Kyushu Neglected As Tourist Destination?

[ArmandV]

I visited Kyushu for the first time during my April trip to Japan. It seems that when people talk about visiting Japan, they generally concentrate on Honshu, specifically Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone and Mt. Fuji. I rarely hear about visits to Kyushu (except for Damicci, who has a good reason for going there).
I spent a couple of nights in Kumamoto so I could visit Mt. Aso Volcanic Park. The town was big enough to have everything you may want, but small enough to make a visitor feel they're not in a congested area. While I didn't visit it, Kumamoto has its own castle and there are onsens surrounding the area.
Mt. Aso was nice, although I didn't get to see much of it as there was a snowstorm the day I visited it. But the museum does have nice exhibits including live camera feeds of views of the volcano's crater.
I took a train from Kumamoto to Nagasaki and the views of the countryside and Ariake Sea made the trip a pleasant one. The Nagasaki Peace Park and Museum and Hypocenter Park were nicely layed out and educational.
I went from Nagasaki to Sasebo to photograph the Saikai Bridge (featured in the 1956 film, "Rodan") for G-FAN magazine. Again, more spectacular views were found.
From Sasebo, I made my way up to Fukuoka. I was able to enjoy the views from Fukuoka Tower of Fukuoka and Hakata Bay. From there, I headed back to Tokyo. [One question though: is there a tunnel connecting Kyushu and Honshu that the shinkansen takes or is it a bridge? I couldn't tell.]
I am sure I missed a lot of attractions, but time (and money) were limited. But I would definitely recommend a visit to Kyushu for Japan tourists.
http://www.hometown.aol.com/amvaquer/images/saikai%20bridge.jpg

[leonmarino]

Although I only know Nagasaki well, and visited Fukuoka just once I agree that Kyushu has some lovely places to visit! I went to Kumamoto a few times when I was younger but can't recall much of that. I remember I loved the castle though.

This year my girl (from Nagasaki) and I are planning on a onsen trip somewhere in Kyushu, probably somewhere in Oita prefecture. Oh, and we're visiting Iwo Jima again this year. Last year we went to swim at its beach, this year we want to take a bicycle trip around the island.

I was thinking about the connection of Kyushu and Honshu, but I don't know it.. By the way, did you see the bus stops in the form of fruits when you were in the train between Nagasaki and Fukuoka? They're pretty cute haha.

Found some pictures of the bus stops (http://blog.goo.ne.jp/neko-obasan/e/0a9e976fd285e7048b694d1452c069d1).

[ArmandV]

By the way, did you see the bus stops in the form of fruits when you were in the train between Nagasaki and Fukuoka? They're pretty cute haha.
Found some pictures of the bus stops (http://blog.goo.ne.jp/neko-obasan/e/0a9e976fd285e7048b694d1452c069d1).

Sorry, but I didn't. It was raining during the train ride.

[Nall-ohki]

Just a quick comment:

I went through Kyuushuu on my recent trip to Japan, and I must say the following:

- Fukuoka has the best ramen I've EVER eaten
- Ibusuki has awesome volcanic sand baths - they bury you in hot volcanic sand on a beach and you sit around and feel good.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Kyushu is connected to Honshu in a bridge and a tunnel.
Kanmon-kyo Bridge was completed in 1973
http://www.yado.co.jp/hasi/fukuoka/kanmon/kanmon.htm
Kanmon-kyo Bridge
http://tabinote.air-nifty.com/weblog/images/060122xa.jpg
A Kanmon tunnel=A tunnel for Sinkansen,
A tunnel for general railroads,A tunnel for cars,A tunnel for people,
There are four tunnels.
A Kanmon tunnel is inaugurated on March 9, 1958.
http://www.interq.or.jp/mars/omr/m03b_railway/m03b_moji/moji_KanmonTunnel.htm
Because a flow of the tide is fast, Kanmon Strait is a difficult place of the sea.:relief:
A cat bus stop in Fukuoka
http://tomosang.up.seesaa.net/image/tomosang-2006-08-30T19:37:45-1.jpg

[ArmandV]

Hiroyuki-san, thank you for the information. I knew we hit a lot of tunnels (and bridges) on the shinkansen in the area, but I could not tell if we were in one when we crossed into Kyushu from Honshu. No announcement was made that "you are now on Kyushu" (or vice-versa).

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

I moved to Tokyo in March, this year.
I am coming and going to Fukuoka and Tokyo.:relief:

ArmandV-san
It is Ooita and Miyazaki and Kagoshima ( in Kyushu ) that you go next?
:-)

Beppu area of Ooita,Yufuin, Kokonoe, yabakei, Kunisaki Peninsula,
Please hear anything.:wave:

In Kyushu,
The ancient history before the Heian era,
It is the area where Japanese mythical tradition is left.

http://www12.plala.or.jp/txnomoto/kumanomagaibuthu522.gif

[ArmandV]

It is Ooita and Miyazaki and Kagoshima ( in Kyushu ) that you go next?
:-)
Beppu area of Ooita,Yufuin, Kokonoe, yabakei, Kunisaki Peninsula,


I got home about 2 weeks ago. I have no immediate plans to return to Kyushu, but several people recommended Beppu to me.

