A Volcanic Bay in Kagoshima

The island nation of Japan.

Japan has so many coastlines: about 35,000 kilometers of them!

They feature unique shapes, and lots of great ecology.

Coastlines give an opportunity to see wonderous sights and have some fascinating encounters!

Today, we take to the sky!

It'll give us a bird's eye view that we couldn't get on land.

I'm Dominic, and I love traveling in Japan.

And I'm Yumika, I live in Japan.

Let's fly with the seagulls! Here we go!

This time, we visit Kagoshima, a prefecture in southern Japan.

It's home to about 1.5 million people.

The city of Kagoshima has the largest population in the prefecture, and it's filled with big buildings.

Kagoshima is far from Tokyo, but as Japan's southern gateway, it has deep ties to Japanese history and with foreign countries.

The first Christian missionaries to visit Japan in the 16th century came here to Kagoshima.

Across the bay, towering before our eyes, is Sakurajima.

Standing 1,117 meters tall, it's an active volcano, which is constantly producing small eruptions.

Let's trace today's route through the prefecture.

We'll start in the capital, Kagoshima city, then go north along the coast of Kagoshima Bay.

We'll pass through the cities of Aira, Kirishima, and Tarumizu, then reach our final destination, Kanoya.

It's a trip through the skies, circling around Sakurajima.

Here we go!

While heading north we can see the prefecture's largest city, Kagoshima, on the lefthand side.

See you later, Kagoshima!

Now we're a bit far from the city.

Where are we?

We've come seven kilometers north, to a place with great views of the sea.

See those condos and wedding halls?

Their selling point is those great ocean views.

Makes sense.

What's that?

That's Iso Beach.

It's close to the city, so you can see lots of beachgoers here in the summer.

Sounds fun.

Much of Kagoshima's coastline is man-made.

This is one of its few natural beaches.

Must be a really important place for locals.

The sea is so close to the mountains.

Yeah.

See those houses? People here have always lived in those thin strips of land, between the mountains and sea.

Right...

Hey, I see something at the foot of that mountain.

What is it?

Any guesses?

Hm, what could it be...

A factory?

Nope.

Hmm... I have no idea! Let's get closer!

It's actually a place where you can dive into Kagoshima's history!

Really? Let's land and check it out!

Yes, let's!

There are people there who know more about Kagoshima than I do, so we'll be able to learn a lot!

I can't wait to see it!

Hello!

Hi!

What is this place?

It's called Sengan-en. It was the villa of
the Shimazu clan, built over 360 years ago.

360 years?! That's older than the whole United States!

I'd love to see what it looks like inside.

- Let's go.
- Thanks!

Yumika, is the Shimazu clan famous?

Yeah! They were the lords who ruled this area, southern Kyushu, for 700 years starting in the late 12th century.

Whoa, another gate?

Iwakawa-san, this one is vermillion.

A different color than the one we just saw.

This is the main gate from the Edo period.

The top is thatched with tin,
so it's called the Tin Gate.

That's because tin was originally
a specialty of Kagoshima.

This was used as a gate of honor.
Only the lord and his heirs could use it.

A gate that only lords were allowed to use?!

That's some incredible history.

Time to pretend like I'm a lord and pass through.

So Japanese!

Sengan-en is 50,000 square meters, and has shrines, gardens, bamboo groves and more.

Here's the main area. I'll take you
to the best-looking place.

"The best-looking place?" Wonder where that is.

Here, huh? What's special about this area?

This is Sengan-en's main garden.
The villa was built 360 years ago.

Before that, the land belonged to
a Shimazu clan vassal.

Then the Shimazu clan took it
for themselves because of this view.

You can see from sea level to the
1,117m tall Sakurajima in one view.

That's why the Shimazu lords
took this land as their villa.

So the "best-looking place" means the view from this spot, huh?

Yeah.

Too bad it's a bit cloudy today.

Here's what it looks like on a sunny day!

What a view! Sea and mountain all in one.

Japanese gardens use a method called "borrowed scenery," where they incorporate natural scenes outside the garden into their designs.

So in this case, the garden "borrows" Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay.

Not bad!

This is getting interesting.

Let's fly deeper into the garden!

Okay.

Looks like a Japanese-style house.

Yes, it was the house of the Shimazu lords.

It's all one story.

Pretty spacious!

Let's go inside.

Iwakawa-san, please show us around.

- Please take off your shoes.
- Got it!

A long hall of tatami mats.

A hall that looks like a room!

Tatami mats all over the place!

Very Japanese.

Tatami hallways? Pretty fancy!

It's quite a sign of wealth.

