Top Restaurants in Kagoshima, Japan's Kyushu Island

Ajimori is the restaurant which invented the famous black haired suckling pig shabushabu, and it has even applied for the Black Pig trademark. Black suckling pig shabushabu is the best way to taste Kagoshima black pig, retaining the original flavor of the ingredients, making it very popular. It often has long queues outside at lunchtime.

Apart from the traditional black pig shabushabu, it also offers pork tonkatsu and charcoal grilled black pig, allowing guests to sample a variety of black pig dishes. There are also free side dishes, such as stewed black pork meat, pickled vegetables etc. Expect to spend around JP¥5,000 - 6,000 per person.

Koryori-ikkyu is a popular restaurant serving local food such as the nationally famous authentic Kagoshima black pork and Satsuma chicken. You can savor the fresh authentic taste of original local ingredients with the yakitori and lava grill.

The restaurant serves a wide variety of dishes such as Kagoshima natural black pork, while a favorite amongst the ladies are the turtle dishes - both are healthy and delicious choices. Seasonal ingredients such as fresh vegetables, natural fish and shellfish are also available. Expect to spend around JP¥5,000 - 7,000 per person.

Tenjimboumarushin is a well-known and reputed soba restaurant, offering soba set menus in a book. The soba noodles are full of the home cooking flavor, so it is very popular locally.

The buckwheat here takes on many guises; in addition to buckwheat tofu, there is a variety of dishes such as duck meat served in salad, miso soup and grilled meat. In addition to the main soba noodles, the duck meat here is also highly praised. Using free range duck meat gives it a unique natural flavor, but the price is a little expensive. Here soba noodles are priced at JP¥820.

Kotobuki in downtown Kagoshima is one of the famous local restaurants serving rokuhaku kurobuta (black pigs with six white tips). The restaurant has a dedicated cooperative ranch, the Watanabe Berkshire Ranch. Their six-white pork is named after the white nose, tail and four feet. It is known as Kagoshima's top quality six-white pork.

They are mainly known for their grilled pork ribs and shabushabu, and there is also Hāngi (hot rock cooking) and opulent banquet catering. Expect to spend around JP¥2,000 - 4,000 per person.

Kuroge wagyuu (Japanese black cattle) is a Kagoshima specialty and restaurants serving the meat abound here. Sutekian is a Japanese style makeover of a Western style steakhouse, and its select authentic Kagoshima Japanese black beef is very popular with travelers.

The steak here is made with Japanese-style beef which is sliced and grabbed with chopsticks. The menu offer many beef cuts for you to choose from, and you must definitely choose the Kagoshima black beef, with the tenderest part being the tenderloin. Expect to spend around JP¥2,000 - 4,000 per person.

If you come to Kagoshima don’t miss the classic Shirokuma (polar bear) shaved ice! This ice treat originated at the well-known Tenmonkan Mujaki ice shop, with its huge eye-catching polar bear outside the door.

Here, condensed milk is poured onto the freshly shaved ice, and the jelly and fruit are piled up. Raisins are then added to make the bear's eyes and mouth, and a cherry for the nose, to make a cute polar bear face. The ice for the polar bear is very finely shaved. In all the store has 19 varieties of shaved ice, with daily sales of this great local favorite topping 3,000 in summer.

Pacific Bluefin Tuna Kuromon in Kagoshima is the only restaurant in the region that offers bluefin tuna. The freshest bluefin tuna is used for ingredients, and the boss’s fine knife work is also a key element in bringing out the savor of different parts of the fish.

It’s worth noting that you can enjoy the premium bluefin tuna rice bowl with upper and middle belly tuna meat, bluefin tuna sashimi, or tuna chin, all at one third Tokyo prices. Exquisite dishes such as fish-eye miso soup, and the various ways of eating bluefin tuna lure plenty of old folk over on special visits. Expect to spend around JP¥2,000 - 3,000 per person.