Where would you go in Kyushu
 

We are planning a trip back to Japan in October for ~a month. We want to return to Tokyo for about 5 days and return for ~4 days in Kyoto. We will fly home from Osaka where we will spend 2 nights. The rest of the time ~18 days I want to spend in Kyushu. Looking for suggestions of what you loved in Kyushu. We are comfortable renting a car to explore and want to stay at a couple ryokans. We enjoy hiking, exploring towns, museums and soaking in the culture. Thanks for your thoughts.

Kyushu for 18 days? Yay! I :heart: Kyushu.

Loved:
Fukuoka - have been there at least four times. It is a comfortable city, somehow.
Matsumoto - the castle is a gem and I loved the train ride from there up to Beppu, pretty and green (it was on the train that does a switchback to get up a mountain)
Takachiho for a few reasons that I can explain.

Other places I have visited and can comment on: Nagasaki, Ibusuki, Kirishima Onsen, Miyazaki, Aso, Beppu.

I travel by rail and bus in Japan. Visits to Kirishima (hiking) and Takachiho would be better by car.

My Kyushu to do list, in order:
Unzen Onsen and Shimabara Peninsula
Kurokawa Onsen or other onsen town in that area (car would be good for this)
Saga and/or the other two nearby places famous for pottery
Return to Nagasaki
Actually stay in Kagoshima and visit Sakurajima

Thank you so much! I will check out the places that I am not familiar with.
how much time would you stay in Fukuoka? Nagasaki?

Where is Matsumoto castle? Am I confusing it and it’s in Kyushu? Thanks!

It is in eastern Japan.

I meant Kumamoto! It is also a gem.

I would say two full days for each of those cities would be necessary.
Nagasaki has some unique foreign influences due to history.

ah, yes! We visited Masumoto on our last trip-loved it. When I was planning a trip for 2020 Kumamoto was closed due to earthquake damage from 2016. Have you been recently?
so 3 nights=2 full days for Fuk and Nagasaki?

I have been to Kyushu three times. Most recently two weeks ago when I went to Fukuoka - mainly to see Sumo but also to sightsee for four days there.

I'm not sure what condition Kumamoto castle is in now because of the EQ in 2016 - luckily for me I saw it before then.

A place that mrwunrfl did not mention that I enjoyed was the small town of Usuki and their famous Buddha statues. I traveled only by public transportation and with a car it would be much easier.

In Nagaski I visited Dejima which is a reconstruction of the Dutch trading station - I read recently that there might be another restoration but don't know any more.

Thank you,Mara. More to research.

IDK the status of Kumamotojo
>>so 3 nights=2 full days for Fuk and Nagasaki
Yes, that is what I meant. Or, on the 3rd night you travel, say Fukuoka to Nagasaki (there used to be, maybe still is, a really nice train on that route, Kamome Limited Express, with wooden floors and leather(ish) seats, but I the shihkansen goes part way now). Or, stay longer, e.g. Saga is a short trip from Hakata station

The Fukuoka airport (FUK) is really convenient to the city and has many destinations. I paid 13,640 yen to fly to Tokyo in business class last month.

We did a week only in Kyushu back in 2012, with rental car which allowed us to really enjoy the local landscapes.

We took the shinkansen to Kumamoto (2 nights) and started our Kyushu trip there. Met an online friend there for dinner first night. LOVED the castle and the local town vibe to the city centre.

Drove to Kurokawa Onsen (2 nts) via Takachiho Gorge and Mount Aso - boats weren't running in the gorge because of weather which was a shame but still beautiful to visit, and we loved seeing the volcano.

On leaving there we went to Yufuin (2 nts) but via Usuki to see the Stone buddhas and Samurai district. We also visited Beppu from our Yufuin base. Yufuin's location was stunning, and the drive in and out, but the place itself didn't wow us at all. It was fine as a base though.

Lastly, we drove to Fukuoka (2 nts) via the Nanzo-in Temple reclining Buddha, and spent the rest of our time in Hakata. We did a great pre-organised day tour with a goodwill guide there.

Driving was a HUGE part of the pleasure in this segment for us and we'd like to go back to see the many Kyushu destinations we couldn't fit in.

