Chiran War Memories

What?
The Chiran Peace Museum (知覧特攻平和会館) in Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿児島県) commemorates the young tokko (kamikaze) pilots who departed from Chiran during World War II, never to come back. It displays their letters, photographs, and personal belongings, offering a moving insight into their lives and the tragic reality of war. The nearby Kyomizu Magaibutsu (清水磨崖仏) are ancient Buddhist reliefs carved into a rock cliff within the vast yet peaceful Iwaya Park (岩屋公園). Dating back to the Heian period, they depict serene Buddha figures and reflect the area’s long spiritual history. The Mizonokuchi Cave (溝ノ口洞穴) is an enigmatic cave formed over thousands of years of erosion by spring water from the Kirishima Mountains (霧島山). It’s deeper than it looks like – although unmanned, flashlights are at your disposal.
Where?
The Chiran Peace Museum and Kiyomizu Magaibutsu are located in southern Kagoshima Prefecture. To reach the museum by public transport, you can take a bus from either Kagoshima-Chuo (鹿児島中央) or Tenmonkan (天文館) in Kagoshima City and get off at Tokko Kannon Iriguchi Bus Stop (特攻観音入口 - around and hour and a half drive). For the buddhist carvings, get off at Kawabe Yasuragi no Sato Bus Stop (川辺やすらぎの郷) and walk for 30 minutes. Alternatively, traveling by car is more convenient—and you can also enjoy the many scenic viewing platforms along the way. The Mizonokuchi Cave is located in eastern Kagoshima and is only accessible by car.
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Discover Kagoshima - Chiran War Museum Discover Kagoshima - Kiyomizu Magaibutsu Discover Kagoshima - Mizonokuchi Cave

War museums that call themselves peace museums… I understand why they do it; learn from the past, to avoid repeating the same mistakes, and to help build a peaceful future.
While that’s exactly what the pamphlet says, this museum is, first and foremost, about young pilots as victims, not aggressors. It briefly acknowledges the other side in a small exhibition room dedicated to Americans who were attacked by tokko pilots, but overall I felt it glossed over the question of why.
Why did they need to fly to their deaths in a war that was all but lost? Especially for younger visitors, more context could make a real difference.

However, these were mainly afterthoughts. In the moment, I found the museum deeply moving.
It is located on the former air base from which many tokko pilots—better known as kamikaze pilots—took off for their final missions toward Okinawa. The exhibits focus on their last days and the letters they wrote to their families. The museum also portrays the people of Chiran, who were asked to make these young men—some even boys—feel at ease despite their fate.
The displays are real. Every letter is real. Whether the authors believed the lies they wrote in their goodbye letters or not, they are the actual voices of the dead. While many of their words echo wartime indoctrination, some of the films reveal how not all accepted their fate easily. One scene I can’t forget shows a former mechanic recalling a young pilot who struggled silently, unable to express his thoughts and his feelings until the very end.
Equally unique are the testimonies of the high school girls assigned to keep the pilots company in their final hours; young girls who were asked to send letters to the pilot’s families to avoid censure.
Silencing witness reports… Who will keep their stories alive when all who experienced this are gone? A question to which the answer freighters me.

The main feeling that remains afterward is one of smallness, one that made me silent. It’s difficult to leave here and immediately jump back into a cheerful mood or resume a road trip as if nothing happened.

Outside the museum.

Both in- and outisde there are some planes on display.

Grieving mother in war attire.

One of the more recent additions to the carvings.

That’s why I recommend visiting the Kiyomizu Magaibutsu afterward, which is only a ten-minute drive away. These rock carvings are located in a large park, perfect for a reflective stroll. In another season, you could quietly enjoy the many blossoming cherry trees. It’s a park that feels deeply peaceful, even when imagining kids running around, adults drinking and families barbecuing. A celebration of life if you want – a sharp contrast to the museum I had just left.

The rock carvings themselves are only moderately impressive. I always find it fascinating to see centuries-old carvings still visible on a rock face, but here the figures are somewhat shallow. Still, their number is remarkable, and the serene setting of the park makes it worth a stop.

Feeling somewhat recovered, my friend and I drove back toward Kagoshima along the Ibusuki Skyline. This winding road has several observation decks offering clear views of the Sakurajima Volcano. They all served their purpose: pick one as you please; on a clear day, the view never disappoints.

It was still very early, so we made a long detour to the Mizonokuchi Cave. I worried it might be just another overhyped Instagram spot, but while it is indeed just a single site, it’s deeper than expected, with few visitors—and that “Instagram shot”? It’s real, and it’s beautiful.

Of course I wondered whether a 20 minute visit was worth the hour and a half drive, but with a nearby viewpoint of the Kirishima Mountains, a tasty black pork cutlet (kurobuta tonkatsu) along the way, and good company, I had no complaints.