Itinerary review: two weeks in Kyushu

13 comments

1. re: #6 there’s an incredible onsen/ryokan that’s hike-in only in Kuju natl park

2. Not sure what you mean by cutting out the three day hike by using a taxi in Yakushima. Which hike are you hoping to do? I was there for about 5 days last year and don’t think I saw a single cab on the road the entire time.

3. 2 small diversions if they aren’t already planned:
   1) when heading south to Kagoshima, go via the ebino plateau, best to take the road from yatsushiro via hitoyoshi, very scenic and comes out in kirishima.

   2) aso, if it’s a clear day drive up the mountain to where the old cable car used to be, go for a 20 min walk around there, it’s well worth it and the views are spectacular. Also kuju and the flower gardens, very nice.

4. The route is smooth.

   On the day Nagasaki > Kumamoto, make sure to visit unzen dake and shimabara, then take a ferry from shimabara to kumamoto. Reserve ferry ticket (with a car) online.

   [https://www.kumamotoferry.co.jp/lang/](https://www.kumamotoferry.co.jp/lang/)

5. [deleted]

6. Have fun with your trip. Japan is my favorite country. Lived there for 6 years and will definitely retire there in the future.

   But your trip is too specific. I can never travel like that. I’m the opposite. Pick several places that I want to go and do everything on a whim.

7. Kirishima’s ryokans has nice onsens. And Kagoshima has the fun Sakurajima puffing ashes almost every day.

   Not sure why Hirado but then again I am biased towards Iki island (near Hakata but under Nagasaki administration) in terms of ancient history (Yayoi period/3rd century compared to Hirado’s Song Dynasty period) and Shinto shrines (Iki island is loaded with them). Iki island has an even older settlement called Harunotsuji.

   Arita and Imari are known for ceramics/pottery. Imari for its porcelain. Good if you are into these.

8. In Yakushima, we did a shortish hike and took some side trails on the way back to climb up to Taiko Rock (I think that was the name), it had some marvelous views and I’ve never seen such green moss in the forests before. Also for Yakushima, go to the ocean onsen on the south side that are only visible during low tide (Hirauchi Kaichu Natural Onsen) and the nearby waterfalls; and the multi-course lunch we had at Hirono was one of my most memorable in Japan, beautiful presentation and fantastic food with a focus on hyper-local meat, fish, and produce ([https://goo.gl/maps/vpiDEkj1H156d3in6](https://goo.gl/maps/vpiDEkj1H156d3in6)).

   In Kagoshima, when not searching out for the wonderful, tiny shochu bars, Yatai Village with a bunch of food stalls near the main train station was way more fun than I would have expected.

   For Kurokawa, I’d only gone for a day and loved Hozantei as it’s right on the river and serene, I had some friends who stayed there several nights and said great things. That being said, I understand much of the appeal of Kurokawa is being more in the village center so you can walk around from onsen to onsen in a yukata. On a side note, and I might be mistaken, but I think Warokuya is a quick restaurant where you can get good horse curry rice and play Super Famicom with a great game selection while waiting to be served.

   Are you not spending any time in Fukuoka aside from getting to and from the airport? Mind-blowing food and drink scene there and in nearby Kitakyushu, it’s not to be missed! I lived around there for a few years and would be more than happy to share some recommendations.

9. I am also looking at going to Kyushu for two weeks.

   I am not as much into hiking, more into history and culture, so of course what I would do is probably a bit different. Also, I would do it by train as it’s a bit expensive to go by car for one person.

   Places that I spotted include Yoshinogari historic park in Saga, then on the way to Nagasaki, I would check if team lab have have an exhibit at Mifuneyama Rakuen. I’ve been to Nagasaki, but fell that the one day I spent there was not enough. This time I think I would spend a bit more time exploring the location related to hidden Christians. It might be overrated, but I’m also curious about the cruise to visit Gunganjima. Unzen and the ferry to Kumamoto seems to be a great idea, would totally do that. Going to Kagoshima, I would like to stop at a place that grow tea, either as a farm stay experience or just daytime visit and around May, just like you planned, so I would be in time for first harvest.

