This trip wasn’t meant to be for sightseeing, but there was one place I really wanted to visit — Kirishima Jingu.
It’s not easy to reach by public transport. There is Kirishima Jingu Station nearby, but buses run very infrequently, and the last one leaves quite early.
So I had been thinking that someday, when I rent a car to drive around Kagoshima Bay, I would finally visit the shrine then.
While planning this trip, I found out about the Kirishima Jingu Access Bus.
It runs from Kagoshima Airport → Kirishima Jingu → Kirishima Jingu Station.
There are only three buses a day, but if you take the second one to the shrine, you can catch the third one to the station. That gives you about two hours to explore. So I decided to give it a try.
After arriving at Kagoshima Airport, I bought the bus ticket.
There are ticket machines near the Airport Bus counter, but you must buy it directly from the attendant.
The ticket is a one-day pass, so you can ride multiple times on the same day.
It takes about forty minutes from Kagoshima Airport to the shrine, and the bus is extremely comfortable.
Unlike typical buses with three or four seats per row, this one has only two seats across (1+1). Each seat is spacious and relaxing.
Although the announcements are in Japanese, the bus introduces several sightseeing spots along the way.
When passing through the Kirishima Onsen area, it mentions that “Sakamoto Ryoma and his wife once stayed here for their honeymoon — Japan’s first honeymoon trip.”
After running through a beautiful forest, the bus finally arrived at the rotary in front of the shrine.
Now, the real part of my trip begins.
I hadn’t checked into the hotel yet, so I was carrying a big suitcase.
I had read online that the Kirishima Tourist Information Center stores luggage for 1,100 yen,
but just before heading there, I saw a small café offering luggage storage for only 300 yen!
Well, that saves me the walk.
With my hands free, I started walking up toward the shrine.
Crossing a red bridge, I saw a long staircase and a stone monument that read “Kirishima Jingu.”
The approach to the main area wasn’t too long — just a calm path through tall trees and open space.
There was a reason I wanted to visit this place so much.
Along with Ise Jingu and Miyazaki Jingu, Kirishima Jingu is deeply related to Japan’s creation myth — the legend of Tenson Kōrin, the “Descent of the Heavenly Grandson.”
Ise Jingu enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun Goddess and ancestor of the Imperial family,
while Miyazaki Jingu enshrines Jinmu Tenno, Japan’s first emperor.
Then what about Kirishima Jingu?
It’s said to be the place where Ninigi no Mikoto — the grandson of Amaterasu — descended from the heavens.
Somehow, that story feels familiar to me.
It reminds me of the Korean myth where Hwanung, son of Hwanin, came down from heaven to found the nation.
In that sense, Kirishima Jingu might be like our own Mani-san.
(Just to be clear, I’m Korean.)
Of course, this is not based on any academic background — just my personal impression.
Please don’t take it too seriously.
By the way, “jinja” and “jingū” may look similar in photos, but the difference lies in the deities they enshrine.
A regular jinja enshrines local or regional deities,
while a jingū enshrines deities closely connected to the Imperial family or emperors.
That’s why you can find many jinja everywhere, but only a limited number of jingū in Japan.
Kirishima Jingu is one of those,
because it enshrines the ancestral deity of the Japanese Imperial line.
Even on a weekday, there were quite a few visitors, including many foreigners.
I thought Kagoshima was a rural area, and Kirishima even more remote,
so I was surprised to see so many non-Japanese faces.
Ah… come to think of it, I’m a foreigner too.
I had about two hours until the next bus.
I thought it wouldn’t be enough, but the shrine grounds were not too large,
so I had plenty of time to explore slowly.
I walked around, took my time, and still had enough time left for lunch.
Then I headed back down toward the rotary where the bus stop was.
I wondered — what should I eat for lunch today?
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