Kyushu
Discover Kyushu
Kyūshū (Japanese: 九州) is the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. The climate is slightly warmer and more tropical than Honshu, and the southern and eastern coasts are regularly battered by typhoons each year. The terrain is generally mountainous with very fertile valleys much like the rest of Japan, except for the wide plain area at the top of the island - the location of the largest cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. The islands of Okinawa, leading southwest of Japan to Taiwan, are sometimes considered a part of Kyushu, and in fact the northernmost islands in the chain are administered by Kagoshima prefecture.
What to Experience in Kyushu
Taste of Kyushu...
You'll eat well in Kyushu. Fukuoka, in particular, has a reputation as a foodie paradise and a particularly lively street food scene, since it's the last major city in Japan that still has yatai, outdoor stalls, set up along the riverside. Kyushu is the home of shōchū (焼酎), the fiery Japanese distilled liquor, and it's still the drink of choice in these parts: if you order "sake", you'll get shōchū, not rice wine (nihonshu). It's typically around 25%, but some varieties can be much stronger. It can be distilled from nearly anything including rice, barley, brown sugar and buckwheat. Kurokirishima (黒霧島) from Miyazaki has a distinctive black and gold label and is Japan's best selling shochu. Another Kyushu speciality is sweet potato shōchū (芋焼酎 imojōchū), particularly that from the ancient province of Satsuma (modern-day Kagoshima). Imojōchū has a strong smell that many people find off-putting, but like many acquired tastes, it has plenty of devoted fans too. Kyushu is highly volcanic even by Japanese standards, with constantly-puffing Sakurajima just across from Kagoshima earning the hotly contested title of Japan's most active volcano and Mount Aso not far behind. The Chugoku region offers many great experiences for travellers, such as:
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe Kanmon Bridge (関門橋) at Chūgoku Expressway and the Kanmon Roadway Tunnel (関門国道トンネル) at National Route 2 between Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu make traveling from Honshu by car possible. You will pay ¥370 for the Kanmon Bridge or ¥160 for the Kanmon Roadway Tunnel. Fukuoka (FUK) is Japan's busiest international hub after the trio of Tokyo, Chubu and Kansai and has excellent connections throughout Asia and Japan. All the other prefectural capitals also offer limited service within Japan and to a few major Asian cities -- typically Seoul, Shanghai, and Taipei. The San'yō Shinkansen (山陽新幹線) line runs from Osaka to Fukuoka and many trains continue along the Kyushu Shinkansen line to Kagoshima. All Shinkansen trains stop at Kokura Station in Kitakyushu and Hakata Station in Fukuoka; a trip by train all the way from Tokyo takes about 5 hours by Nozomi and costs ¥23,150....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The train is the transport mode of choice in Kyushu. The Kyushu Shinkansen zips across from Fukuoka (Hakata) via Kumamoto to Kagoshima in 1 hr 20 min, and there is a fairly rapid express network covering most of the island. Some scenic local lines are attractions in their own right, such as the JR Hisatsu Line (肥薩線), which runs from Kumamoto via Yatsushiro to Hayato (near Kagoshima) and is considered one of the most scenic in Japan. These lines often feature services aimed at tourists and sightseers, such as the steam-powered SL Hitoyoshi, which runs on weekends from Kumamoto to Hitoyoshi. The Kyushu Rail Pass, available only to visitors on tourist visas, offers unlimited travel on JR Kyushu's lines, including the Kyushu Shinkansen but not the San'yo Shinkansen to Hakata. The limited express trains throughout Kyushu are fairly reasonably priced, so the 3-day pass is probably not going to save money unless you're using the Shinkansen or spending a lot of time on the train.
Language & Talk
Kyushu is home to dialects of Japanese that are almost incomprehensible to speakers of standard Japanese, so much so that it was used during World War II to prevent interception of Japanese communications by the Allies. Even native speakers of Japanese from Honshu often have problems understanding the conversations of locals. However, most people are able to speak standard Japanese, and especially in the cities, younger people may also have a decent command of English. The Kanmon Bridge (関門橋) at Chūgoku Expressway and the Kanmon Roadway Tunnel (関門国道トンネル) at National Route 2 between Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu make traveling from Honshu by car possible. You will pay ¥370 for the Kanmon Bridge or ¥160 for the Kanmon Roadway Tunnel.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Kyushu is highly volcanic even by Japanese standards, with constantly-puffing Sakurajima just across from Kagoshima earning the hotly contested title of Japan's most active volcano and Mount Aso not far behind. The Chugoku region offers many great experiences for travellers, such as:
Glimpses of Kyushu
Lake Kinrinko a small lake that the famous tourist attraction in Yufuin,Oita,Japan
red leaves on gray concrete fence
Beautiful sea in Japan (Tsunoshima, Japan)
bamboo hot spring
Beppu hot spring, Japan
The shrine nearby sea
Japan countryside, Kyushu, Japan
Picture of a local train in Japan.
a view of a city with a mountain in the background
a view of a mountain range with a cloud of smoke coming out of the top
Lake Kinrinko a small lake that the famous tourist attraction in Yufuin,Oita,Japan
red leaves on gray concrete fence
Beautiful sea in Japan (Tsunoshima, Japan)