Kyushu
The subtropical southwest, packed with volcanoes, hot springs and hearty food. Highlights include Fukuoka's ramen, Beppu's steaming baths and historic Nagasaki.
Tap any prefecture on the map to jump straight to its hotels & guides.
17 articles
Prefecture boundaries: dataofjapan/land
Yakushima: Japan’s Ancient Cedar Forest β How to Trek to Jomon Sugi
"It rains 35 days a month" (γ²γ¨ζγ«35ζ₯ι¨γιγ). This is an exaggeration, but not by as much as it…
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Yufuin: A Quiet Onsen Town in the Oita Mountains β Worth the Hype?
Yufuin (η±εΈι’) has been one of Japan's most popular onsen destinations for decades β and this popularity has…
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Beppu: Japan’s Hot Spring Capital β The ‘Hells of Beppu’ & Sand Bath Experience
The first thing you notice about Beppu (ε₯εΊ) is the steam. It rises from grates in the pavement,…
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Kagoshima & Sakurajima: Living Under an Active Volcano β How Locals Do It
At the southern tip of Kyushu, a city of 600,000 people goes about its daily business under a…
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Miyazaki: Surfing, Palm Trees & the Unexpected Tropical Corner of Kyushu
Japan is many things to its visitors β ancient temples, neon cities, volcanic mountains, snowbound ski resorts. Almost…
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Mt. Aso: Hiking Inside an Active Volcano in Kumamoto
There are a handful of places in Japan that deliver an experience that is not available anywhere else…
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Nagasaki: History, Champon Noodles & the Hillside Views of a Forgotten City
Nagasaki (ι·ε΄) has two claims to world historical significance that could not be more different in character. The…
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The Atomic Bomb Dome & Nagasaki Memorial: How Japan Remembers 1945
On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 AM, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima β the…
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The Hidden Christian Villages of Nagasaki: Japan’s 250-Year Secret Faith
In 1549, the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier arrived in Japan and began the first sustained Christian evangelization of…
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Plum Blossoms (ζ’ ) in Japan: The Pre-Sakura Season β Atami & Odawara
Before cherry blossom captures Japan's national attention each spring, ume (ζ’ / plum blossom) quietly blooms first β…
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Gunkanjima (Battleship Island): The Abandoned Coal Island Off Nagasaki
Hashima Island (η«―ε³Ά) β universally known as Gunkanjima (θ»θ¦ε³Ά / "Battleship Island") for its profile when approached by…
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Hakuba Valley in Summer: Japan’s Alpine Hiking & Mountain Flower Season
Most international visitors know Hakuba (η½ι¦¬) as one of Japan's finest ski resorts β the venue for the…
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