Kagoshima Private Tour: Farm, Shochu & Satsuma Pottery

You blend your own shochu to take home at a working distillery.

A nine-hour private guided tour of Kagoshima for 2–7 people that traces the region's food culture through four stops: a ferry ride to Sakurajima, a sustainable farm with a farm-fresh lunch, a shochu distillery where you create and bottle your own blend, and a Satsuma pottery shop. The tour includes private transport, an English-speaking guide, all admission and experience fees, and lunch.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Sakurajima and local culture

• Depart for Sakurajima Ferry Terminal
• Listen to farmers' stories on sustainable agriculture
• Enjoy farm-fresh lunch near farmland
• Tour Wakashio Distillery and blend shochu
• Visit Satsuma ware pottery direct sales shop

The experience

The day starts at Kagoshima Station and moves quickly to the ferry terminal for Sakurajima, the active volcano that shapes life on the island. At a working farm at the volcano's base, a local farmer explains how the region practices circular agriculture: seaweed from Kinko Bay becomes fertilizer, and clean water cycles back to the sea. You walk the field itself, then sit down to a lunch set built from what grows there, served at a dining venue overlooking the farmland.

After lunch comes the shochu experience. Kagoshima prefecture holds over 100 distilleries and more than 2,000 brands. Shochu is the region's signature spirit. At Wakashio Distillery, you tour the production floor where shochu is actually made, then move to the blending station. There you mix different shochus to create your own flavor profile, bottle it in a 720 ml bottle, and take it home. The guide will confirm your drop-off location in Kagoshima City on the return journey.

The tour closes at a direct sales shop next to a Satsuma ware pottery studio. Kagoshima's pottery tradition splits into two schools: Shiromon (white ware, mostly decorative) and Kuromon (black ware, used for sake vessels and drinking cups). You browse the shop's tableware and finished pieces, seeing the craftsmanship that pairs with the food and drink you've experienced all day. The shop visit is included. A full studio tour is not.

What’s included

• Lunch made from farm-fresh produce.
• private transport throughout the day.
• English-speaking guide.
• admission to Sakurajima farm and Wakashio Distillery.
• the shochu blending experience and your 720 ml bottle to take home.
• entry to the Satsuma pottery shop.

Before you book

Days and timesWednesday and FridayDeparts at 09:05

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (20 and older) · Child (6 to 19 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc.

Is this one for you?This tour suits travelers who want to understand Kagoshima's food and drink culture through hands-on experience rather than passive sightseeing. The small group size (2–7 people) and private transport mean the pace stays flexible and the guide can adapt to your interests. The fixed itinerary and nine-hour duration work best for visitors with a full day free and no need to split the experience across multiple days.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 19 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What is the farm visit actually like on this Kagoshima tour?

You walk through an active field at the base of Sakurajima volcano where farmers grow crops using circular agriculture methods: seaweed from the bay fertilizes the soil, and clean water returns to the sea. The farmer explains the practice, then you eat lunch at a dining venue next to the farmland, with dishes made from produce harvested there.

Can I really take home the shochu I blend at the distillery?

Yes. After touring Wakashio Distillery's production floor, you blend your own shochu by mixing different varieties to your taste, bottle it in a 720 ml bottle, and take it with you. Be aware that restrictions on bringing alcohol home vary by country, so check your destination's rules before booking.

What exactly happens at the pottery shop?

You visit a direct sales shop next to a Satsuma ware pottery studio. The shop displays finished tableware and decorative pieces in both Shiromon (white ware) and Kuromon (black ware) styles. A full tour of the studio itself is not included: only the adjacent shop.

Where do I meet the guide, and where will I be dropped off?

You meet at the Tourist Information Center near the East Exit rotary outside Kagoshima Station (not the information center inside the station itself). On the return, the guide will confirm your drop-off location: drop-off is available only for hotels within Kagoshima City.