About Kyushu
The island of Kyushu is home to one of the world’s biggest active volcanos, vibrant food scene, sub-tropical climate, breath-taking landscapes and friendly people. The combination of its pleasant warm weather, fruitful soils and convenient location nearby the mainland Asia caused, that this island played an important role as a hub of early Japanese civilization and you can still find here today some magnificent castles and ancient shrines. Kyushu itinerary
Kyushu is located on the south-west of Japan’s biggest island Honshu and it has been welcoming visitors for thousands of years. We were lucky to be able to visit it in December 2020. Neither to say, it belongs to my favorite trips (not only in Japan)! This island is seriously underrated. It has got everything any traveler could possibly wish for – deep green forests, dramatic mountains, long beaches and tropical islands, vide plains, rich culture, and the list could go on. You can spent here weeks to explore it fully, but if you don’t have such a long time, check out my itinerary that includes the top spots Kyushu has to offer.
Day 1 – Arrival to Fukuoka
On our first day, we arrived to Fukuoka early in the morning to have enough time to explore the city. Fukuoka is the main hub on Kyushu and one of the biggest cities in Japan. If you are travelling to Kyushu by train or plane, this will be most probably your first stop.
Fukuoka is a great city with amazing beaches, many green parks, delicious food and lots of culture. I highly recommend to explore it before heading off south. I wrote a separate article about the top places to visit in Fukuoka, so don’t forget to check out too to get ideas and inspiration about what not to miss here!
Day 2 – Nabegataki Falls
On our second day we picked up our car at the Fukuoka airport and headed to the central Kyushu to Mount Aso National Park, where we based ourselves for the next few days. We took a scenic route through smaller towns and backroads to avoid paying too much in tolls, as they can get pretty pricey in Japan.
Kyushu is a great place for road trips because it has never-ending fields and ancient cedar forests nurtured by volcanic activity, so the driving through the countryside is very enjoyable. On our way from Fukuoka to Aso we stopped at few viewing points along the road and made a longer break at Nabegataki Falls.
Nabegataki falls are only 10 meters high and 20 meters wide, so they don’t belong to the biggest waterfalls in Japan, however, their true charm lies elsewhere. They are part of Aso Geo Park and the eruption of Mt. Aso more than 90 thousands year ago is a direct cause why we can admire these waterfalls today. The pyroclastic flow from the eruption accumulated volcanic ash and over the years it became hard rocks with a soft layer underneath. The soft layer was gradually eroded by a river that not only formed the waterfalls, but also created a cave behind them where you can go and enjoy the views on the gorge and the forest through the curtain of running water. It is a paradise for photographers and geology enthusiasts.
Useful info for visiting Nabegataki Falls
Nabegataki waterfalls are only short walk away from the car park. The path is partially paved, but make sure you wear proper shoes because the cave is wet and very slippery. The entrance fee is 300 yen for adults and 150 yen for kids. There are also public toilets and the signage about Mt. Aso and the waterfalls is also in English. The visiting hours are from 9 am to 5 pm.
Arrival to Aso
From the waterfalls, it is less than an hour drive to the town of Aso. It’s a small town rich with hot springs so many hotels feature onsens on site. We stayed in a family-run ryokan called Minshuku Asogen, where they have several onsens that you can enjoy privately and they also offer dinner and breakfast options.
The town Aso is actually located inside the ancient caldera of Mount Aso volcano, which is 128 km long in circumference and it spreads over 350 square km. It is so big that it’s almost difficult to imagine. The whole area is relatively flat, surrounded by mountains that are actually the walls of the caldera. Aso is the main hub, but there’s also another smaller village Takamori on the south.
Day 3 – Takachiho Gorge, Nakadake and Komezuka Craters
In the morning on our third day we wanted to do the hike to Nakadake Crater, which is the active part of Mount Aso and it is constantly fuming, therefore it is frequently off-limits due to toxic gas emissions. When we got there, the summit was closed so we promptly decided not to waste any time and we drove to Takachiho Gorge which we planned to visit anyway.
Takachiho is the mythical home town of the sun goddess Amaterasu. The legend says that Amaterasu brought the light back to the world here in Takachiho. Even though it sounds quite epic, this wasn’t the main reason why I wanted to visit this place. The town’s charming city center is cut through by deep and dramatic gorge. It is formed by basalt columns and Gokase River with dark blue waters. The Manai waterfall which flows into the river is on the list of the most beautiful waterfalls in Japan.
Boat hire in Takachiho
Takachiho is located in Miyazaki Prefecture, about an hour and 20 minute drive from Aso. The gorge is truly stunning. There’s a row boat hire so you can admire its beauty right from its center. The boats are quite expensive though, they cost 5000 yen for only 30 minutes (about 50 USD), but half an hour is more than enough to explore it, because the area accessible by boat is not that big. Alternatively there’s a 1 km long nature trail above the gorge. Kyushu itinerary
Nakadake Crater
After exploring the town, we had lunch in one of the many restaurants in the centre and headed back to Aso. We tried to go back to the crater in the afternoon and we got lucky, it was open! You can drive all the way up to the crater, the parking/entrance fee for a car is 500 yen. From the parking lot it is literally few metres or the crater’s edge.
