Fukuoka
Tōchō-ji houses the Fukuoka Daibutsu, Japan's largest seated wooden Buddha (10.8m high, 30 tonnes, completed in 1992) and some impressively carved Kannon …
Must-see attractions in Kyūshū
Kumamoto
This tourist complex at the foot of the castle grounds offers a one-stop opportunity to sample (and purchase) local foods, from fish cakes to tea to…
Kyūshū
The spring water that flows into Shimabara from Mt Unzen is so pure that koi can swim in it, and in this district south of the castle you can see the fish…
Fukuoka
Shōfuku-ji is considered the oldest Zen temple in Japan, founded in 1195 by Eisai, who introduced Zen and tea to Japan; the nation's first tea plants are…
Kyūshū
High above the Aso-san caldera, Daikanbō is one of the best places to take in the views, even if it’s often crowded with tour buses. From the parking area…
Kyūshū
Steps away from Miyazaki Station, this family-friendly interactive science museum boasts one of the world's largest planetariums; some exhibits include…
Fukuoka
Built in 1910, this historic French Renaissance–style building, a nationally registered important cultural property, can be found just across the river…
Nagasaki
At the far end of the Peace Park, this hulking, muscular bronze statue by Nagasaki Prefecture native Kitamura Seibō is a much-photographed symbol of the…
Kyūshū
In mid-May this gorge boasts a dramatic carpet of azalea blooms. Ask at tourist-information offices about trail conditions before setting out. Due to…
Kyūshū
South of the visitor centre is this observation point, where the 1914 lava flow engulfed a small island that had once been 500m offshore. There's now an…
Kyūshū
Founded AD 755, this scenic shrine sits near the centre of town and is fronted by an unusual white torii (gate). It sponsors the Karatsu Kunchi Matsuri,…
Nagasaki
In the Dutch Slopes, this quiet museum showcases the area's history through historic photographs (note that most signage is in Japanese). The combined…
Nagasaki
The atomic blast knocked down half of the stone entrance arch to Sanno-jinja shrine, 800m southeast of the hypocentre, but the other pillar remains, a…
Imari City Ceramic Merchant's Museum
Kyūshū
In Imari town near the river, this museum houses some priceless pieces of Koimari (as old Imari ware is known) from the 18th and 19th centuries. It's in…
Fukuoka
This smart museum displays artefacts from local history and culture. The pride of the collection is an ancient 2.3-sq-cm, 108g golden seal with an…
Kyūshū
Archaeology enthusiasts will want to detour to this museum, on the site where the oldest authenticated Jōmon-era pottery shards were discovered – during…
Fukuoka
Expected to reopen in March 2019 following renovations, Fukuoka Art Museum has ancient pottery and Buddhist guardians, as well as works by Basquiat,…
Kyūshū
Near Sakurajima's east coast, the top of a once-3m-high torii (shrine gate) emerges from the volcanic ash at Kurokami; the rest of it was buried in the…
Kyūshū
A drive along the tranquil north coast and then inland will lead you to Yunohira Lookout, offering views of the mountain and back across the bay to…
Nagasaki
In the Dutch Slopes area, this museum has archaeological artefacts. The combined admission includes Ko-shashin-shiryōkan.
Kyūshū
In the cemetery of Kōtō-ji Buddhist temple (江東寺) is this tranquil Nirvana statue, dating from 1957. At 8.6m, it's the longest reclining Buddha in Japan.
Kyūshū
On the north side of the park, this lookout point is a nice alternative to the more crowded one at Daikanbō.
Beppu
Beppu's most-hyped attraction is the jigoku meguri ('hell circuit'; groups of boiling hot springs), where waters bubble forth from below the ground with…
Nishi Hongan-ji Kagoshima Betsuin
Kagoshima
The current building of this large Buddhist temple near Tenmonkan dates from 1982 and was renovated in 2013. Inside, it's unlike most temples you may have…
Kyūshū
Only the seriously imposing walls of the original Obi-jō are intact, but the grounds and surrounding area host several important buildings, including the…
Fukuoka
Only the walls of Fukuoka-jō (Fukuoka Castle) remain, but the castle's hilltop site (Maizuru-kōen) provides good panoramas of the city and great views of…
Kagoshima
Adjacent to Sengan-en, this 1850s building, a Unesco World Heritage site as Japan's first modern factory, has been converted into a museum. Historical…
Nagasaki
This was the closest school to the nuclear blast, up a hill a mere 500m away, and 1400 children perished here. Nowadays, it's hard not to be moved by the…
Fukuoka
A 15-minute ferry ride from Fukuoka, pretty Nokonoshima mixes natural and artificial parks. The latter, popular Island Park, has a swimming beach,…
Nagasaki
The gently inclined flagstone streets known as the Dutch Slopes were once lined with wooden Dutch houses. Several buildings here have been beautifully…
Kōshi-byō & Historical Museum of China
Nagasaki
The jauntily painted Kōshi-byō shrine claims to be the only Confucian shrine built by and for Chinese outside China, and the statues of sages in its…
Nagasaki
This temple takes the form of a huge turtle carrying an 18m-high figure of the goddess Kannon on its back. Inside, a Foucault pendulum (demonstrating the…
Kumamoto
On the grounds of this sprawling hillside temple complex northwest of the castle, 176 steps lined with hundreds of lanterns lead to the mausoleum of Katō…
Nagasaki
A Unesco World Heritage site and Japan's oldest wooden Western-style building, this house, and the garden around it, are named for Thomas Glover (1838…
Fukuoka
Standing above the Momochi district is 234m-tall Fukuoka Tower, Japan's tallest seaside spire, a symbol of the city and mostly hollow (its main purpose is…
Fukuoka
Sumiyoshi-jinja is said to be the original taisha (grand shrine) of Shintō's Sumiyoshi sect. The main kami (divine beings) enshrined here are protectors…
Nagasaki
For days when Gunkanjima is inaccessible (or even when it's not), you can tour the island from afar via high-tech video presentations and virtual-reality…
Kumamoto Prefectural Traditional Crafts Centre
Kumamoto
Near the prefectural art museum's Chibajo branch, this large facility displays local Higo inlay, Yamaga lanterns, porcelain and woodcarvings, many for…
Kyūshū
Kurozu (amber rice vinegar) has been produced for centuries in the former rice-shipping port of Fukuyama, in Kirishima. The Sakamoto company has made it…
Kyūshū
On the grounds of Shimabara Castle, this museum is dedicated to the work of Kitamura Seibō, a native son of Shimabara and sculptor of the central statue…
