Geography of Kagoshima
Kagoshima, Japan, one of the nation's largest cities and the capital of Kagoshima prefecture. It is on Kyushu island and fronts on Kagoshima Bay, in the southernmost part of Japan. Sakurajima, an active volcano, rises high above the bay and overlooks the city. Kagoshima is a thriving port and commercial city, an administrative center, and a producer of ceramics, silks, and other traditional wares. Kagoshima University is the city's leading educational institution.
Kagoshima developed around the castle of the Shimazu clan, which ruled the Kagoshima area for more than 500 years—from the mid-14th to the mid-19th century. The city was severely damaged during the eruption of Sakurajima in 1914 and from bombings by United States planes in World War II.
Population: 552,099.