Nakadake Crater is in the centre of Aso Caldera. Its fumes can go up to several hundred metres and they can be seen from afar. The crater is a real rarity because you can actually peek inside it. On its bottom, there’s a bright blue lake, however, when the steam is too thick, it obstructs the view. We didn’t see it but anyway the view was spectacular and you can really feel the power of nature.
Few hundred metres under the parking lot, there’s another parking from where you can embark on hikes to the highest peaks of Mount Aso NP – Takadake and Nakadake (dake refers to peak or mountain in Japanese). The hikes start with a walk through volcanic desert full of black ashes. It is really unique scenery, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. If you climb a smaller hill at the end of the boardwalk, you can see the town Aso and the mountains surrounding the ancient caldera. If you have time, I highly recommend you to explore the area around. To go up the little hill through the ash desert, no hiking equipment is needed, it is simply a pleasant walk through out-of-this-world land.
Tips for visiting the Nakadake Crater
As I mentioned earlier, if you want to drive up to the crater, the fee is 500 yen per car to get to the top 2 car parks. Alternatively, you can stay on the big carpark where buses go and walk up, which is around 1 km up hill. Kyushu itinerary
The visiting hours for the crater are from 9 am to 5 pm. The smaller car park from where you can visit the desert closes at 4 pm.
Nakadake is active volcano and because of dangerous gases from the crater, it is not recommended for people with asthma and breathing problems to visit this place. Before going up, you will have to sign a document that you are aware of these risks (it is also available in English).
The crater can be closed at any time if the volume of dangerous fumes is too high. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that you will be able to visit it during your stay. The area is under constant surveillance and can be evacuated at any time.
Watching sunset from Komezuka Observation Platform
On your way down (or up) from the Nakadake Crater, you cannot miss the view over Kamezuka Volcano. This perfectly shaped cone set in the picturesque scenery seems almost unnatural. It is only around 50 meters tall and it is one of the younger volcanoes, formed only 3300 years ago.
Komezuka is claimed to be the cutest volcano in Japan and it is picturesque through all the seasons, when it is covered with a soft carpet of green grass in spring and summer, with orange weeds in autumn or powdered with snow in winter. You cannot climb Komezuka, but along the road there are several viewing platforms where you can stop by and admire its beauty. We came there to watch the sunset every evening in Aso. You definitely cannot miss it! Kyushu itinerary
Day 4 – Hiking in Aso-Kuju National Park
On our fourth day in Aso, we wanted to do some epic hike in the national park. There are many options for all type of hikers, some of them are even family friendly. We chose to hike up to the Nakadake peak from where you can see the active crater. However, this trail can be often closed due to dangerous gases from the volcano, so you need a plan B. We were lucky and found the trek open in the morning. Neither to say, this is undoubtedly one of the most epic hikes I’ve done in my life! I summed up our experience into a separate article, with all the important information you may need if you decide to do any hiking in this area. Kyushu itinerary
After the hike we were very exhausted and really hungry. We found a barbecue restaurant called Hibari Grill, where ordered locally sourced steak and some sausages. The restaurant was further away from city center, in the middle of a field. There was also a café and a car repair shop all in one backyard. It felt very authentic and the view from their terrace was truly picturesque. After the late lunch, we picked up the rest of our energy and drove up again to the Komezuka viewing platform to watch the sunset. As always, it was magical.
Day 5 – Departure
On our last day we didn’t have any special plans, we only drove back to Fukuoka to catch our flight back to Osaka at 1 pm. The drive from Aso to the airport on toll roads takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes and if you would like to avoid tolls, add an extra hour.
The airport in Fukuoka is located right in the city and even though it is not big in size, it can keep you entertained. There’s an alley full of local restaurants where you can get your last delicious meal before the departure, as well as souvenirs shops for your last minute shopping. What surprised me the most was the viewing platform on the top floor of the airport, where you can watch the planes take off and land over the city skyline. It is a pretty cool place to hang out before your flight.
More interesting places on Kyushu
Kyushu Pottery Towns
In the mountainous areas in Kyushu, many towns had difficulties growing rice thus they looked for different industries to survive in the past. Access to some good clay made pottery an obvious choice. Over the years, the Korean influences elevated the craft of ceramics in Japan from simple useful objects to a form of art. Arita, Imari and Karatsu are the major pottery towns in Saga prefecture on Kyushu. All the pottery enthusiasts will be in their element here. You can find here vases and tea bowls that sell for more than a luxury car!
Imari and Karatsu and set nearby the coast, while Arita is smaller and located in the mountains. Beside ceramics and porcelain, the towns are famous for beautifully preserved architecture, pottery museums, galleries and splendid nature.
