volcanic debris. The last real eruption being only in 1914, so always a chance of another.
Sakurajima is known for growing the world’s smallest tangerine, the Komikan and the world’s largest radish, a basketball sized white radish the Sakurajima Daikon.
Back across on the ferry and to the Sengan-en Gardens. Quick trip through the museum and then out into the garden. The garden being still owned and maintained by the descendants of the Shimadzu Clan, now run by the 33rd head of the clan, who created the garden in the 17th century to surround their residence.
A beautiful garden even in the rain, apparently Japanese gardens are designed to be enjoyed even in the rain.
Views across the bay toward the volcano not really there but trees, plants, rocks and water with many flowering trees still looked great.
Back on the bus for the return to the ship. Learnt today that the local cars are all painted silver as this reduces how much the continuous fall of volcanic ash shows up on the paintwork, perhaps this explains the choice of colours for Japanese cars in England!
The afternoon taken up with more trivia and afternoon tea. Then sailaway, in the rain, followed by dinner and the show in the theatre. Let’s hope for better at our next port.
No comments:
Post a Comment