Chiran from Kagoshima in a day?

Hello all,

I’d really like to visit Chiran and the museum when staying in Kagoshima. Japan Guide suggests that I can take a train to Hirakawa and then a 35 min bus. However when using Google maps it wants to take me almost all the way around the peninsula and then get a bus, making for a >3 hr one-way trip.

Does anyone know if the bus is still running, or an alternate way plan the route?

Thanks in advance!

You will board kagoshima kotsu bus from
Kagoshima chuo ekimae,cost 1060 yen for 75 minutes ride to visit chiran

https://www.chiran-tokkou.jp/access_station.html

Here is some options. The direct bus from Kagoshima Chuo seems the easiest. Same time as the train plus bus option, but no transfers.

Unless you have a JR pass and are penny pinching.

Thank you so much the both of you.

I think a great deal of that information was not available on the English version of the site.

I will have a rail pass, and do tend to prefer the train, but agree that the tiny saving isn't worth the risk of missing a connection. I've since found out that Apple Maps does a better job on this route than Google, but even then suggests the bus most of the time and when it does include the train, even though I know the transport is 99.9% likely to run on time, my chances of making a 3 minute connection are a great deal less!

A really long time since I made the trip, but based on my experience, don't get the train and then the bus. Direct bus is a lot easier.

I visited a few years ago but cant help with your travel plans as I cycled there from Kagoshima (en route to Nish-Oyama station). I can confirm that there is not a huge amount of information in English at the museum but I thought it was an incredibly moving place & I am extremely glad that I visited.

I thought it was well worth the visit, BUT it is a bit out of the way. Chiran is a small place (albeit with a nice atmosphere), but the museum itself is a short way outside the town.

We did a one-day car hire from Kagoshima and combined Chiran with a sand bath at Ibusuki...

Honestly - if you can drive then I think it's best to do this. Here is my trip from 2020. I can also confirm that there is not too much to do around here, apart from the gardens and museum.

https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3399

Some other museums similar on the Satsuma Peninsula are below:

https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3401
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3398

The Kanoya Air base museum was quite interesting, with the most around it to do from memory

You can buy kagoshima , chiran and ibusuki
unlimited day pass for 2200 yen,valid 2 days