   I’ve heard a lot of wonderful things about Yakushima, but somehow it seems to me it would take at least 2-3 days to manage the transportation around it and fell it’s a lot when you only have 13 days to travel. Still would absolutely love to go.

   After I would probably go toward Miyazaki, like Nichinan coast. The Takachiho gorge look stunning, so I really like that part of your itinerary. Just wondering how easy it is to do by train and bus, but that would probably make Oita a good exit point.

   I’m interesting in stopping at a place that make pottery, but I’m not a fan or Arita style and Imari seems similar. I’ve been to Tamba and really liked the style and would like to visit Bizen. Both have much more earth color, that really contrast with the painting of the Northern Kyushu style.

   Sorry if this is not really a constructive comment, but your itinerary seems pretty interesting.

   ​

   Edit : I said I’m not that much into hiking, but I would like to do it more, I really like the itinerary the propose here [https://www.welcomekyushu.com/kyushuolle/](https://www.welcomekyushu.com/kyushuolle/)

10. As you know, it’s a very tight schedule. There are some points to worry about.

    Car navigation:

    Have you investigated the rental car whose car navigation system supports English? I think you have been considered, but I confirmed it just in case.

    Travel time:

    I think it’s underestimated. When I checked the movement from Hakata Station to Hirado City Tourist Information Center with google map, it was 123 minutes. In my experience, the actual travel time needs to be about 30% longer than the time taught by google map, so I think it is better to actually evaluate for about 160 minutes. In addition, considering the parking time, the time to walk from the parking lot to the facility, and the time required for procedures at the facility, isn’t it necessary to have about 30-40 minutes? Then, even if you left Fukuoka at 6:00, I feel like you could start cycling in Hirado near 9:30. I believe this discussion can be applied to other schedules.

    Imari/Arita

    I think it would be better to have a simple pottery experience if possible, but it would be impossible due to time constraints. Probably you will be about going around the store lightly and buying something.

    Karatsu:

    I don’t know the purpose of staying in Karatsu. Do you plan to go sightseeing in Karatsu? If not, it seems like you would be better to move to Nagasaki on the same day and stay at Nagasaki…

    Nagasaki:

    The last ferry from Shimabara to Kumamoto seems to be at 17:50. Please note that it will take nearly 2 hours to move from Nagasaki to Shimabara. It is necessary to arrive at Shimabara Port one hour before the ferry time, so it is better to leave Nagasaki City after 14:00. It’s really tight (><)

    Kumamoto:

    In the city of Kumamoto, when you come across a rush hour, the car hardly moves due to traffic. When you choosing a hotel to stay in, and be careful and avoid the city.I am from Kumamoto Prefecture, so I would like you to see Kumamoto Castle, but it might be difficult to see Kumamoto Castle for 3 to 4 hours during traffic jams and walks. I also want you to try Kumamoto ramen. It’s thick and delicious. If you are planning a sightseeing outside of Kumamoto City, you have to evaluate at the move time, and if you can go around, there is only one more place. Amakusa will be a good candidate if you are heading from Kumamoto to Kagoshima. The scenery of 天草五橋 is also wonderful.

    I haven’t been to the further scheduled places, so I can tell you nothing more. Excuse me…

11. Yufuin is a bit of a tourist trap

12. In the Kumamoto area, check out Reigando Cave for sure: https://www.explore-kumamoto.com/reigando-cave-and-unganzenji-temple/

    The statues representing 500 disciples of Buddha are pretty surreal, as well as the cave / temple itself. It’s where Musashi Miyamoto spent his last few years meditating and writing The Book of Five Rings.

    If you want a solid hike with a marvelous bird’s-eye view of Fukuoka, go up to Mt. Tachibana.

    Also kind of unusual for most travelers I’m guessing, but In case you haven’t been to a Costco in Japan before and you’re curious, there’s one near Tachibana in Hisayama. Fantastic sushi trays at great prices, amongst other variety of Asian goods you won’t find in other countries’ Costco locations. You’d have to be a member of course, or if you’re looking to spend decent money (couple of bottles of high end alcohol etc), then the membership would probably pay for itself.

13. I’d stay a bit longer in Kurokawa, get the [onsen hopping pass](https://youtu.be/nwAIfzOpyog) and really enjoy the hot springs…