Kagoshima and Tanegashima Travel Itinerary

Day 1: Incheon Airport - Kagoshima Airport
Tenmonkan Manhole and Starbucks

Day 2: Kagoshima Airport - Tanegashima Airport
Visit Kagoshima Castle, Miniature Exhibition - Transfer to Tanegashima

Day 3: Tanegashima Airport - Kagoshima Airport
Tour of the Space Center and "5 Centimeters per Second" locations - Return to Kagoshima

Day 4: Kagoshima Airport - Incheon Airport
Collect Kagoshima Manhole Cards - Return home

This is a 1-night, 2-day trip to Tanegashima, the setting of the second episode of "5 Centimeters per Second" and home to Japan's JAXA Space Center launch site. In the morning, I plan to visit Kagoshima Art Museum, Kagoshima Castle, and Starbucks again.

I’ll also collect manhole cards from various distribution points and take as many photos of manholes as possible before heading to Kagoshima Airport. I plan to arrive at the airport at least 1 hour and 15 minutes before departure to enjoy the airport lounge, Royal Host, and even a massage.

Tanegashima has no public transportation. 🤣 I’ll book a shared van or taxi through a local community on LINE, pay in cash, and travel to designated stops. I’ve also chosen accommodations near these areas.

For local travel around the hotel, I’ll rent a bicycle. I’ve used this method in places like Yonaguni, Miyakojima, and Itoshima. In remote areas, I’ve often gone over two hours without seeing a single person.

The Space Center tour is free, but it’s a mix of effort and luck. Reservations are limited to 20 people per session, with 2–3 sessions daily (2 in winter, 3 during regular seasons, excluding satellite launch events). Tours are canceled in bad weather. Reservations are only accepted by phone, one person per call, and must be made in Japanese. I prepared a Q&A script in advance and made over 70 attempts starting at 9 AM, finally succeeding at 1:01 PM. I passed the Q&A and secured my desired time slot.

To join the first session, you must stay overnight locally. I had already prepared accommodations and flight tickets last year. If I failed to secure a Space Center tour, my Plan B was a full island cycling tour, but I succeeded on the first try. This was the happiest moment of the year for me.

The "5 Centimeters per Second" locations are scattered, and with no public transportation, I plan to walk 7–8 kilometers round trip to visit places like convenience stores and schools while pulling my suitcase. This itinerary covers islands in Kagoshima Prefecture. Thank you.