Kavey, thanks so much! One question for now, when you say for Yufin, “the place itself didn't wow us at all. It was fine as a base though.”. Do you mean the town itself or where you stayed?

mrwunrfil, we will probably fly from Tokyo to Fuk and begin our time in Kyushu there. We’ll rent a car and do a loop back to Nagasaki and take the train to Kyoto.Thats my thinking as of now.

I second Kavey's recommendation of Nanzoin for the reclining Buddha and a goodwill guide tour...did both last month - very interesting and enjoyable!

Thank you, Mara! We used a Goodwill Guide on our last trip to Japan. Nanzoin is now on the list..

That will work. I will point out that you can fly nonstop to many Kyushu cities from Tokyo Haneda. I think it was a flight I had from HND to Kagoshima that was on a 747 (it was going on to Taiwain or China). I suppose that rental car prices at airports would vary, maybe less at FUK but more at Saga airport. FUK does have subway and bus access, but taxi to the Grand Hyatt was only $20-$25 which is the right price for me for an airport transfer, door-to-door.

I'll suggest going from one foreign trade settlement (Nagasaki) to another on that final leg for those last two nights, particularly if you would be flying from KIX. That would be Kobe and a full day there couid be well spent. (there is a famous onsten town (Arima Onsen) on the other side of the mountain, if you are/become an onsen fan - oh and and could mention Spa World in Osaka for the same reason, and heck Osaka would be good too or maybe you are Kyoto fan). I haven't done it yet, but you can take a boat from Kobe to Kansai Airport. I would spend some time checking out the airport, maybe staying a night at the hotel at the airport.

There is a car ferry from Kumamoto that you can take from the main, eastern, part of Kyushu on the way to Nagasaki. That would put you in Shimabara (see my to-do list above) where you could enjoy hiking, onsen, and some geothermal features, and where a car would be quite useful.

Starting with your "Fukuoka, ... other Kyushu..., Nagasaki" outline, it could be filled in a bit more as "Fukuoka, ... other Kyushu ..., Kumamoto, Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki". But, you have lots of options and travel times are not long.

Aah sorry, I should have been clearer! Yufuin town itself was a bit uninspiring for me.
It has a little traditional / shopping area which was smaller than expected and was very busy and touristy - this was back in autumn 2013. There's a pretty lake that is more of a large pond.
But I must caveat that we didn't visit the public bath houses for which its known, so perhaps that would have endeared it to us more!
We did love was driving into and out of Yufuin,

Our hotel was the Yufuin Hotel Shuhokan, which was actually fine (and we had a far better dinner on one of our two nights than I expected from the style of hotel). It was <¥20k per night.

Mrwurful- great info, Thanks!

kavey, thank you for the clarification. Would you suggest staying in Beppo?

I just went to Beppu for the well-known Takegawara sand bath - had flown in to Oita from HND - and after continued on to Usuki....

I'm not a big fan of baths and the other things that Beppu seems famous for - at least in comparison to the other places I was planning to visit in Kyushu....

Thank you, Mara . Other than the placed you mentioned in your other post, other recs?

I loved Beppu Showaen ryokan last month except for one big thing - the meal featured fugu.

I loved the kagura performance at the shrine in Takachiho. Am not sure if it is offered year round. I attended in November which is about when they start having the kagura at farmhouses, all night,over the winter. The hardwood flloor was painful (take a pillow to sit on) but still it was one of the best experiences I have had in Japan. I was the only gaijin and I looked around the room, the pleasant people, the performance and thought "oh, hey, I am definitely in Japan now". Hard to describe why I enjoyed it so much, so YMMV.

There is a hike up from the start of the gorge walk to the shrine. It starts off innocent enough but I skipped it thinking that it must get quite steep. I walked the gorge the wrong way, from the bridge, with most people going the other way. It would have been easier to get a taxi back if I had been dropped off at the usual starting point.

I had a sand bath in Ibusuki years ago. It was raging hot and I could not stand it for long.

There are several scenic train rides in Kyushu.

japan-guide has good bit about hiking in Japan It mentions Kirishima.

I took a special train, Umisachi Yamasachi, from Miyazaki, to the castle town of Obi - the castle is no longer but there are several places to visit.
https://www.visit-kyushu.com/en/spots/obi-castle-town/

I ditto mrwunrfl about the Kagura at the Takachiho Shrine. A really fun performance!