It's a lord's mansion, all right.

Makes me want to snap a pic.

It just keeps going! What a huge place!

What's this room here?

This is an audience room, where the
lord met with foreign guests.

Looks like the lord enjoyed a mix of Japanese and Western styles.

What kind of people came to visit here?

Some serious VIPs, like royals from Russia
and the UK, starting in the late-1800s.

It was a kind of guesthouse for important
people who visited Kagoshima.

Kind of a gateway between Japan and the world.

Guests to this room were treated to this view...

which included, of course...

Sakurajima! You can see it from here too!

The location of the home is the same as it was then, so we're seeing the same view they did back then!

It's like going back in time!

Thank you for showing us around, Iwakawa-san.

Thank you!

Dominic, he told me there's a place we've got to see, just south of here.

Wanna to check it out?

Of course! Let's go!

How do you like Sengan-en?

It was a lot of fun.

I felt like I became a feudal lord myself!

We only got a taste today, so I definitely want to come back and check it out again sometime.

Yeah, it'd be fun to spend the whole day there.

By the way, looks like the spot Iwakawa-san told us about is coming into view.

There it is.

Let's land and check it out.

Okay!

We're back on the ground.

What is this place? Let's head inside.

Some kind of shop?

Maybe!

Lots of vibrant colors!

Hello!

Welcome.

I've never seen this kind of glasswork.

Is it a Kagoshima specialty?

That's right. It's a kind of cut glass
called Satsuma Kiriko.

Ah, so this is a glass shop.

What's special about it?

Satsuma Kiriko uses colored glass.
The glass is quite thick.

That allows the use of a Japanese
technique called "bokashi," or "gradation."

They're all so beautiful!

They'd make a great souvenir.

Dominic, did you know Satsuma Kiriko originated in the late Edo period? Over 150 years ago!

Wow!

The lord at the time, Shimazu Nariakira, wanted to develop a craft,

that combined European colored glass techniques with Japanese cutting technology.

These wares were even used as gifts overseas.

But during the upheaval of the mid-1800s, the factory was destroyed in the fighting.

For a time, Satsuma Kiriko production was brought to a standstill.

Let's meet someone involved in bringing back Satsuma Kiriko production starting in 1985.

Hello!

Hello.

This is glass artisan Nakane Ohki.

How did you bring back Satsuma Kiriko? I bet it wasn't easy.

Indeed. It had been more than 100 years,
and there was no remaining documentation.

We analyzed real Satsuma Kiriko pieces,
and learned from them.

Through a process of trial and error, her company revived the technique for the modern age.

Satsuma Kiriko is special because it uses two thick layers of glass: one colored and one clear.

This is colored glass.

First put it in a mold,

then put in the clear glass.

I see, so it's layered!

Yeah, they say it's quite hard to do.

You're putting the color on.

You have to match the color's thickness,
and avoid bubbles when adding clear glass.

Next, stack the two layers of glass, then place them in a mold, while still hot.

Then, blow in air to give them shape.

This is what will be cut later.

The color comes out when they cool down.

Beautiful hue!

Next, patterns are cut into the glass.

The outer colored glass is shaved down.

The color becomes darker or lighter depending on how deep you cut.

This is "bokashi," or "gradation," and it's what makes Satsuma Kiriko unique.

It's really detailed work.

Satsuma Kiriko is all about gradation.

I noticed how interesting it is to
express yourself through those cuts.

It has an appeal other cut glass doesn't.
The more I do it, the more I love it.

Most people think of cut glass as
something European.

My dream is for Japanese cut glass
artisanry to make more inroads worldwide.

She says that they're now being exported to places like China and Australia.

Thanks for your time, Nakane-san!

That was really cool!

It sure was.

But now it's time to fly to our next location!

Let's go, seagulls!

Yumika, where are we headed?

Aira, which is north of Kagoshima city.

Awesome! Here we go!

Looks like that train's keeping pace with us.

Yeah, it runs along the coast all the way to Aira.

Oh, cool!

So folks who aren't flying like us can enjoy this leg of the trip by train.

I wonder if the passengers on the train can see us.

Hey, over here!

Whoa, the road goes right by that cliff!

Cool, right?

It's actually a caldera wall.

A caldera what?

A caldera wall.

What's that?

Let me explain!

This area of the bay is actually a caldera created 29,000 years ago,

when a mountain collapsed into the ground after a huge volcanic eruption.

So, the caldera wall was formed by the collapse of that mountain?

Exactly.

The caldera is about 20 kilometers in diameter.

Massive!

Sakurajima was born thereafter due to more volcanic activity.

