Hi Reddit,
I’ll be the second time in Japan from Mid March to the end of April. I’ll be doing a language course in Tokyo, then head to Fujiyoshida and Nagoya for some days and the last two weeks will be traveling around Kyushu, starting from Fukuoka. I basically wanted to include places I haven’t been to during my first trip, plus I have some friends living in Fukuoka, so I decided for Kyushu.
**Mode of transportation:**
I’ll have the Railpass since I’m coming from Nagoya – I know I could fly and it might probably be cheaper, but I just really enjoyed the Shinkansen last time, so I chose this option. I also won’t have a rental car.
**Interests:**
Nature, hiking, exploring cities, cool shrines / temples, food(!), live music (!)
Some of my favorites places during my first trip were Koyasan, Nikkou and Hakone – so it would be really cool to have something similar to that.
Let me know if you have any recommendations for bars or clubs with live music and for food as well!
**Other info:**
It will be my first ever solo trip. So I still want to book my accomodations in advance (just in case), but I also want to keep everything as flexible as possible and don’t plan too much in advance – so some parts may still seem a little empty.
Here’s the plan:
* **Day 1: Nagoya > Fukuoka**
* Food stalls
* Canal City
* **Day 2: Fukuoka**
* Trip to Nanzoin Temple
* **Day 3: Fukuoka**
* Saga Prefecture trip (Arita + Kashima /Yutoku Inari)
* **Day 4: Fukuoka > Nagasaki**
* Peace Park and Museum
* Maybe Suwa Shrine, if there’s enough time
* **Day 5: Nagasaki**
* Gunkanjima
* Mount Inasa for night view
* **Day 6: Nagasaki**
* Huis Ten Bosch? Not really sure if it’s worth it, especially since I’m from Germany and I’ve been to the Netherlands a few times, but it looks fun.
* Otherwise maybe the Dutch Slope area and Koshibyo Confucius Shrine
* **Day 7: Nagasaki > (Shimabara?) > Kumamoto**
* Checkout the castle in Shimabara
\-> Not sure if this is a good idea at all – since I’ll have the railpass, going by train would be cheaper and faster than taking the ferry from Shimabara – is it worth it?
* If not Shimabara, maybe check out Hanaokayama Park in Kumamoto / just explore the city
* **Day 8: Kumamoto**
* Trip to Takachiho Gorge and/or Mt Aso
\-> Not sure if it’s a good idea to do this via public transport – maybe I’d consider booking a tour if there are any – recommendations are welcome!
* **Day 9: Kumamoto**
* Kumamoto Castle
* Suizenji-jojuen and / or hike up to Mt Kinbou
* **Day 10: Kumamoto**
* Daytrip to Kagoshima
* Senganen, Sakurajima View
* **Day 11: Kumamoto > Yufuin**
* Explore the city and the lake there
* Floral Village + Ghibli store
* **Day 12: Yufuin**
* Daytrip to Beppu
* Onsen Hells
* **Day 13: Yufuin**
* Something relaxing for the last day – are there private onsens you can access without booking a hotel?
* Alternatively some hiking or biking: I already reserved an accomodation here and they have free bikes – recommendations are welcome!
* **(Day 14: Yufuin > Fukuoka > Back Home)**
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