Nagasaki
Except for its tragic history associated with the atomic bombing during the WW II., Nagasaki is a vibrant city with cosmopolitan vibe and a great cuisine. It is surrounded by hilly volcanic landscapes and natural harbor. The museums and memorials dedicated to the WWII. are a must visit, but this peaceful city has much more to offer. It has a long trading history so you can find here obvious foreign influences, especially when it comes to churches, landscape gardens and western mansions.
Kumamoto
The city of Kumamoto is located in the central Kyushu and its biggest price is Kumamoto-jo, or Kumamoto Castle that is dominating the city skyline. The robust castle is one of the best you can find in Japan and it is also one of only 12 remaining castles that have the original structure (most of the castles in Japan had to be completely rebuilt due to earthquakes, floods or they were damaged in wars).
Kumamoto prefecture has its own mascot Kumamon that became very popular in Japan and it was actually this happy bear that started the whole Japanese obsession with mascots. In Japanese they are called yurukara and they are a really big business in Japan. For example, Kumamon’s revenue in 2018 was 1.4 billion USD (yes, you read it right. I meant USD, not JPY).
Beppu
If you love hot springs, you will definitely enjoy the city Beppu in Oita Prefecture. Beppu produces more hot spring water than other resort in the country and besides traditional Japanese onsens, you can also experience here mud baths, steam baths and sand baths as well.
Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima prefecture is the southernmost point in Japan where toy can get without boarding a ferry. It got nickname Naples of the East for its pleasant climate and picturesque bays. This area is also incredibly geologically active with volcanoes and beside the weather forecast you have to careful about the ‘ash forecast’ when ashes literally fall from the sky. Locals don’t mind the eruptions very much, and Kagoshima has been voted as Japan’s friendliest city nationwide.
The volcanoes are not the only attraction to see in Kagoshima. The region is famous for its rainforests, beautiful beaches, outdoor sports, gourmet cuisine and plethora of hot springs powered by geothermal energy.
Getting around Kyushu
By car
The best way to get around Kyushu is hiring a car. The roads on this island are very driver-friendly and they offer some scenic routes and viewing points. Moreover, some rural places and the area around Aso-san are not so well connected by public transportation and it can take a long time to get there.
To hire a car in Japan, you will need an international driver’s license that you should get upon your arrival to Japan in your country, and generally you also need a credit card (some of the car hire companies require it). From my experience I can say that at least one staff member in the car hire office can speak English and they will also provide all the materials about roads in Japan in English as well.
Petrol is not very expensive in Japan, however, the price will come up on toll roads which can be really pricey. We usually split our journey on half – partially on highway and partially on normal roads. Some car rentals will offer you an ETC card for a small fee. It is very convenient because you don’t have to stop at any toll booth and pay in cash, you can just go through and you will pay the final price when dropping off the car. Tolls with ETC card are also a little cheaper.
In Japan, you drive on the left side of the road. Kyushu itinerary
By public transport
Kyushu has an extensive highway bus system that is very efficient and inexpensive. I don’t have personal experience with riding a bus in Kyushu, but on the website ATBUS-DE you should be able to find all the necessary information – routes, reservations and prices.
Kyushu is connected from north to south by bullet trains that will take you from Hakata station in Fukuoka, through Kumamoto on the west, to Kagoshima on the south. Other major cities are connected by limited express trains.
o do in Fukuoka
Best time to visit Kyushu
Kyushu mild climate and southern location make it enjoyable all year round, however, spring and autumn are the best seasons to really enjoy it. The weather is the best – warm and pleasant with low rainfall. In spring, all the flowers will be in bloom and in fall you can enjoy beautiful autumn foliage. In summer months June and July, you have to count with rains and occasional typhoons while August is very hot and humid, however it usually brings fun summer festivals. From January to March the temperatures drop, but colder weather brings less people to the tourist sites. We visited Kyushu as the beginning of December and the weather was around 15 degrees of Celsius and sunny. At the most of the sites we were (almost) alone which was really nice.
If you would like to visit Japan in the future, I can only recommend you to add to your itinerary something outside the classic tourist route which includes Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka. In the more remote areas, you will find untouched nature and calm traditional villages, where you can experience the real Japan, outside of big, busy cities. If Kyushu is out of your way, check out my article about North Shikoku, which is much closer to Osaka and Kyoto, but is just as beautiful.
If you’ve been to Japan, which part of the country was your favorite? Kyushu itinerary
Hiking Mount Aso
Introduction to Kyushu The island of Kyushu is home to one of the world’s biggest active volcanos – Mount Aso....
How to Spend One Day in Fukuoka
Introduction to Fukuoka Fukuoka is the biggest city on Kyushu Island and it belongs to the top 10 largest cities...
Travel Guide to North Shikoku
Introduction to Shikoku Shikoku is one of the four main islands of Japan – Honsu, Kyushu, Hokkaido and Shikoku. It...
Useful Things to Know when Moving to Japan
In this article, I will talk about everything useful to know when moving to Japan. From Visa through Job search...