Sakurajima continues to experience
small eruptions today.

Nevertheless some 3,000
people live at its base.

Locals coexist with Sakurajima
by using a system of observation.

There's the city!

Yep, this is Aira.

It's about fifteen kilometers north of Kagoshima city.

It serves as a commuter town for Kagoshima, and about 78,000 people live here.

I wonder what we can find here.

Shall we land and walk around a bit?

Sure, let's go!

Here we are in Aira.

Let's head for the city center.

We're about five minutes from the sea.

Lots of cars around here.

What's that?

Let's get closer.

It's a large jar.

Wonder why this is here.

Is this a pottery workshop?

Check out this brick building.

Looks interesting.

Should we find someone to ask about it?

Sure.

Hope someone's here.

Oh, found someone!

They're working on something.

Hi guys!

Hello!

What're you up to?

- We're making handmade "shochu."
- The drink?

Right.

Why are those bricks dotted with little holes?

They're called Kajiki stones.

A volcanic eruption 600,000
years ago created a pyroclastic flow.

It accumulated over many years
and hardened due to pressure.

Here in Aira they've made things like storehouses and stone walls out of Kajiki stones since long ago.

They're like a local treasure!

But with the spread of various other building materials, they're no longer mined.

So they've got to treat this building well.

- This way, please.
- Thanks!

Wow, check out all those jars buried in the ground!

This is our center for "shochu" production.
The walls are made of Kajiki stones.

They insulate well, so it's cool in
here even when it's hot outside.

It is nice and cool in here, isn't it?

Kajiki stones are hard, but they say that because they have a lot of air bubbles, they provide insulation and humidity control.

That's perfect for "shochu" making, because temperature is so important.

Did you know Kagoshima is famed for "shochu" production?

Really?

There are over 100 distillers in the prefecture, all with their own unique production methods.

This one was founded in 1869, making it Kagoshima's oldest.

It still uses the methods from back then.

Why "shochu," not sake?

Kagoshima has a lot of volcanic soil, which makes growing rice difficult.

But there are potatoes that can be grown on that soil, so they began making "shochu" from those potatoes.

"Shochu" is produced by fermenting steamed "satsuma-imo" potatoes in a liquid made with things like water and yeast.

It's then distilled in those big barrels and voila: potato "shochu" is born.

The shochu tastes like the "satsuma-imo" potatoes themselves, with a subtle sweetness.

I wanna try some!

Me too! And the flavor can vary greatly depending on how it's made.

There's a corner here where you can try their various types.

I see someone.

Looks like he's enjoying it!

So good.

You like "shochu," huh?

I love potato "shochu." I've visited
this distiller many times.

I like their traditional handmade
methods, and the "shochu" is so good.

When you add some hot water,
the flavor profile changes a lot.

You can enjoy the aroma as well
as the flavor. I love it even in summer.

Not just flavor, but aroma too.

I'll try mixing with hot water next time.

Thanks for the tip!

Okay, let's fly on from Aira.

Sounds like volcanoes really affect every aspect of life here.

Indeed.

Wow, there's a long row of trees right by the ocean!

Let's check them out.

Sure.

They're pine trees planted as a windbreak.

What a huge number.

How many are there?

675 trees, spread over 700 meters.

They're so nice and orderly.

What a great scene!

Probably good for taking a walk, too.

Right.

This is the deepest area of Kagoshima Bay.

Next, the neighboring city of Kirishima.

Kirishima, huh? Okay!

Let's enjoy the airborne view for a while.

Agreed.

Okay, we've reached Kirishima.

What's that green area over there? Let's take a look.

Okay!

It's like we're in the tropics!

I heard from the locals that this used to be a golf course.

The trees are left over from that time.

These days, it's owned by a local firm, which maintains it in this pristine condition.

I see.

What's this?

Some... pools?

And what're those circles?

This is an aquaculture farm.

The three big pools on the left are where they raise shrimp called "kuruma-ebi."

By the way, Kagoshima produces the second-most "kuruma-ebi" of any prefecture in Japan.

Really? I wanna try some!

Check out that view on the right!

Just a little more to the right...

Whoa, some islands, huh?

Yes, three.

They're said to have been here even before Sakurajima.

They all have their own names, but collectively, they're known as Kamitsukuri-jima, or "the islands created by the gods."

A blessed group of islands, indeed.

Let's fly closer.

Wonder what we can find around here.

I think I see something floating over there.

Let's speed our way over.

Some rocks.

But what's that there next to them?

Looks almost like a white...

rooftop? Let's get a bit closer.

It's actually a special fishing raft.

