Kyushu/Okinawa Area
Get to know people at yatai food stalls in Hakata
If you visit Fukuoka, you really should try eating at yatai food stalls. Centering around the Tenjin and Nakasu areas, food stalls start appearing one after another from evening. You can enjoy Fukuoka’s great dishes, such as tonkotsu ramen and yakitori, with delicious sake. The greatest part of yatai is that you can get to know strangers easily as you sit next to someone more closely in a friendly atmosphere!
Learn about the high-quality toilet technology of Japan at TOTO Museum
As one of the best-known home appliances of Japan, the bidet toilet still keeps evolving. This admission-free museum is operated by TOTO, the manufacturer of a bidet toilet, Washlet, which is said to have the top share in the market. You can learn about the ideals of the TOTO company about monozukuri, the history of toilets and baths, and the cutting-edge technologies. Don’t forget to visit the museum shop, where you can find fun goods and novelty items, including miniature toilets.
You will be amazed by the idea and technological capability to make the areas using water in a house nice and comfortable. An array of toilet bowls is quite a sight to see!
Enjoy an eating tour at Yobuko Morning Market
Yobuko Town in Karatsu City is a port town famous for squid fishing. In this town, a morning market is held every day except for January 1, making the area bustling and vibrant.
You can find various kinds of local dishes unique to a port town, such as ika-shumai, tasty steamed squid dumplings you can eat on the spot and grilled seafood skewers.
写真提供：佐賀県観光連盟
Savor delicious yu-dofu at Ureshino Onsen
Containing a high level of sodium ions in the form of sodium hydrogen carbonate, the hot spring water of Ureshino Onsen has been popular as “hot spring water for beautiful skin” from olden days. When you cook tofu in this spring water, it gradually melts due to chemical reactions, creating something like a soup with some half-melted tofu. If you put a piece of melting tofu in your mouth, it will easily dissolve. You can enjoy this yu-dofu (boiled tofu) at restaurants and hotels in the onsen town.
View one of the new world’s most beautiful night views on Mount Inasa
Considered to be a landmark for Nagasaki City, Mount Inasa has been chosen as one of the “World’s Three New Most Beautiful Night Views.” The view from the observatory is just stunningly beautiful. It is worth visiting not only at night for a night view but also during daytime for the beautiful sunset and a panoramic view of Unzen, Amakusa, and even Goto Islands!
写真提供：神宮司庁
Eat Nagasaki Chanpon with an exotic flavor
Once served as the sole window to foreign countries, Nagasaki still has unique cultural features that clearly reflect the cultures of China and Europe. The chanpon noodle dish is one of them. As the name “chanpon” suggests, all the ingredients, including vegetables, seafood, and pork, are mixed together, creating a perfect balance for the dish.
Take a resort train to visit one of the best onsen places in Japan
Limited express train “Yufuin no Mori” is a sightseeing train connecting Hakata and some of the best onsen places in Japan–Yufuin and Beppu. Once you step onto the train, you can enjoy a resort atmosphere in the gorgeous train car. As the level of the seats are higher than that of other regular trains, you can get a great view of the countryside with the grand mountains and the Kusu River flowing alongside the train tracks from a higher position, raising the excitement of your trip.
Kyushu also has many other sightseeing trains, such as “Aru Ressha” deluxe train! If you are a railroad fan, Kyushu is a must-visit place.
Feel the power of wilderness and volcano in Aso
The Aso area has the world’s biggest caldera, formed by huge eruptions 90,000 years ago. Enjoy a panoramic view of the area from Daikanbo, a natural observatory, and then head to Kusasenri, a huge grass field of almost 800,000 sq. m. From there, you can see the volcanic vent, with smoke coming out. The area may be prohibited for access due to volcanic activity and other reasons, so please check the latest information in advance.
Have an onsen tour at Kurokawa Onsen
Located in Aso and surrounded by nature-abundant mountains, Kurokawa Onsen has about 30 onsen ryokan hotels. Even if you are not staying at one of the hotels, you can enjoy onsen there as a day-visitor. If you purchase a special onsen ticket, you can get some discounts for your onsen tour.
Have a thrill with a great view on the Takachiho Amaterasu Railway
Utilizing what had been a disused railway, “Takachiho Amaterasu Railway” has come back to life as an attraction. You can enjoy a short railway round trip of about 30 minutes from Takachiho Station to the Takachiho Railway Bridge through a tunnel with illumination. The view from the open-top train running on the Takachiho Bridge, the highest railway bridge in Japan, is so thrilling that you may feel weak at the knees.
Admire the beautiful cone shape of Mount Kaimon-dake
One of the “100 Famous Mountains of Japan,” Mount Kaimon-dake is also referred to as “Satsuma Fuji” (“Mount Fuji of Kagoshima”), and has a perfect cone shape seen from every direction, fascinating people who see it. From late December to early February, it is great to view the mountain over the canola blossom field near Lake Ikeda Amusement Park. You can enjoy nice early spring scenery of a southern land.
Feel the power of wilderness with your whole body while trekking in Yakushima
Located about 60 km south of Kagoshima, Yakushima is rich in nature and was the first island registered as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO in Japan. A huge cedar tree, “jomonsugi,” which is said to be 7,200 years old, will overwhelm everyone who sees it. It requires about eight hours of trekking to get to and come back from the tree, but the experience to see the tree is so precious that it is really worth the long trip.
写真提供：屋久島観光協会
Run through the Gajumaru jungle by buggy car!
“Gajumarunture” in Itoman City, which is located in the south part of Okinawa, offers a buggy car riding experience through the banyan tree jungle. Gajumaru, which is also known as a Chinese banyan tree, is called a “tree of happiness,” where a holy spirit lives. The Gajumaru jungle is a representative natural landscape of Okinawa. It is really exhilarating to drive a buggy car in a natural setting. The emerald-colored ocean you can see when you go through the jungle is exceptionally beautiful!
With a friendly guide, you can have lots of fun without any worrying!
Try a coral dyeing experience only available at one place in Okinawa
Located close to Shuri Castle in Naha City, “Shuri Ryusen” studio offers a unique “coral dyeing” lesson. Cover a piece of coral with fabric and rub it with an inked cloth, and then you will get a beautiful pattern appearing on the fabric. This art of nature fostered by the ocean of Okinawa will be a great memory of your trip, only for yourself.
Get healed by the best emerald green ocean in Okinawa
The waters around Miyako Island boast one of the highest levels of clarity in the world. My most recommended beach is 17END on Shimoji Island, connected to Miyako Island by bridge. The pure white sand beach and emerald green ocean create beauty that you want to keep watching forever.
Fully and easily enjoy a resort feeling on Ie Island
Located so close to Okinawa Main Island that it is visible from Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Ie Island is easily accessible. The island is filled with attractive aspects of nature only experienceable on an isolated island, such as Mount Gusuku rising at the center of the island, a white sand beach, and beautiful ocean with high clarity of the water! It is surprising that it takes only 30 minutes from the main island to such an island resort.
You can also enjoy a leisurely horseback ride on the beach!
Travel by sleeper train “Sunrise Izumo/Seto”
Arriving at and departing from Tokyo Station, “Sunrise Izumo” and “Sunrise Seto” are sleeper trains with destinations of Izumo City, with Izumo Taisha Shrine, and Takamatsu in Shikoku, respectively. In a private compartment, you will feel like you are in a mobile hotel! It is a luxurious experience to see a great view through a large window of the train while reclining.
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