[Iron Chef]

I visited Kyushu for the first time during my April trip to Japan.

Dude... you should have contacted me to let me know you were coming. I would have given you my cell # and address and been more than happy to have given you accomodations, a tour, etc. whatever you needed. Make sure you get in touch with me if you come again. I recently went to Oita and Beppu (last week actually during GW). It was fun hiking through the local scenery getting accosted by monkeys every few steps. 8-)

[ArmandV]

Dude... you should have contacted me to let me know you were coming. I would have given you my cell # and address and been more than happy to have given you accomodations, a tour, etc. whatever you needed. Make sure you get in touch with me if you come again. I recently went to Oita and Beppu (last week actually during GW). It was fun hiking through the local scenery getting accosted by monkeys every few steps. 8-)

Thanks, but my visit to Kyushu was somewhat of a whirlwind tour. I stayed in Kumamoto two nights and one night each in Nagasaki, Sasebo and Fukuoka.

But as Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"

[made of stone]

It's great to have it re-confirmed that I'll be able to travel to Kyushu by Shinkansen when I return to Japan shortly :)

I always wanted to visit while I was in Japan, but time and money were both factors at different times that prevented me.

I really cannot wait now - Kyushu here I come!

:-)

p.s. can anyone advise on getting from Kyushu to Shikoku? cheers!

[Damicci]

If you get the chance there is a onsen in Sekia Hills right by the circuit, i didn't get a chance to stay there but it sounded like fun. supposedly it is near mt. aso!

Anyway Kyushu has alot to offer, I still don't know why many people have never heard of ares in kyushu. Fukuoka is HUGE but most people have no clue such large and industrious city exist in Japan.

[ArmandV]

If you get the chance there is a onsen in Sekia Hills right by the circuit, i didn't get a chance to stay there but it sounded like fun. supposedly it is near mt. aso!
Anyway Kyushu has alot to offer, I still don't know why many people have never heard of ares in kyushu. Fukuoka is HUGE but most people have no clue such large and industrious city exist in Japan.

Maybe the people at the Kyushu visitor's bureau dropped the ball (i.e., not enough promoting)? I thought Kyushu was well worth a visit and I'm glad I did.

[leonmarino]

p.s. can anyone advise on getting from Kyushu to Shikoku? cheers!I took the train heading to Osaka and changed trains at Okayama. I believe it's just after Hiroshima if you come from Kyuushuu.

Whereabouts in Shikoku are you going? I just went there for a gig once, so I didn't see a lot of touristy things.. :relief:

[Sukotto]

九州 Kyushu....,

My favorite place in all of 日本 Japan.
It is where I spent the vast majority of my short time there.
Our host mother made us maps of all the places her family (or others) took us. A chance for one of those boring slide shows they make fun of on sit-coms..... (luckily you do not have to continue)(sorry, no fotos are mine, no scanner)


長崎　Nagasaki,
of course the Atomic Bomb Museum (http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/na-bomb/museum/museume01.html) and Peace Park (http://www.aeoliandust.com/workshop4/picture/images/DSC_0714_3.jpg)....

-In this town there is also
Glover Garden (http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/glover/). Where western merchants lived.
On a mountain side, it was an 19th century home of Scotish merchant Thomas Glover. When our host family took us here on our first full day we were like...what? We want to see "Japan". But, of course, after thinking about it, Glover Garden was a part of the history, Japan's as well as local.
And a Chinatown (http://www.nagasaki-chinatown.com/), we only ate here. So decorative.

-One can take a gondola up Inasa-yama (http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/nagasaki/inasayama.html) for a panoramic view of Nagasaki city and bay.

-There was a sort of pact my friends and I from high school made: the first to Japan had to bring back some plastic sample food, the kind you see in resturant windows. What luck that not far from my host family's house, there just happened to be a place that creates that plastic sample food. This place had two artists and one office worker. I bought 6 pieces of sushi and they gave us some plates of food as gifts. Wow. Plus a catalog in case I want to order more.

-One of my college professor is orginally from Nagasaki, so I heard a lot about a local food specialty champon　noodles. While I personally missed to opportunity to try some...I encourage others not to pass it up. おいしいと聞きました。

-There is a sort of Dutch village (not the same as below) in Nagasaki that employs Europeans to work here. It was ok but I do not remember the name of the place.
There is definately more in Nagasaki.