The waves in Kagoshima Bay are quite gentle, so it's popular among people who like fishing.

What can you catch?

Things like red sea bream, flounder and octopus.

Octopus? Never eaten that.

It's a pretty popular food in Japan.

What's that moving in the distance? Fish?

Let's get closer.

Dolphins! Lots of ‘em!

Three different species of dolphin have been observed in Kagoshima Bay.

But it's rare to see a group this big!

Oh, really? It's our lucky day!

Where are we now?

This is the southern end of Kirishima.

I see something inland.

Indeed. Do you know what it is?

Over there!

Hmm... maybe a field? Maybe not.

We're too far to really tell, so let's move closer.

Fair enough.

Let's go right above it.

Get it now?

Not at all! We've got some geometrical shapes...

almost looks like an art piece.

Jeez, there are a lot of them!

I've never seen anything like this.

Final answer?

Um...

some kind of giant screws?

Hmm... let's land and find out.

Oh! They're jars!

Hello.

Sorry to drop in.

Welcome.

May we come in?

Of course.

I can't believe they were jars.

They're pretty big, actually! And so many of them.

What are you making in these jars?

We're maturing amber vinegar.
We call this a "jar field."

It's used to create amber vinegar.

What is amber vinegar, anyway?

Can we take a look?

We say it has the color of amber.

It has strong vinegar taste,
acidity, and aroma.

What's the difference between this and normal vinegar?

Amber vinegar is aged longer.

That gives it rich flavor, aroma, and umami.

It also has a lot of amino acids and other compounds, that are good for your health.

I drink it every day after my bath.

I use it as dressing.
Helps me eat lots of vegetables.

This producer has been making their vinegar with the same methods for 200 years!

Hello!

Hello.

What're you doing?

We're adding our three ingredients
into these jars.

Just three ingredients?

Amber vinegar is made twice a year, in spring and fall.

This work involves four-person groups.

What're they putting in now?

This is "koji," a fermentation starter made of rice and a type of mold.

What comes next? Looks like rice, but it's not white.

Right.

This is unrefined brown rice, that's been steamed.

They put ten kilograms in each jar!

Next comes high-quality well water, which is abundant in this area.

The final step is more "koji."

It's been dried and floats on the surface.

Why?

It prevents bacteria and oxygen from entering during fermentation.

I see.

They do this process with all their jars, over 50,000 of them!

Each jar produces fifty-four liters of vinegar!

Whoa!

They say the amber vinegar made here in southern Kirishima is possible thanks to the area's unique climate.

We're surrounded by mountains on
three sides, leading to mild temperatures.

We've got the sea to the south,
so it's warm year-round.

That helps the microorganisms
we need for amber vinegar stay active.

It takes from one to three years from prep to shipment.

Three years?! That's a lot of time and effort.

Sure is.

And they regularly check how fermentation is going using all five senses.

All five? How does that work?

They check the aroma, as you can see here, and even listen for a specific sound.

A sound?!

This jar was prepped about a week ago.

They can tell how things are progressing by judging the subtle differences in sound.

These guys are real pros! That's amazing.

So the pattern we saw from the sky was thanks to the efforts of these artisans, passing down this amazing local tradition over the decades.

Keep making that delicious amber vinegar!

Thanks for having us!

Let's continue our journey.

The reflection of the clouds on the water is beautiful.

So relaxing!

So, where to next?

Let's go south from Kirishima, to the city of Tarumizu.

Okay!

Is that Sakurajima on the right?

Yes.

A bit covered in clouds, though.

But it looks like it's connected to the land.

I thought it was an island.

Actually, it's technically a peninsula, since it connects to the mainland.

You learn something new every day.

It did use to be an island!

But in 1914, it erupted, and lava flow connected it to what is now Tarumizu.

Volcanic eruptions have literally shaped the history of Kagoshima, huh.

We've now passed over that land bridge.

Lots of fishing boats and things on the water.

What an incredible view!

Sure is!

Aside from boats, I see a lot of square-looking things.

What are those? Yumika, do you mind if we check it out?

No problem.

Let's land and see what's up.

Great!

Looks like some people at work.

They might be busy, but let's say hi.

Hello!

Hello.

What're you doing?

I'm just preparing to go feed
the "kanpachi."

"Kanpachi?"

Why don't you come along
with me as I feed them?

- Why don't you come along
with me as I feed them?
- Awesome! Thank you!

I wonder what kind of fish "kanpachi" is.

We'll find out soon.

By the way, our guide is local fisherman Shinohara Shigeto.

We're fifteen minutes from the harbor.

Seems this is where they cultivate "kanpachi."

