JAPAN – Shimadu Shigetomi-so in Kagoshima // You Only Live Twice (1967)
In “You Only Live Twice”, Tiger Tanaka shows Bond some Japanese hospitality in his luxury home. The location is beautifully frozen in time.
Why Bond was here
James Bond (Sean Connery) is in Japan and is about to uncover the secret identity of Blofeld (Donald Pleasance), yet still hiding in his volcano base. To travel around, 007 gets the help of Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba), head of the Japanese secret service. Before they do their spy work, both men enjoy some spa time – with the help of women, naturally. They stay in Tanakas house, the Manor House Shimadu Shigetomi-so outside of Kagoshima.
How you gonna get there
Shimadu Shigetomi-so is a high class restaurant and wedding venue just outside of Kagoshima. The location is at 31-7 Shimizu-chohouse north of the city. The post is just at the coastline, from one of the restaurants you’ll have a beautiful view on Kagoshimas own volcano, the massive Sakurajima. The easiest way is to go by car, but local buses also drive along the coastline from Kagoshima downtown.
Good to know
The manor house Shimadu Shigetomi-so was originally built as a villa for Hisamitsu Shimazu (or “Shimadu”), head of the Shigetomi-Shimazu family. The family was part of a local powerful clan. Forgotten over the years, it was was renovated in 2006, preserving the charme from “You Only Live Twice”. The architecture now fuses modernism with traditional Japanese housing. The highlight is the garden with an own waterfall, an old maple and beautifully shaped pine trees. But instead of the old ryokan, the Japanese style guest house from the movie, the main building is now a wedding reception. What was once a Bond location is now a number one Instagram spot for newlyweds.
We combined our visit to the Manor House at Kagoshima with a daytrip to Mount Shinmoe-dake in Kyushu – Blofeld’s volcano. Relaxing in the garden or sipping on your coffee at the Shigetomi-so’s own café after an energetic mountain hike is just perfect. Check out their homepage for an overview on the café and restaurant offerings.
© 2025 Huntingbond (1,3), © 1967 Danjaq S.A. (2)