Still in Nagasaki prefecture
長崎県
-島原 Shimabara (http://www.jref.com/practical/shimabara.shtml)
Our host family drove us a couple hours to Shimabara castle. The place is gutted and now a musuem on the inside, of course.

-Around here there was Unzen (http://unzen.org/) volcano that had erupted in the early 90s? So we saw a house on the side of the road that was covered to the roof from pyroclastic flows and we went to some 温泉　onsen (hot springs). Aaahhhhhhh...... Some peole hard boilded eggs in the waters surrounding the bath house. Smell-y!


Leaving Nagasaki-ken,
-We went to some Ninja-mura (Ninja village) (some where between Nagasaki and Fukuoka) that reminded me of a renaissance fair sort of. But it didn't seem that busy.
-To some pottery village. Arita (http://www.arita.or.jp/index_e.html) I believe. There was a slew of shops up and down this one road with some very, very expensive ceramics. Apparently there is a huge ceramic fair or something here every year that people from all over Japan flock to.
-Huistenbosch (http://www.huistenbosch.co.jp/)
I'm not sure which town or prefecture this place is in.
It is a sort of Dutch village hotel vacation resort.
We went here for a fancy dinner, but myself and another US person did
not know it was supposed to be fancy as our host family did not tell us.
We were wearing shorts and tshirts. I did not notice, but my new US friend
let me know the host sort of snorted at us. ? Oops. Sorry.


佐世保 Sasebo
This town as a US navy base here. We didn't spend much time here.
But at some mountain top there is a nice view of the city below.


福岡 Fukuoka (http://www.mmdfactory.com/webcam/Japan/Fukukoka__Japan_Webcam.html)
-I left my heart at Ha ka-ta, Ha ka-ta, rings the recorded woman's voice as your train arrives at the station in the heart of Fukuoka.
Ah. Sometimes I regret not continuing on along that particular path that
could have gotten me at least a year to spend in Japan teaching (being the designated native sounding voice) English.

博多駅　Hakata (http://kyushu.com/fukuoka/getting_around/hak_stat/1,train,0,,1,1,0,,x.shtml) eki (station) is the southern most stop for the 新幹線 shinkansen (http://www.japanrail.com/JR_shinkansen.html) bullet train. (apparently there is also a section in southern Kyushu not connected to the rest of the shinkansen tracks by the look on that site)

Fukuoka is the 10th largest city in all of Japan.
It is fun just to walk around.
-What amazes me probably the most of walking around the city is just bumping into a temple or shrine amidst all the concrete and buildings. Suddenly there are a mess of trees and a structure that is perhaps centuries old. 面白い。

-Also the night life district was interesting as well. We passed through areas the were probably "soapland", but we did not go into any establishment or even to any bars. Fukuoka's night life district seemed to be located mainly on this island in the middle of a river. Just people watching was interesting to me.

-for shopping, besides every where and in every station, Fukuoka has
this place called Canal City (http://www.canalcity.co.jp/english/urban.html). I think I went into a record store here, but I have the impression that Canal City is much more than just a shopping center.



二日市　Futsukai-chi (http://www.futsukaichi.net/)
This town as at least 3 hot spring spas. Ahh....
I cannot remember how many stops out of Hakata station, maybe 13?
But the spa we went to was like 200 yen? Does that sound right?
400 yen? Whatever. It was cheap! Well worth the trip.
And, if you stay over night at Hakata station, you might need a bath
and soaking. hehe. No, we didn't use it for this. We actually got a hotel after our first night in Japan crashing at Hakata.

hmm....
There's tons more, I know, just ask Iron Chef.
But for me, that's about all I can remember for now.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

ちなみに、
九州の人口の男女比率は、女性の方が多いです。
長崎が一番女性の比率が多くて、次に鹿児島です。
http://www.chizuyainoue.jp/j_population/man_and_woman/1.pdf

[made of stone]

I took the train heading to Osaka and changed trains at Okayama. I believe it's just after Hiroshima if you come from Kyuushuu.

Many thanks for the tip, leonmarino san! :)

Whereabouts in Shikoku are you going? I just went there for a gig once, so I didn't see a lot of touristy things.. :relief:

I have no idea yet - it's only begun to cross my mind recently that, being a tourist for the first time in Japan, I can take advantage of that three week railcard and see the country in a way I never could (afford!) as a long-term resident...

I may not even plan too much - I may just set off, and read the guidebook on my way down there...so exciting!! :cool:

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Southern part area of Fukuoka
Yanagawa-shi
There is a canal in the city, and KAWAKUDARI sightseeing is famous.
photograph
http://www.city.yanagawa.fukuoka.jp/introduce/photo/kawakudari.html
There is Bridgestone in Kurume-shi.
Bridgestone Museum
http://www.bridgestone-museum.gr.jp/en/
Kurume-shi sightseeing map
http://www.ikegami21.com/kurume/kurumehuke.html

[Uchite]

Definitely neglected by most!

