Kyūshū
Karatsu-yaki is defined by the work of 14 generations of the Nakazato family. Walk through the shop, which feels like a museum unto itself, and cross the…
Must-see attractions in Kyūshū
Nagasaki
West of the harbour, the Nagasaki Ropeway cable car ascends every 15 to 20 minutes to the top of 333m-high Inasa-yama, offering superb views over Nagasaki…
Kyūshū
It looks humble from the outside, but stunning works of art are on display in the gallery of one of Japan's Living National Treasures, the 14th generation…
Kyūshū
In the centre of Unzen village and at the base of the jigoku (literally 'hells'; boiling mineral hot springs), this plaza commemorating the national park…
Kyūshū
This fabulously restored late–Meiji period villa of a local trader is built in a mix of Japanese and Western styles, with lantern-filled gardens, a…
Kyūshū
Seven of the mid-Edo-period residences along Chiran’s 700m street of samurai houses have gardens open to the public. Water is usually symbolised in the…
Kyūshū
This colourful morning market for squid, fish and produce animates the quaint, dwindling fishing port of Yobuko (呼子) each day, drawing visitors from all…
Kyūshū
In the centre of the Kunisaki Peninsula, near the summit of Futago-san (721m), this temple was founded in 718 and dedicated to Fudō-Myō-o, the fire…
Kyūshū
This museum is housed in the stunning residence of the Matsuura clan, who ruled the island from the 11th to the 19th centuries. You'll find armour that…
Nagasaki
This small but quietly moving museum celebrates the courage and faith of one man in the face of overwhelming adversity. Already suffering from leukaemia,…
Fukuoka
Set within the expansive grounds of Ōhori-kōen, adjacent to the remains of Fukuoka's once-grand castle, this traditional (though constructed in 1984) 12…
Kyūshū
The park's centrepiece is the 37m-high Peace Tower monument constructed in 1940, a time when peace in Japan was about to disappear. Its timeless design…
Kyūshū
Near the former Tachiarai airfield, one of the most important airfields of Japan's Imperial Army, this museum shows the rigorous training Japanese fighter…
Nagasaki
West of the harbour, this cable car ascends every 15 to 20 minutes to the top of 333m-high Inasa-yama. The view from the mountaintop has been ranked one…
Kyūshū
Down a side road between Ibusuki and Makurazaki, this small-ish seaside nature park has been noted for its beauty since an Edo-period surveyor named it…
Fukuoka
This small but pretty garden and teahouse was built by a Meiji-era merchant in 1906 and offers a couple of paths, a rushing waterfall and tea ceremony. In…
Kyūshū
In the woods, nestled among rice paddies and reachable by bus (¥100) or about a 20-minute walk from Dazaifu Station, this rustic temple dates from 746,…
Hikiyama Festival Float Exhibition Hall
Kyūshū
This museum lets you get up close and personal with the 14 colourful hikiyama (floats) used in the annual Karatsu Kunchi Matsuri. Designated important…
Fukuoka
Delightfully rural, this island has fresh-seafood restaurants that line the harbour-side streets. Ferries depart hourly (¥670, 33 minutes) from Bayside…
Kumamoto
This family-friendly museum presents the history of Kumamoto and the castle from many angles, from the 10-minute video with English subtitles explaining…
Kyūshū
Picturesque, tangerine Kirishima-jingū has a good vantage point. Though the original dates from the 6th century, the present shrine was built in 1715. It…
Kyūshū
Located on the outskirts of Bungo-takada, this National Treasure, made of fragrant nutmeg wood, is the oldest wooden edifice in Kyūshū and one of the…
Nagasaki
Once the largest church in Asia (1914), the cathedral took three decades to complete and three seconds to flatten. This smaller replacement cathedral was…
Kyūshū
This chill, seaside seahorse hatchery is unique, offering close-up looks at thousands of hatchling seahorses, plus information, videos, souvenirs and a…
Kyūshū
Dedicated to the 12 gods of the mountain, this shrine, including its revered gate, suffered severe damage in the 2016 earthquakes; photos show the scale…
Fukuoka
The intimate Kushida-jinja, municipal Shintō shrine of Hakata, traces its history to AD 757 and sponsors the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Matsuri, in which…
Kyūshū
Lovely Chiringashima is connected to the mainland by a thin land bridge that appears only at low tide, when hikers, beachcombers and tide-pool explorers…
Kyūshū
This old-school museum has exhibits and dioramas about Aso, volcanos in general and the sometimes fraught relationship locals have with the volcano system…
Kyūshū
This workshop of the Sakaida family (artist name: Kakiemon) is one of Arita's top sights. Now in its 15th generation and featured in its own exhibit at…
Nagasaki
Parallel to Teramachi, the Nakashima-gawa is crossed by a picturesque collection of 17th-century stone bridges. At one time each bridge was the distinct…
Nagasaki
The best known of several bridges that cross the Nakashima-gawa, the Spectacles Bridge is so called because the reflection of the arches in the water…
Kyūshū
This attractive, lodge-like tourist centre has information, maps, models of the area's wildlife, topography and nature (in easily understandable English)…
Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum
Nagasaki
Designed by Kuma Kengo (the architect behind Tokyo's Nezu Museum and 2020 Olympic Stadium), this museum straddles a canal in an environmentally friendly…
Kyūshū
About 10 minutes' walk from the bus centre, Takachiho-jinja is dramatically set in a grove of cryptomeria pines, including one that's over 800 years old…
Kyūshū
West of town, an 8km-long, well-maintained hiking path winds through this forested gorge following the Kaeda-gawa, a refreshingly clear stream filled with…
Gamadas Dome Mt Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall
Kyūshū
About 4km south of the town centre, this excellent high-tech museum is larger than many a good-size city's town hall. It focuses on the 1991 eruption and…
Kyūshū
The name 'Observatory' is misleading, as there's no building here. The site is a shaded picnic area with some lava escape tunnels and walking trails that…
Kyūshū
This shrine honours Emperor Jimmu, the semi-mythical first emperor of Japan and founder of the Yamato court. Spectacular centuries-old wisteria vines…
Kyūshū
This striking museum offers a history of Satsuma plus displays of Chinese ceramics and gleaming Satsuma-yaki in a temple-style building that seems to…
Kyūshū
At the far end of the Yobuko Morning Market is this painstakingly refurbished home and processing house of a whaling family. It's filled with historical…
