Getting Oriented

Situated perfectly as the gateway to the continent of Asia, Kyushu is quite close to the Korean Peninsula. It's considerably west and a little south of Tokyo. A good route starts with a flight or Shinkansen run into Hakata/Fukuoka in the north, moves down to Nagasaki on the west coast by express train, winds eastward by bus or train to the central city of Kumamoto, with a possible side trip to Aso-san (Mt. Aso), and a jaunt south to the city of Kagoshima via the fancy high-speed train, then farther south by local train to the thermal spa resort area of Ibusuki, famous for its hot-sand baths, where you can be heat-treated on the picturesque, breezy beach.