Kagoshima is a long way from Fukuoka for a meal, so it helps to pick a restaurant before you go. This guide compares 10 restaurants in Kagoshima Prefecture that Tabelog (食べログ), a Japanese restaurant-review site, has named to its “Hyakumeiten” (百名店, “Top 100 Restaurants”) lists. Tabelog publishes these lists by genre and year. Two of the 10 also won a Bronze award in “The Tabelog Award 2026”. Seven are in Kagoshima City, two are in Kirishima City near Kagoshima Airport, and one is in Izumi City. This page does not rank them or copy Tabelog’s scores.
In short
- The Kyushu Shinkansen takes about 1 hour 16 minutes at the fastest from Hakata Station to Kagoshima-Chuo Station, which is the base for 7 of the 10 restaurants.
- Mujyaki takes no reservations, and KAI is reservation-only through its official LINE or Tabelog.
- A meal can cost ¥950 for a shaved-ice dessert, ¥2,300 for a set breakfast, or ¥12,000 for a kaiseki lunch at a hot-spring inn.
- Check the shop’s own site or Instagram before you go. Hours and closed days change.
Checked with official pages on October 11, 2026.
1. Which restaurant fits my trip?
Depends on the restaurant
“Hyakumeiten 2025” means the restaurant is on the list Tabelog announced in 2025. Prices are as shown by each restaurant; tax is included unless noted.
| Restaurant | Area, genre | Tabelog list | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mujyaki | Kagoshima City, shaved ice | Cafe West 2025 | Not accepted |
| Adimori | Kagoshima City, kurobuta shabu-shabu | Sukiyaki/Shabu-shabu 2024 | Phone only |
| Ichiniisan | Kagoshima City, kurobuta shabu-shabu | Sukiyaki/Shabu-shabu 2024 | Phone |
| Karen | Kagoshima City, black beef and pork | Sukiyaki/Shabu-shabu 2024 | Not stated |
| Kawakyu | Kagoshima City, tonkatsu | Tonkatsu 2026 | Phone, day before |
| Ochawan | Kagoshima City, set meals | Shokudo 2026 | Not stated |
| Kouun | Kagoshima City, yakitori | Yakitori West 2025 | Online page |
| Shokusai Ishikura | Kirishima City, kaiseki | Japanese West 2025, Award Bronze | Ask by phone |
| Eirakuso | Kirishima City, free-range chicken | Yakiniku West 2025 | Phone or web |
| KAI | Izumi City, wood-fired Italian | Italian West 2025, Award Bronze | Required, LINE or Tabelog |
2. How do I get there from Fukuoka?
Depends on the provider
The Kyushu Shinkansen takes about 1 hour 16 minutes at the fastest from Hakata Station to Kagoshima-Chuo Station. The Kagoshima prefectural tourism site gives this time and notes that only the Sakura train stops at every station listed there. It also lists a flight of about 50 minutes from Fukuoka Airport to Kagoshima Airport, which is the closer airport for the two Kirishima restaurants.
Nishitetsu’s Sakurajima-go highway bus takes about 4 hours 15 minutes from Tenjin to Kagoshima-Chuo Station. It uses assigned seats and needs a reservation, and Nishitetsu says it runs 13 round trips a day. Road conditions can cause delays. For Izumi, get off the Shinkansen at Izumi Station.
3. What does each restaurant serve?
3.1 Tenmonkan Mujyaki, Amu Plaza branch (天文館むじゃき アミュプラザ店)
Depends on the restaurant
Mujyaki is known for “Shirokuma” (白熊), a shaved-ice dessert. This branch is on the B1 floor of Amu Plaza Kagoshima, next to Kagoshima-Chuo Station. It was on Tabelog’s “Cafe WEST Hyakumeiten 2025”, announced on July 8, 2025.
Shirokuma is ¥950 in the regular size and ¥700 in the baby size, and the branch does not take reservations. The menu page does not say whether prices include tax. The branch is open 11:00 to 20:00 (last order 19:15 for food, 19:30 for Shirokuma and drinks) on irregular days, and hours can change with the season or weather. It has 30 seats. The branch page lists cash, credit cards and QR payments, and links to an English menu on a separate site.
The Mujyaki main store in Tenmonkan (白熊菓琲) is on the same Tabelog list; check its own page for hours.
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Address: 1-1 Chuo-cho, Kagoshima City (Amu Plaza Kagoshima B1). Google Maps. Phone: 099-256-4690.
3.2 Kurobuta Ryori Adimori (黒豚料理 あぢもり)
Depends on the restaurant
Adimori serves Kagoshima kurobuta (black pork) in the Sennichi-cho area of Tenmonkan. It was on Tabelog’s “Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu Hyakumeiten 2024”, announced on September 10, 2024.
