Things You Must Buy in Kagoshima 

Kagoshima, as we have introduced in our past Kagoshima articles, is a great place full of history!

Full of traditional history that you can see a strong influence from the Satsuma Clan in their art, architecture and even food, there are definitely many things that you must buy if you ever visit Kagoshima!

1. Satsuma imo tart from Yamafuku Seika

The staple food in Kagoshima is definitely Satsuma Imo, the sweet potato!
Made of Kagoshima sweet potatoes, these mildly sweet tarts are a classic souvenir that you must try yourself!

They also have a pretty long shelf life, for slightly more than a month, so you can bring them back to Malaysia and share with your friends and family too!
You can purchase these here:

2. Saigo Senbei from Bontando

Remembered from our previous article that we have mentioned about a certain famous figure in Kagoshima?

Everywhere you go, you will be reminded of him, and that includes souvenirs and food!

The late Saigo Takamori is a legendary samurai is someone well-known in Japan, his name is definitely brought up if you ask a Japanese to name a famous person from Kagoshima, and now he makes an appearance in the famous rice cracker!

Whether it’s the packaging or the Saigo Senbei rice cracker, both have his face printed. People of all ages can enjoy these crispy and fragrant crackers, be sure to eat them as soon as you open them so they can be enjoyed at their utmost crunchiness!

3. Karukan from Akashiya

If you looked at this, you might be asking “why is this even a must-buy? it looks plain…”

If you think this, then you are very wrong! 

These soft desserts are called karukan, and they are one of the famous souvenirs from Kagoshima! These sweets are a traditional souvenir that is loved by many for decades at Akashiya.

A little moist, bouncy when touched, the karukan from Akashiya are unique compared to many other sweets. Also, they are made of Japanese yam, so they are not too sweet so it is also perfect to be enjoyed with green tea. Their karukan manju (the round one in image) are also a popular item.

While there are lots of places to purchase this delicacy, Akashiya always brings the traditional taste as a traditional sweets store.

For further details, check them out!

4. Kasutadon from Jokiya

Definitely not the last on the list (there are much more that we recommend buying!) but this is a classic! Jokiya’s kasutadon are so fluffy, and are filled with custard that tastes just perfect! Not too sweet, and suitable to eat on its own or with tea, so it is very popular with everyone.

Their cakes are also individually wrapped, so it is also easy to buy a couple of boxes and share with your family or colleagues in the office.

Pro tip: Put them in the freezer and you’ll taste something like a frozen sherbet! 

Also, be sure to eat them up soon, they have a pretty short lifespan so you might want to get them right before you fly home!

If you love sweets, relaxing atmosphere, or even some historical and cultural experience, then Kagoshima is a great place for you.

Let’s visit Kagoshima! 

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Yuh Jing Ee

The team calls me YJ. I travel solo and my dream is to travel to all 47 prefectures across Japan. Somehow, whenever I'm in Japan, there will always be someone asking me for directions in Japanese. I always enjoy scenic train rides, local delicacies and minigames.

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