Kagoshima:

It’s a full day from the mouth of the bay to the city and there are limited mooring options.

Kagoshima Marine Services in Taniyama usually has room for 2-3 visitor boats up to about 40ft. They are very friendly and helpful to foreign cruisers and do good repair work, but they can only haul out smaller/lighter boats.

Mooring is bow or stern-to the wall (tide is 2 to 3m), using buoys, mooring lines and foam fenders that are already in place. Each mooring slot has its own tiny raft on which you pull yourself to the nearest ladder in the harbor wall.

Uchinoura:

Tucked into the end of a well-protected bay near the southeastern tip of Kyushu is the fishing port of Uchinoura, best known for being the location of one of Japan’s two main rocket-launching stations.

Guided tours (in Japanese only) are available at the launch station.

Approaching Uchinoura, be sure to avoid the extensive aquaculture areas. Also, note that major construction changed the size and location of the breakwaters at the entrance a few years ago, so what you see may be different from what is indicated on your charts if they are not up-to-date.

Moorage can be found at the northern end of the fishing port. There is room along the wall for three visiting boats. (31°16.7368’N, 131°4.7516’E)

There is a onsen hot-spring bath, a convenience store, a commercial district with a good supermarket and a few local eateries around the area.

For further details, photos and harbor plans, see Konpira Consulting’s website.

Last updated:  July 2022