Kyushu 7 days with 2 young children

Hi,

My wife, 2 kids (ages 4 and 5) and I will be in Kyushu for 7 days in September and we're looking for some suggested destinations. Some of the things my wife and I might have done in previous years (onsens, nightlife) are off the list because of kids, and others are closed (Aso-san). I'd like to see Sakurajima, and perhaps the kids would get a kick out of the "hells". The Takachiho gorge makes the list.

We hate shopping, and most museums are probably out unless they are super kid friendly. We aren't big theme park people. Cute towns, nice drives, and beautiful kid-friendly nature is best. If I could afford the trip to Yakushima we'd try that, but it seems prohibitively expensive (though if anyone knows a good budget place to stay I'm all ears).

We are happy to rent a car and drive around Kyushu. We will be arriving from the north via shinkansen on JR rail pass after Tokyo/Kyoto/Hiroshima. I speak passable conversational Japanese but my reading is at a preschool level after 10 years.

Any suggestions? :)

SL Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto to Hitoyoshi
Boat rides in Hitoyoshi
Beaches in/at Aoshima
Sakurajima
Kyushu Railway Museum @ Mojiko
Torokko Retro Train @ Mojiko
Take in a baseball game
Ohori Park @ Fukuoka

Personally I wouldn't involve all the planning around the kids. Kids being kids will love anything that is different than home. I;d still do all the well known destinations.

How about Huis Ten Bosch :
http://english.huistenbosch.co.jp/

If I could afford the trip to Yakushima we'd try that
Even you could , I do not think Yakushima would be the place for children that age.

Yufuin is very nice. There is a little themed set of shops up the top of the shopping street and it has an owl museum in it which was really good.

I see Haus Ten Bosch was mentioned. If you go there dont miss the Nagasaki Bio Park which is a 30 min shuttle ride away. That would be the most awesome place ever for kids, big and small.

If you have a car, then the sky is the limit. Aso crater is closed, but there are goods places in the area. If the weather is good, the view from atop Daikanbo is spectacular. There's also the Nabedagaki Waterfall, still unknown to even the well traveled, and the Kuju Flower Park is nice as well. If you want a truly surreal adventure, go see the Kyusendo Limestone Cave in Kuma Village - it's like walking back 300 million years in a natural cave that's still under construction.
http://www.kyusendo.jp
Nagasaki is the most interesting city on the island - lots of history and variety. At night the view from Mt Inasa is one of Japan's best, and the local food like chanpon and saraudon is exceptional.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7LcPcmoSg-gbw2yXNLK92siHyNqSNx...

In Saga, the Yutoku Inari Shrine is one of the best on the island and perfect for hyper kids who want to run through countless torii gate 'tunnels'.
https://goo.gl/Nl8o23

For the "Hells", there is both Unzen in Nagasaki and the famous 8 hells in Beppu. The latter are more touristy but your kids will probably like them. The Takasakiyama Monkey Park nearby and aquarium are also very good.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7LcPcmoSg-hOggZamc2lUNTr46ApKX...

Fukuoka has a number of good places as well - the Nanzoin Temple in particular is unforgettable and while you might not like the nightlife area, eating ramen at a ramen stall (yatai) by the Naka river in Nakasu, Fukuoka City with the flashy lights all around is quite an experience. The nearby Canal City shopping area is nice to walk through even if you don't care for the shopping.
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/fukpic.html
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7LcPcmoSg-j4RLa6iC7ayvBAbOn8-0...
If you like boat rides, there are that as well in the river at night, and one of the most famous is the canal boat ride at Yanagawa. In Sasebo, Nagasaki, the Kujukushima boat cruise is very scenic and relaxing.
http://travel.sasebo99.com/en/99islands.php

Kitakyushu has a few places as well. The Mojiko Retro area was mentioned, and captures the Japan from a century ago. Kokura Castle is not bad, and at twilight the view from the top of Mt Sarakurayama is an unknown jewel that few have even heard of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl1pCW9Ibbk

It's up to you of course, but onsen are actually suitable for kids. On our most recent trip, our 3 year old absolutely loved taking it in turns with us to go to onsen. It was her second favourite thing of the entire trip (alas, nothing can compete with Sanrio Puroland) and she talked endlessly about it the whole 3 weeks. The only issue was the hotter than average baths but she happily didn't get in those with me.