Good to hear you liked that kagura performance. I took JR from Miyazaki to Obi. Stopped on the way back at a little island that you can walk to. Fun day. There are quite a few scenic trains in Kyushu.

Hmmm, not sure. Other than the Hells, I remember it as quite an unattractive city, though of course you have good access to restaurants. I'd probably choose elsewhere, but not sure where...

Wondering where you ended up going and how your experience was? I will be going to Fukuoka in early August for a little over a week (I have to be in Fukuoka on the 2nd, 6th and 8th and leave from Tokyo on the 10th) and really would like to do a few trips around Kyushu. Thanks in advance!

our trip is in the fall. Tentative plans are fly to Nagasaki from Tokyo. Train to Fukuoka. Pick up a car and drive around. We’ll stop in Kumamoto area. Also stay in the Yufin area. From there its to the coast maybe Ninchin. Down to krishima Park. Finally we’ll ferry to Yakoshima. Enjoy your time.

My apologies! I have been reading too many threads. I thought you had planned on a trip last October. I will at least be able to give you some tips then when I return!

My Kyushu bucket list which I will hopefully get to soon includes Nagasaki and Kumamoto. Nagasaki for it’s historic importance as one of the few authorized foreign trade ports with the West. Kumamoto to visit the grave of Miyamoto Musashi, perhaps the most famous samurai in Japanese history.

It is often the case, a place draws different travelers for different reasons. I went to Nagasaki to visit Glover Garden and eat Nagasaki Castella cake (長崎蛋糕). Golver Garden, because it was the setting for the story of Puccini’s opera Madam Butterfly, where Cho-Cho san could see ships coming into the harbor from a hilltop. Nagasaki Castella cake, because it was a special treat when I grew up as a kid. (Of course, the Nagasaki Castella cake I ate back then were not made in Nagasaki, but were made from the same recipe.)

Kumamoto-jo, not only because it is one of the top 3 castles in Japan, but it was also the place where the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi ( 宮本武藏 ) spent the last 5 years of his life. Miyamoto Musashi came to Kumamoto in 1640 when he was 57 years old. He stayed for 5 years until he died in 1645. curiousgeo, I do not know Musashi's grave can be visited.

Aug 6 will be the a-bomb anniversary in Hiroshima which is about an hour by shinkansen from Fukuoka (Hakata).

Aug 9, one of your free days, is the Nagasaki anniversary. Only two hours on Kamome Limited Express - this train is a treat.

I would hope to go to Unzen Onsen. I couldn't get a ryokan there last time, so I went to Beppu. Also on my bucket list are Shimabara and Saga (one of the three famous pottery towns). Saga has flights to Tokyo.

Thank you for the suggestions! I am looking for a peaceful and restful spot after Aug 2 ( I am doing an open water swim in Fukuoka) and Unzen Onsen looks lovely. It looks like I can head over to see Nagasaki after that and be back to Fukuoka on the 5th (I realize I will miss the anniversary on the 9th).

So you will be there after the aquatics champships. Hopefully you will be able to leave Fukuoka by early afternoon on Aug 2nd and get to Unzen Onsen that afternoon. There is a ropeway and some geothermal stuff to see as well as onsen visits. Leave late afternoon or evening the next day for Nagasaki maybe in time for dinner at Dejima Wharf. You want to visit Glover Garden and take the Nagasaki Ropeway as well as the A-bomb site, Dejima. So, two nights there and leave for Fukuoka later afternoon on the 5th.

Or, two nights Unzen but leave early for Nagasaki and spend one night there. But if you only have two nights visiting both would be pushing it.

Thank you!

We ended up going to Nagasaki by train from Fukuoka and stayed two nights there. Really enjoyed Nagasaki a lot. All to our other plans ended up not working out because the heat was so intense while we were in Kyushu, and also the typhoon. Headed back to Fukuoka for several more days. We left Fukuoka by train instead of plane to Tokyo (again typhoon) and spent three nights there and two in Kyoto before the typhoon came that way. Out just in time.

Thanks for reporting back. Did you do the swim? How was it?

I saw on the other thread that the heat/humidity messed up your plans. Am hoping there was a sea breeze that made Nagasaki easier to take. Were you there on the 9th?