Lunch has a kurobuta shabu-shabu set (¥3,300) and a tonkatsu corner with sets from ¥1,350. The tonkatsu corner does not take reservations. Dinner courses are ¥4,400 to ¥8,800 per person. Prices include tax, but a service charge starting at 5% (10% in a private room) is added.
Lunch is 11:30 to 14:30 and dinner is 17:00 to 21:30. It is closed on Wednesdays and some other days. Reservations are by phone only, and you choose a course when you book. Shabu-shabu reservations need at least two people. The restaurant is non-smoking, and the official pages do not mention English menus.
Address: 13-21 Sennichi-cho, Kagoshima City. Google Maps. Phone: 099-224-7634.
3.3 Ichiniisan, Tenmonkan branch (いちにいさん 天文館店)
Depends on the restaurant
Ichiniisan serves kurobuta shabu-shabu with a soba-broth dipping style. This branch was on the same Tabelog 2024 shabu-shabu list as Adimori.
The three kurobuta shabu-shabu courses are ¥4,200, ¥4,800 and ¥6,500, and the shabu-shabu on its own is ¥2,900. The menu page does not say whether tax is included. It is open 11:00 to 21:30 (last order 21:00), with lunch until 15:00, and closes only for the New Year holidays. It seats 65 and has 6 private rooms.
Reserve by phone. The branch page lists major credit cards. It does not say that English menus or staff are available.
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Address: 11-6 Higashisengoku-cho, Kagoshima City (Soba Building 2F-3F). Google Maps. Phone: 099-225-2123.
3.4 Karen, Kagoshima (華蓮 鹿児島店)
Depends on the restaurant
Karen is run by the Kagoshima Prefectural Economic Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA). It serves Kagoshima black beef and kurobuta. It was on the same Tabelog 2024 shabu-shabu list.
The restaurant’s menu PDF lists a kurobuta loin cutlet set for ¥2,500 and a fillet cutlet set for ¥2,700, and kurobuta shabu-shabu for ¥3,100. Prices include tax. Lunch is 11:30 to 14:00 (last order 13:30) and dinner is 17:30 to 22:00 (last order 21:00). The page does not list closed days or how to reserve; ask the restaurant. It accepts major credit cards and PayPay, but not electronic money.
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Address: 3-12 Yamanokuchi-cho, Kagoshima City. Google Maps. Phone: 099-223-8877.
3.5 Tonkatsu Kawakyu (とんかつ 川久)
Depends on the restaurant
Kawakyu is run by a butcher, Setoguchi Seinikuten (瀬戸口精肉店). It was on Tabelog’s “Tonkatsu Hyakumeiten 2026”, announced on February 25, 2026.
The premium kurobuta loin cutlet is ¥2,700 and the fillet cutlet is ¥3,000. A limited-quantity “Kawakyu lunch” is ¥1,200. Prices include tax. It is open 11:30 to 14:30 and 17:00 to 21:30 (last order 21:00) and closed every Tuesday.
Reservations are by phone only, no same-day bookings, and on weekdays only for 11:30 or 17:00 arrival. The phone is answered 10:00 to 11:00 and 15:30 to 16:30. The pork is served lightly pink; ask staff if you want it fully cooked. The page does not state payment methods or English support.
Address: 21-13 Chuo-cho, Kagoshima City. Google Maps. Phone: 099-255-5414.
3.6 Teishokuya Ochawan (定食屋 おちゃわん)
Depends on the restaurant
Ochawan is on the 2nd floor of Rem Kagoshima, a hotel in Tenmonkan. It serves charcoal-grilled fish and rice cooked in an earthenware pot. It was on Tabelog’s “Shokudo (Diner) Hyakumeiten 2026”, announced on April 21, 2026. The hotel is about a 1-minute walk from the Tenmonkan-dori tram stop.
The breakfast set is ¥2,300, and the price is the same for people who are not staying at the hotel. Breakfast runs 6:30 to 10:30 (last order 10:00) in hourly slots, and the restaurant asks guests to spread out their visits. The restaurant floor is open 7:00 to 21:00 and has about 48 seats. The hotel page does not list lunch or dinner prices, reservations or payment methods. The restaurant page is in Japanese; the hotel has an English site.
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Address: 1-32 Higashisengoku-cho, Kagoshima City (Rem Kagoshima 2F). Google Maps. Phone: 099-224-0606.
3.7 Yakitori Kouun (焼鳥 行雲)
Depends on the restaurant
Kouun is a yakitori restaurant in Hinokuchi-cho. It was on Tabelog’s “Yakitori WEST Hyakumeiten 2025”, announced on November 11, 2025.