Definitely onsen.
Depending on your views on fish in barrels there's a restaurant in Fukuoka where you can catch your own fish and then they cook it for you, which is memorable.
Our 6yr old lives kaiten sushi, and also loved the Toto toilet museum in Kokura (I guess toilets are funny?)

When people say cute towns, I think of those small charming onsen towns like Yufuin (that lazy mentioned). Kurokawa is also in the list, accessible due to the car.

Relaxing at the beachside of Miyazaki would be another option. The coastline is a nice drive, plus there are mountains nearby. Nice for some exercise!

Wow, some great responses, thank you.

Aoshima, Yutoku Inari Shrine, Nanzoin, Sasebo boat rides, and Yufuin have all been added to the list. :) I had some questions about a few of the suggestions.

Daikanbo is still open? I know Aso and the road around it is closed but I'm confused about what is still accessible.

The fish barrel restaurant in Fukuoka sounds fun. :) Have a name?

Which part of the coast is nice to drive along? Miyazaki was mentioned, but from which town to which town? I love coastal drives!

Huis Ten Bosch hasn't been on the list because we usually avoid theme parks. I know there's a bit more to it than that but having been to the Netherlands several times we don't need to see a recreation. :)

For those that took their kids to the onsens, did they actually go in the water? The ones I've been to in the past have been scorching... also, way too peaceful to take my crazy young boys.

Zauo is the fish restaurant. I've had a question thread on here within the last year asking for details, so look up that, and also YouTube. The one that's out of the centre of town is the one to head for, as you eat in a "boat" on the "sea".

Re onsens, a lot aren't scorching. Some research will help you there. Doing the day pass wooden badge thing in Kurokawa, for instance, will mean you get to try spectacular rotemburo which are of differing temperatures and you can end up being the only ones there (go early, or go at Japanese lunchtime, for fewer other people). Ryokan stays where there are private baths available are generally good for being able to add cold water if the bath is too hot.

My daughter enjoyed the 38C and 39C onsen best but also went in the 41C for a short period.

Would it help to separate the boys so you each take one in?

From miyazaki (small city) to Nichinan (even smaller city). You would be driving along the coast or the cliffs (depending on road availability and your preference) via Aoshima and Udo Jinja. One side is the sea and the other side the mountains. What great fun!

Plus if you keep going past Nango, there is castle ruins and small fun parks.

The latest info on closures around Kumamoto are at:

http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0035.html
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eq/kumamoto.html

You should have no problem going to Daikanbo.

my children (5+7) love onsen. especially extremely hot ones. they dont have any problem going even into 42+ degree ones. it is rather a playfull-challenge to them if they dare to enter or not. :-)

generally we go to sento with them, cause there it is very common that also japanese people drag their children with them and we have the feeling it is less disturbance for other guests which maybe search some relaxation in ryokan-onsens (while in sentos noone expects that much quietness from children.)

Thanks guys, you've all been awesome. You've also convinced me that the kids should at least try a semi-private onsen, so we will give that a shot. :)

Should you look for a kid friendly hotel in Beppu, I can recommend the Suginoi Hotel. They have a water park and onsens. We stayed there 3 years ago and there were lots of families with small kids. They offer a fabulous breakfast and dinner buffet which also had special kid items and even some small fun kid activities. A fun place for the kids for sure!

I had to google that hotel. Looks very impressive. Scared for my wallet though. haha

It isn't the cheapest hotel in Beppu, eventhough we booked ahead of time we had a hard time finding a room in Beppu and didn't have much choice. We booked their special which included breakfast buffet and dinner buffet. I usually don't care for buffets, but these buffets were outstanding, so much choice and all freshly prepared! One evening kids were able to make cotton candy for desert, another evening they were invited to participate in melon carving. The breakfast and dinner buffets were incredible, something for everybody, including the kids, with different cooking stations as well. And as one can expect in Japan, all the kids were very well behaved. We are seniors and really enjoyed the hotel and their junior guests.
Of course, this was 3 years ago, I hope the hotel and buffets are still of the same quality. Sorry for rambling on, all good memories popping up :-)