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Orange Railway and Kagoshima 2026: All Posts
#0 Index
Eight days in Kagoshima Prefecture along the Hisatsu Orange Railway: samurai streets in Izumi, the sea at Akune, quiet Satsumasendai, and Tenmonkan nights.
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Instead of Kongguksu, Sundubu-jjigae
#4 Yudal Kongmul Bukhang Direct Store
There were several restaurants I wanted to visit in Mokpo,and one of them was, of course, the famous Yudal Kongmul. I had visited Mokpo several times before,but somehow had never managed to go there even once.So this time, I was determined to finally try it. Unfortunately, during the winter season,the main store is completely closed.They only reopen around March next year. So I thought,“Is this another missed chance?” But then I found outthere was a Yudal Kongmul Bukhang direct storeright in front of Bukhang. Since I was already walking around Bukhang,it was the perfect place to stop for lunch. Inside…
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Another Port of Mokpo Tourists Don’t Know
#3 Bukhang
Every Korean knows the saying,“Mokpo is a port.” But most people don’t really knowhow many ports Mokpo actually has. There is Namhang(south port), mainly used by passenger ferries,Bukhang(north port), focused on cargo and fishing,Sinhang(new port), dedicated to containers and large cargo ships,and Daebul Port, used for the Daebul industrial complex. Daebul Port belongs administratively to Yeongam,so if we count only the ports in Mokpo,there are three. I’ve heard that Samhakdo also used to have a port,but now the area is being developed into a park. Today’s destination is Bukhang. Namhang, where the passenger terminal is,is located in the old downtown…
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Walking the old town, sleeping in the new town
#2 Pyeonghwa Square
The goal of this trip was simple.I wanted to walk through Mokpo slowly. That is why I did not take a taxi.Instead, I took a bus from Mokpo Station to the hotel. There was a reason for this. When I travel in small cities in Japan,I try to use buses or trams whenever I can. I believe that using public transportationhelps me feel the city more directly. Then a question came to mind. Why is it that, when I travel within Korea,I choose taxis so easily? This time, I wanted to move aroundas if I were traveling abroad. Press enter…
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This trip is Mokpo.
#1 Prologue
It has been a while since my last domestic trip.This time, I decided to go to Mokpo. For Koreans, it’s a city that almost everyone recognizes by name,but surprisingly, not many people have actually traveled there.Compared to how well-known it is,Mokpo doesn’t get chosen very often as a travel destination. It feels different from popular cities like Busan,Gyeongju, Jeonju, or Gangneung. I’ve been to Mokpo several times.I’ve visited with friends,been introduced to good restaurants by a friend from Mokpo,and even taken a spontaneous trip here with my girlfriend. About eight years ago,I also stopped by Mokpo while traveling around the…
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Why Does My Condition Always Feel the Best on the Last Day?
#25 Epilogue
In my recent trips, I failed to wake up properly in the morningand even missed flights or had to switch to later flights in a rush.Since the flight from Kagoshima Airport to Korea operates only once a day,I knew that if I missed it, there would be no backup flight. So last night, I didn’t drink much. Maybe that’s why my eyes opened early on the final morning of the trip.I went to the hotel onsen, warmed up my whole body,and suddenly I felt better than I did at the start of the trip.It was the kind of condition where…
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A Lively, Affordable Local Izakaya
#24 Bunke Mujaki
On my last night in Kagoshima, I was unsure where to have dinner.After thinking for a moment, I decided to visit this place. I had first discovered Bunke Mujaki in 2017, and their kuromiso oden was so delicious that I promised myself to return one day. It sits inside a narrow alley in the northern part of Tenmonkan. Right in front of it is the large chain restaurant Tenmonkan Wakana Honten. That place is a clean, spacious izakaya where you can try many Kagoshima dishes, and the counter seats make it easy to visit alone. But if Wakana is a…
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Shochu Day, a Big Street Festival
#23 Shochu Street 2025
Kagoshima’s biggest festival is the Ohara Matsuri.It takes place every year on November 2–3 in the Tenmonkan area.It is not only the biggest festival in Kagoshima but also the biggest one in Southern Kyushu. If I had known this when planning my trip,I would have stayed longer to see the Ohara Matsuri too.I only realized its timing when I saw red lanterns with the word “Ohara” hanging all over the streets. And the day before the festival,November 1st is “Shochu Day.” It marks the start of the main brewing season for the new shochu of the year.To celebrate it, an…
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