It opens at 18:00 and closes at 23:30 (last order 23:00). The booking page lists Sundays as closed, and if Monday is a national holiday it closes the next day. Its Instagram says closed days are announced in its posts. Items can sell out. Reservations go through its official booking page, which is linked from its Instagram profile. The yakitori course on that page is ¥4,300, with a cover charge (otoshi) added separately. It has 22 seats and no parking. Cards, transit IC cards and QUICPay are listed.
The booking page offers a language menu, but it does not say the restaurant has English menus or staff.
Address: 10-45 Hinokuchi-cho, Kagoshima City. Google Maps. Phone: 099-295-3332.
3.8 Myoken Ishiharaso, Shokusai Ishikura (妙見石原荘 食菜石蔵)
Depends on the restaurant
This is the restaurant of the Myoken Ishiharaso hot-spring inn in Kirishima City. People who are not staying at the inn can eat lunch. It won Bronze in The Tabelog Award 2026 and was on the “Japanese Cuisine WEST Hyakumeiten 2025”, announced on March 25, 2025.
Lunch kaiseki is ¥12,000 and the main kaiseki starts at ¥22,000, including service charge and tax. Diners can use the hot spring at no extra charge with the meal. Lunch is 11:30 to 15:00 (last order 12:30). The dining page does not say how to book; the inn’s phone is answered 9:00 to 20:00. Credit cards are accepted.
The inn says the drive from Kagoshima Airport is about 15 minutes. It also lists a local bus from the airport (about 23 minutes, ¥560) and from JR Hayato Station (about 19 minutes, ¥410). The official page says its earlier shuttle taxi service has ended.
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Address: 4376 Karekawa, Hayato-cho, Kirishima City. Google Maps. Phone: 0995-77-2111.
3.9 Jidori no Sato Eirakuso (地鶏の里 永楽荘)
Depends on the restaurant
Eirakuso serves free-range chicken and Kagoshima beef and pork in a farmhouse-style building in Hayato, Kirishima City. It was on Tabelog’s “Yakiniku WEST Hyakumeiten 2025”, announced on October 15, 2025.
Lunch is 11:00 to 15:00 (last order 14:00) and dinner is 17:00 to 22:00 (last order 21:00). The site lists Sunday, Monday and Wednesday to Saturday as open days. It has 60 seats, with private rooms and tatami seating, and parking. Reserve by phone or through the web booking link on its site, which goes to its Tabelog page. The site shows no prices.
It is about 15 minutes by car from Kagoshima Airport or JR Hayato Station.
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Address: 3766 Matsunaga, Hayato-cho, Kirishima City. Google Maps. Phone: 0995-42-3210.
3.10 KAI (出水市のKAI)
Depends on the restaurant
KAI is a wood-fired restaurant in Izumi City. It won Bronze in The Tabelog Award 2026 and was on the “Italian WEST Hyakumeiten 2025”, announced on April 22, 2025. Its Instagram says it is about a 10-minute walk from Izumi Station on the Kyushu Shinkansen.
The restaurant is reservation-only. Its Instagram profile says to book through its official LINE account or Tabelog. The profile lists a course of 11 dishes for ¥11,000, 6 counter seats and Monday as the closed day. It does not give opening hours, so check the profile or LINE before you go.
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Address: 50-19 Showa-machi, Izumi City. Google Maps. Phone: 090-9766-0872.
Common questions
What does Tabelog Hyakumeiten mean?
It is a set of lists by genre that Tabelog publishes each year. Each list names about 100 restaurants. This guide gives the year and genre of each selection and does not copy Tabelog’s scores.
Do any of these restaurants say they have English menus?
Only Mujyaki’s branch page links to an English menu. The other official pages do not say whether English menus or English service are available.
Can I go without a reservation?
Mujyaki does not take reservations, and Adimori’s tonkatsu corner does not either. Kawakyu, Kouun, Adimori’s shabu-shabu, Ichiniisan, Eirakuso and KAI take reservations, and KAI is reservation-only.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Tabelog Hyakumeiten (Japanese) and The Tabelog Award 2026, Bronze (Japanese), for the selection years only
- Mujyaki Amu Plaza branch and its menu (Japanese)
- Adimori (Japanese), lunch menu, dinner menu
- Ichiniisan Tenmonkan (Japanese), menu
- Karen Kagoshima (Japanese), menu PDF
- Tonkatsu Kawakyu (Japanese)
- Rem Kagoshima, Ochawan (Japanese) and hotel access page
- Kouun official booking page (Japanese) and its Instagram
- Myoken Ishiharaso dining and access (Japanese)
- Eirakuso (Japanese)
- KAI official Instagram (Japanese)
- Getting to Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture tourism site and Sakurajima-go bus (Nishitetsu, Japanese)
