Ideas for a Kyushu trip

8 comments

1. Hey there,
   I just came back from a road trip in Kyushu and I think 3 days may be too much for Nagasaki.

   I would recommend spending more time near Kumamoto, especially near Mont Aso where you can approach the volcano and have some really nice scenery.

2. We stayed in Yufuin at a nice little ryokan with private onsens under the stars.

   Nice little town with great scenery. Good food.

   I agree with /u/Emishis that 3 days in Nagasaki is too long unless of course you use it as a base.

3. I’ll disagree with the others here and say that personally, I don’t think 3 nights is too much for Nagasaki. I found the city really enjoyable with much to see and it has quite a few options for day trips as well (e.g. Shimabara peninsula and Unzen onsen). I wouldn’t have minded even staying 4 nights there. Fukuoka can be skipped IMO. I also really enjoyed Kagoshima, especially cycling around Sakurajima.

   Generally staying just 1 night *anywhere* always feels rushed to me. As I’ll have to travel on both days, it never feels like I can properly arrive and take my time to explore.

4. I’m with u/Yakushika there, there is more than enough to visit for 3 days in Nagasaki (you can and should add Gunkanjima, Oura cathedral, mount Inasa by night, Glover garden, etc.). Atomic bomb park is a bit out of the way from the center, so many historical sites were spared. If you’re into more niche stuff, you can check out the various sites linked to Sakamoto Ryoma or the shogunate final years. You also have a couple industrial sites from Meiji era.

   If you add the surroundings, have a car, and as you said interested in history, the former christian sites near Sotome are well worth it. Also, you’ll have Unzen, Shimabara peninsula, Hara castle ruins, etc.

   Honestly, the history in and around Nagasaki is infinitely more interesting and varied than what you’ll see around Kumamoto (which is probably more “accessible” for a quick visit with its sceneries).

5. Are you driving or train/public transport? That’s going to make a pretty big difference in Kyushu.

6. Replace Nagasaki with Kagoshima. Much better food!

7. Nagasaki is great for three days – if you want a good day trip you could go to Sasebo and Kujukushima. I agree with your assessment on Fukuoka too, nice city but there’s not really anything interesting for tourists – especially if you’ve lived in Japan before! I did half a day in Kumamoto just for the castle and thought that was fine. Beppu is nice too, and nearby Yufuin is a nice little onsen town if you want to stay somewhere a bit more rural.

   Also, apologies because you didn’t ask for any feedback on it but I couldn’t help but notice – four days seems really long for the Shimanami Kaido. If you’ve already planned it out then just ignore me though!

8. My advice, as someone who’s travelled a good deal around Kyushu, is to consider hiring a car; it will open Kyushu up to you in ways that relying on trains can never do.

   Personally, I would avoid Beppu other than a brief visit to the Hells. As u/sloppyrock mentions below, Yufuin is a much nicer place to stay in the area and if you’re driving, the drive from Beppu to Yufuin, especially the last stretch, is really scenic.

   Kurokawa Onsen is surely a must do if you’re a fan of onsen and can be a decent base for exploring other areas as day trips, such as the Kuju Mountains, Mt Aso etc.

   In southern Oita you also could visit Usuki for the stone buddhas.

   Miyazaki is also worth visiting – Takachiho for sure.

   You might also consider the Kunisaki Peninsula in North Eastern Oita, especially if you’re interested in temples and enjoy hiking.