Shiroyama — Castle Mountain — is the 107-metre wooded hill that climbs straight up behind the old Kagoshima Castle site. It is laced with short walking paths through subtropical forest, and the views from the open lookout near the top are the best in the city: directly across the bay to Sakurajima, with the cone of the volcano framed by the ginkgo and camellia trees.
The hill is also a national historic site, the place where the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 ended. Markers along the trails identify the caves where Saigo Takamori spent his last days, the spot where he died, and the graves of his lieutenants. Read the small museum at the foot of the hill before climbing; the story is more interesting when you can match the names to the slopes. The summit is a fifteen-minute uphill walk from Terukuni-jinja, or a short bus ride on the City View loop.