Oh, these are the squares we saw from overhead.

They're "kanpachi" fish preserves, huh.

Mystery solved!

Shinohara-san and others have been cultivating kanpachi here at this port since 1989.

Okay, let's see what kind of fish "kanpachi" are!

Whoa, they're so full of energy!

The average length in this preserve is twenty-two centimeters.

But these "kanpachi" are still young.

They're just kids!

How big are they when they reach adulthood?

They grow up in about two years, and reach seventy centimeters long.

Pretty big!

"Kanpachi" is nice and firm, and is popular as sashimi and sushi.

This local specialty is shipped nationwide.

The secret of its greatness is in the feed used by Shinohara-san and his group.

Sardines and other fish are used in the feed, and one month before shipment, Kagoshima tea and "shochu" lees are mixed in.

Tea and lees, huh? What effect do they have?

They reduce fishy odor, and improve the meat's clarity.

Shinohara-san puts a lot of effort into another project, too.

What's that?

Giving children the chance to experience the fishing industry.

The hope is that by seeing how people and the sea are connected, visitors will feel how precious life is, and appreciate their food more.

Young people these days have less contact
with fish, so we need to do some PR.

Not to be immodest, but I think our
"kanpachi" is the best in Japan.

We fishers work hard every day to
produce this delicious "kanpachi."

They produce 1.4 million fish a year, the most anywhere in Japan.

Too bad you have to come to Japan to try it.

Actually, they ship to places abroad like America and around Asia!

Oh, that's great!

So people around the world have the chance to eat "kanpachi" from this bay.

Great to see the vitality there at the port in Tarumizu.

Shinohara-san's an inspiring guy.

Well, time for the final part of our airborne Kagoshima trip.

What, already?! There's still so much more I wanna see.

But, what's next?

Something you can only experience in Kagoshima Bay!

It's fifteen kilometers away in Kanoya.

Something you can only experience here, huh? Can't wait!

Whoa, the water is so clear!

The waves are calm, too.

I'd like to dive in!

From this height? No way!

We've arrived in Kanoya.

Nature as far as the eye can see!

About half the area of this city is covered with lush forests.

Some 98,000 people live here.

The port here looks interesting, too.

Let's land and check it out!

We're now at the port in Kanoya.

Pardon us, guys!

Hello!

Looks like they're working.

Hi!

Shrimp, huh? What kind?

These are shrimp you can only catch
in Kagoshima Bay.

You can only catch them here? Some pretty rare shrimp, indeed.

That's right.

The catch is so small that you can usually only eat them locally.

They're so rare they call them "phantom shrimp."

How do they catch these "phantom shrimp?"

This guy knows all about it!

Oh, hi there!

Want to see how it's done?

- Want to see how it's done?
- Yes!

This is fisherman Mori Daisaku.

He uses a traditional local method to catch shrimp here.

Fishing takes place in the early morning.

Since Kagoshima Bay was created by giant volcanic eruptions, the seafloor can reach over two hundred meters deep!

Wow, that's pretty deep!

They catch the shrimp that live on the bottom of the seafloor with what are called bottom-trawl nets.

It takes about an hour to sink the nets all the way to the bottom.

Deciding where to fish is based on the fishermen's experience and knowledge of the bay, including wind direction and tidal currents.

That's pretty impressive!

When shrimp fishing was at its peak at this port, there were thirty-six vessels.

Now, there are only six.

I guess we're really lucky to be able to see this, then.

Sounds like shrimp are becoming increasingly rare, too.

Indeed.

It's been about an hour.

They're starting to bring up the net.

How exciting!

Can't wait to see what's in there!

There they are! Some phantom shrimp! Nice!

How was today's catch?

Not bad, not bad.

What do you like about this type of fishing?

You can't see what's on the bottom,
so it all comes down to your instincts.

That's fun.

There's a place you can try the phantom shrimp, just a minute from the port.

Let's check it out!

The staple here is deep-fried shrimp.

On busy days, they serve up about five hundred servings at this one shop alone!

How is it?

Good!

Nice and plump. Tender, too.

Great. It's our first time here.

So good.

Yeah!

A flavor you can only enjoy here.

Looks like it's popular with tourists and locals alike.

Well, our airborne journey around Sakurajima, the symbol of Kagoshima, has come to a close.

Did you have fun, Dominic?

Are you kidding? It was a blast!

We were able to see how the people here live, and get a taste of history, culture, and cuisine that feels really unique to this region.

And seeing it from the sky gave us a fresh perspective on things!

The only question is: which Japanese coastline should we visit next?

I wanna see them all!