Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture: impressions of a Pacific geographer

Abstract

There are many similarities between the islands of Kagoshima Prefecture and those of the more remote tropical Pacific, such as those in the Fiji group and Niue. Some of these similarities are highlighted in a narrative arising from the author's time in all these areas. Key areas of comparison are sugar and tourism. There are also similarities in the history of these islands, illustrated here by the first human arrivals and by the effects of the AD 1300 Event. Finally there is a discussion of the comparative awareness of these smaller island communities to climate change.