Kirishima霧島

Colonies of Miyama-Kirishima in full bloom. Majestic crater lake at the Kirishima Mountains is one of the highest above sea level.

Kirishima City is located in the northeastern part of Kagoshima and is the entrance to the Kirishima district of Kirishima-Yaku National Park, which includes the Kirishima volcanic chain, Sakura-jima and Yaku-shima Islands.

The red-painted main building of Kirishima-jingu Shrine, an Important Cultural Property, is where music and festivals are offered, including the 'Kagura' dance, Minami-Kyushu Kagura-matsuri Festival in summer, Tenson Korin Gojinkasai, a fantastic fire festival in fall, and the performance of Kumen-daiko drums in winter in front of the main hall. Kagura is a traditional performing art featuring dance and music that dates back to ancient Japan. Music, song and dance are performed wholeheartedly in order to serve and entertain the gods.

There are ten crater lakes in the Kirishima Mountains located at 1,239 meters above sea level, the highest elevation for such lakes in Japan. Beautiful Miyama-Kirishima (a kind of azalea) bloom there in early summer. The panoramic view from the top is spectacular. Hot spring villages such as Myoban, Yunotani and Shin-yu are found on the southwestern slope of the Kirishima Mountains. Facilities are provided so that the visitors can stay overnight, but you can also just enjoy the hot spring for the day.