Smoke on the water: stunning Kagoshima, Japan

Talk about mixed first impressions. On arriving in Kagoshima, I am torn between being smitten and feeling deeply uneasy.

Smitten, because the southern Japanese city is effortlessly charming, big enough to be lively but not hectic and full of people who are friendly but not overbearing. A largely low-rise waterfront arcs gracefully into a sparkling bay. Trams, stubbier (and somehow more endearing) than the Hong Kong variety, trundle melodically down spotless, tree-lined streets and past stately bronze statues overlooking broad plazas, giving Kagoshima the air of a minor European metropolis without the budget problems.

And uneasy because Kagoshima's defining feature - Sakurajima, or "Cherry Blossom Island", which, despite the cheery name, is a sizeable, active volcano separated from the city by a mere sliver of water. Visible from almost everywhere in town, the mountain's rocky contours blush pink with the dawn and, at dusk, form looming shadows wreathed in smoke. Although its last devastating eruption was a century ago, the volcano has been particularly active of late, and, in 2013, ejected its highest recorded plume of ash.

This doesn't seem to trouble Kagoshima's residents, who stoically endure the fine black dust Sakurajima regularly sprinkles over the city, and have even constructed homes in its foothills. Ferries run to the island from Kagoshima's pretty harbour every few minutes, shuttling visitors to what has become a tourist attraction, with hiking trails, foot baths and a dinosaur theme park - although Sakurajima apparently wasn't formed until the dinosaurs were long gone.

The local ambivalence to smouldering mountains may have to do with the fact that Sakurajima and its brethren have also bestowed a few blessings on the city and surrounding prefecture. Its abundant hot springs lure visitors with their supposedly therapeutic qualities. The region's rich volcanic soil and warm weather power the cultivation of some of the most renowned produce in Japan, including sweet oranges, gargantuan daikon radishes, green tea leaves and sweet potatoes. Volcanic ash also figures prominently in local crafts, including Sakurajima-yaki pottery, imbuing the muted colours and fluid designs of traditional tea and sake sets with a silvery sheen.

Whether it's because of the quality of the raw materials or the urgency that comes with inhabiting a restless corner of the planet, Kagoshima is a place of proud and superbly executed traditions - culinary, artistic and otherwise.