Chiran travel guide

Chiran is a small town in the middle of the Satsuma Peninsula. It is called a “small Kyoto”

and has a preserved Samurai district including a collection of Samurai houses

and gardens. Another interesting place to visit is the Chiran Peace Museum.

Those Samurai Houses were built about 250 years ago. Their

gardens are beautiful designed, with Mt. Hahaga-dake as the

background. Other natural elements are also incorporated, making

the whole area resemble a series of miniature of Japanese

gardens housed in boxes.

This museum exhibits precious materials such as pictures, letters,

wills, articles and mementos of the 1,036 Kamikaze pilots based in

Chiran who participated in the Battle for Okinawa towards the end

of World War 2. It also houses a No.3 type fighter aircraft, Hien.

General information

Address	Chirancho-gun, Minami-Kyushu-city, Kagoshima-prefecture
Access	60 minutes by a vehicle from Kagoshima-city
Population	12,000, Population density 110

Chiran