Glad you got to Tokyo before they shut down the shinansen and out of Japan before the typhoon.

A few days after your last post, I booked a flight to Fukuoka and have a night booked at Unzen Onsen. Also have reservations in Ureshino Onsen, Yufuin Onsen, and Kurokawa Onsen. Yes, I like visiting onsen. Then fly from Kumamoto to Akita for Bunka no Hi, then somewhere, then Nyuto Onsen (to stay this time), then Tokyo.

yestravel, it is time to book your HND-NGS flight if you haven't already. Maybe we can have a gtg in Fukuoka if you are there Oct 26-28.

Using miles on JAL or ANA for HND->NGS would work. I would prefer flights operated by those carriers (rather than J-Air or ANA Wings or Ibex), but I am picky (flew Nagoya to Nagasaki on one of those affiliates and there was so little room in my bulkead seat that I had to put my knees up the wall, knees higher than the level of my seat).
Japan domestic flights - Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (fodors.com)

mrwunrfl- sounds like a nice trip.
I redid our trip. We’ll only be in Tokyo for five days ant the start of the trip. We’ll end in Kyoto and fly home from Osaka. sorry I will miss a gtg with you. We’re going to spend the rest of it in Taiwan. Been there?

not yet
sounds fun, have a great trip
Taiwan is popular among Japanese, apparently. Culturally sympatico, i think

any recommendation Osaka? We’ve not been there.

We are heading to Taiwan this year, for 3 weeks. We did 5 nights there several years ago!

Yes I did do the swim! Thank you for asking. It was quite the experience of swimming an ocean 3K, it was a very hot day and the sea was warm and choppy.
We were not down in Nagasaki on the 9th. We went down before and there was a lot of preparation happening. I'm glad we didn't go the 9th because they moved the ceremonies indoors because of the typhoon. We stayed in Chinatown at a hotel that had a lovely Onsen on the highest floor with a beautiful view of the city. I bet you would have liked it! Your trip plans sound wonderful.
I really regret not being able to explore Japan as much as we had wanted to do to the Heat. But we ate well and did as much as we could. We will get back another day. Thanks for all of your advice.

Yes, we have msg'd on Nick's blog. I dont belive we will be in the same place on the same days. We arrive in Taipei on 11 Oct.

Kavey!
Hi Kavey

Visit Osaka-jo Koen (Osaka Castle Park). Enter from, IIRC, the southwest corner of the park at the main entrance so that you will approach the castle from the front. I suggest going on a weekend day. Visit the castle - it is like a nice local museum inside - Osaka has some history. The castle has elevators.

Read about the history of the castle. You can find some arwork that depicts the siege and dramatic destruction of the castle. I forget if it was the first or second destruction that was a pivotal event in Japanese history. I think it was destroyed a third time in WW2.

Leave the park by going around the left of the castle to get to JR Osakajokoen station. Just before the station, on your left, is a small arena. See if there is an event going on (maybe plan for it in advance). I entered the park from that JR station (which you should not do) and it was pouring rain. There was something going on at that arena, and I couldn't figure out what it was, but I bought a ticket to get out of the rain. I thought: 'ok, surprise me'. It was a high school cheerleading competition! The teams were in the concourse waiting for their turns, very colorful and kawaii. The team performances were fun to watch while I dried out.

Definitely try Osaka-style okonomiyaki (in fact, I suggest you send an e-mail to concierge at osakawestin dot com or maybe osakawestinghotel and simply as for a recco, they gave me a good one). I have mentioned before, and maybe you know, the saying that Kyoto-jin love fashion and Osaka-jin love food (or put another way it is how they spend their money - on fashion or food). Osaka-jin are said to be friendly and they have their own dialect so it would be good to learn some words/phrases to use.

If you choose to go to the bunraku theater then definitely just go for the short show. They had headsets with English translation that I did not find useful, but maybe that was a one-off. I was jet-lagged so didn't get as much out the experience as I might have.

See if Spa World interests you. I just went for a soak but saw that there was more going on in the building that looked like fun.

At the bus center, you could take an onsen bus. One goes to Arima Onsen which is not far. Another goes to Kinosaki Onsen which is farther and absolutely worth an overnight. I think either one can be used for a day trip.