April 7th . From Osaka to Kagoshima

Osaka to Kagoshima is a direct Shinkansen line taking 4 hours for about 1000km. I had the Shinkansen Sakura 555 nice name and number 😎

The ride is pretty spectacular but not very photographable. The train is just too fast and half of the time you are in a tunnel. There is a more scenic approach, the old train connection to Kagoshima which I took on my way back, but for the Shinkansen they just brute forced their way through the mountains.

Some impressions:

After arriving in Kagoshima I took a taxi to the hotel since it was not in walking distance (especially not with all the luggage) and I had no idea yet how public transport in Kagoshima works. And yes it is different. Taxis in Japan have a pretty high starting price (620 to 660 yen, so 5.20 to 5.80€) but the first 1 or two km are included. That depends on communal regulations. After that each 300-400m more come at around 80 cent and like in Germany the clock is also ticking while standing at a traffic light. So for longer distances it is really expensive.

First impression of Kagoshima after leaving the station. Yes, palm trees,  sun and 25°C

Taxis in Japan are not cheap, but style has its price after all. Yes, all taxi drivers wear white gloves.

The next good thing was that the time of business hotels is over! The one I booked in Kagoshima is a reinforced Ryokan with its own natural onsen (hot spring) and traditional japanese rooms.

The big can is full of hot water for tea and the smaller one contains ice water.
In a ryokan everything happens like magic.
When you leave the room the water gets refilled your Futon is laid out and the cleaning takes place. 

The hotel offers Kaiseki style dining, but unfortunately you have to book that with the room, which I didn't. But one helpful concierge drew me up a map where I can find fine dining in the vicinity. So off I was to the local shotengai Temmonkandori, where the restaurants he recommended are in a side street. I decided on the Kumasotei solely based on the fact that they had the Shimazu family banner flying outside. The main reason why I wanted to go to Kagoshima after all!

WTF is that sorcery you ask? Well, there is an anime called "Drifters", where Shimazu Toyohisa ist more or less the main character alongside Oda Nobunaga and other japanese warriors on the drifters side while The Dark King (actually Jesus), Jeanne d'Arc, Gilles de Rais, Rasputin and others are on the side of the "Ends" which strive to destroy the world of their afterlife.

One of the iconic images is this (find it here: https://wall.alphacoders.com/big.php?i=725032)

The circled cross is the family banner of the Shimazu clan

This was also a door opener for a really funny meal. I planned on a food porn gallery, but I only managed to get to the point after the foreplay.

I settled on the Yamato Menu, since the others contained a whole lobster on top and I was not hungy enough to manage all that

The starters and appetizers. Local Sashimi with several dips fried sardines, pickled something (probably celery) the tiny sandfish again and a piece of smoked ham. I had the the only locally brewed sake with it and it was pretty good. Very flowery.

Seared tuna and chicken sashimi. Yes the chicken is only seared and totally raw in the middle.
Yes it tastes great with actual wasabi, which is sweet/aromatic when freshly grated.
The spiciness is a delayed oxygen reaction.

Satsuma-age, deepfried fishcakes with a filling.These were really different everythime I tried them but always tasty.

After that the couple on the neighboring table got victims of the their curiosity and asked where I was from, why I came to Kagoshima etc. Soon after half the staff was also involved in that and when I mentioned I came mainly because of an anime where a Shimazu plays a prominent role, one of the sous-chef came grinning with a complete family tree of the shimazu and pointed to Toyohisas father. I asked him if he was also a relative of the clan but he denied and said (meaning not words) "They are a great/noble family. I'm just a commoner." with admiration in his behaviour.  So the old landlords are still very influential it seems. Also he told me that he put a drifters poster into the mens toilet a while ago.

Anyhow while talking with all these nice people I totally forgot to take pics and only barely managed to rescue my beef before it was well done on the hot platter which would have been a shame.