The idea of going to the southernmost part of Japan via shinkansen is thrilling. Of course, ideas and realities are two different things and if it isn’t already obvious from my title, my visit to Kagoshima was a fail.

First of all, I wasn’t supposed to be in Kagoshima; I was supposed to be in Hiroshima. The plan was to visit Hiroshima’s WWII areas. If time was on my side, I figured I’d just visit Miyajima Island again.

So, how in the world did my trip itinerary change from Hiroshima to Kagoshima? (The cities are 550 km apart!)