I only went once, but loved it. I went to Fukuoka, Isahaiya and Nagasaki. Wanted to see much more, but not enough time.

It is so different than Tokyo! Just different. People are maybe a little more laid back in some places. I remember someone telling me that Fukuoka is populated with lots of yakuza, but who knows?

Also, most (if not all) Kyushu people don't like natto!

[ArmandV]

Definitely neglected by most!
I only went once, but loved it. I went to Fukuoka, Isahiya and Nagasaki. Wanted to see much more, but not enough time.



I would have liked to have stayed an extra day in Nagasaki. I liked the hotel (Comfort Inn Nagasaki) room and the free breakfasts. I was close enough to the harbor and a handy Starbucks.

I also would have liked to have stayed an extra day or two in Fukuoka.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

I remember someone telling me that Fukuoka is populated with lots of yakuza, but who knows?

Boryokudan local list
http://www.boutsui-aichi.or.jp/tebiki/list01.html
As for YAKUZA, there is the most Tokyo.
However, YAMAGUCHI-GUMI of Hyogo is greatest.




Also, most (if not all) Kyushu people like natto!

No,An area eating fermented soybeans well is East Japan.
In Tohoku region in particular, it is eaten well.
In Kyushu, Kumamoto does not eat NATTO.
http://www.toyoshinpo.co.jp/natto/n0502_1.html

[Nisei88]

As for YAKUZA, there is the most Tokyo.
However, YAMAGUCHI-GUMI of Hyogo is greatest.
No,An area eating fermented soybeans well is East Japan.
In Tohoku region in particular, it is eaten well.
In Kyushu, Kumamoto does not eat NATTO.

My relatives in Nishihara, Kumamoto all eat natto. And my aunt makes dry natto that is really smelly that I even can't eat it. They also told me that the Osaka region is where you don't find many natto eaters.

[Uchite]

Boryokudan local list
http://www.boutsui-aichi.or.jp/tebiki/list01.html
As for YAKUZA, there is the most Tokyo.
However, YAMAGUCHI-GUMI of Hyogo is greatest.
No,An area eating fermented soybeans well is East Japan.
In Tohoku region in particular, it is eaten well.
In Kyushu, Kumamoto does not eat NATTO.
http://www.toyoshinpo.co.jp/natto/n0502_1.html


Thanks! That was a typo! I meant to say that most people in Kyushu do not eat natto!

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

No,An area eating fermented soybeans well is East Japan.
In Tohoku region in particular, it is eaten well.

I'm sorry.
I made a mistake in translation.
" In Kyushu, Kumamoto does eat NATTO." :relief:

Kumamoto likes NATTO exceptionally in West Japan.:p

[omEigaMan]

Lots of good info here. I'm about to leave for a very short trip to Japan. Really looking forward to it and I'm going to spend a day in Kyushu. Not sure whether I'll spend most my time in Fukuoka or Kumamoto yet, I'll just play it by ear when I get there (ahh, the flexibility of the Rail Pass). I'm sure the day will fly by and I won't get to see much, but I'll get a taste for it at least. And I will definitely scarf down some Ramen!

[senseiman]

I spent five years in the Kansai area and never made it to Kyushu.

I've got an opportunity to go and study in Fukuoka at the University of Kyushu that I am seriously considering. Frankly I miss Japan a lot so I'm quite keen on the opportunity.

How is Fukuoka as a city to live in? I like hiking and visiting historic sites (temples, shrines etc.) so it would be great if there were some opportunities to do that there.

[ArmandV]

I spent five years in the Kansai area and never made it to Kyushu.
I've got an opportunity to go and study in Fukuoka at the University of Kyushu that I am seriously considering. Frankly I miss Japan a lot so I'm quite keen on the opportunity.
How is Fukuoka as a city to live in? I like hiking and visiting historic sites (temples, shrines etc.) so it would be great if there were some opportunities to do that there.


From what I saw in Kyushu, you'd have no problem finding temples and other places to hike at.

Fukuoka seems to be a nice city.

[Sukotto]

How is Fukuoka as a city to live in? I like hiking and visiting historic sites (temples, shrines etc.) so it would be great if there were some opportunities to do that there.


Iron Chef seems to be a person to talk to since he lives there.

But around Hakata Eki there are a couple of shrines and temples within
talking distance. A couple blocks or so. Less than 10 if I recall.
Also, there is one shrine this elderly gentleman we met at a spa offered to take us to: Dazaifu (http://www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp/home.htm) I believe. But our schedule was too busy.

[senseiman]

Thanks for the replies! I'm looking forward to seeing for myself!!