Takachiho, how do you get there?

I here my suggestion.

April 11 - head to Kagoshima-Chou, and put your luggage in a coin locker. Catch a bus (150 yen, I think) and visit the port area (aquarium, ferry to Sakurajima, whatever you want). At some point, head back to Kagoshima Chou, and catch a Limited Express train to Miyazaki. Get a hotel in Miyazaki for two nights. The Limited Express is about a two hour train ride, and there are afternoon departures at 2:19, 4:23, 5:20, 6:28. and 8:23.

April 12 - Day trip to Aoshima Island, and other places around Miyazaki. There is the Udo Shrine, Obi Castle Ruins, Beaches, The place with the Easter Island Moai Replicas. and other places to go around Miyazaki.

April 13 - Go to Nobeoka, and take the bus to Takachiho. Spend the day there.

April 14 - Bus back to Nobeoka, Train to Oita, a second train to Yufuin. Bus to Kurokawa. I am useing my best guess based on you having a JR Pass, and the map on the Japan Guide Kurokawa page:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4575.html

I thinik the Taxi Option sounds very expensive.

I hope this helps.

Oops... I wanted to include the Miyazaki Sightseeing page for you to look at:

http://www.miyazaki-city.tourism.or.jp/en/sightseeing/index.html

I went to the Udo Shrine and Aoshima Island, there is a garden next to Aoshima Island, and just walking around the "washboard" at low tide is very interesting. I ate a set lunch at one of the resteraunts nearby, and that was very good too. I didn't go to the Obi Castle ruins, but I was told at it was worth visiting, too.

Looking at Hyperdia I can get to Kagoshima from Hiroshima in like 3hours (another poster also said this). I guess I could check out Sakurajima and head to Miyazaki in the evening. I'm also open to just spending a night in Kagoshima and morning spending a day in Miyazaki. Also why did you choose KAGOSHIMA-CHUO instead of Kagoshima?

If I go to Miyazaki I'd overnight in Aoshima and do some of the stuff you mentioned on the 12 and bus it up to Nobeoka in the morning of the 13th to head to Takachiho.

I do have a JR Pass. Looking at Hyperdia, from Nobeoka to Oita then Oita to Yufuin alone is a lot of travel time and I haven't factored in the bus from Yufuin to Kurokawa. Is this the ideal way to get there?

I have until tomorrow at 11am to decide and book things. I leave for Narita Airport in the afternoon!

About Yakushima Isalnd...

Yes! It's worth it, but you will have to find the time to do it.

It involves getting to Kagoshima the day earlier so that you can catch an overnight ferry, or, an early morning Jetfoil over to the island. There is one that arrives at Miyanoura Port at 9:45, which is about 15 minutes before a Kotsu sightseeing tour bus arrives and picks you and your luggage up. The tour bus will take you on an all day tour("A" Tour), and then drop you off at your hotel (I will probably use the JR Hotel, or get a cottage in Anbo, when I repeat this trip). The tour bus will then pick you up in the morning, and take you on a second half day tour("B" Tour), dropping you and your luggage off at Anbo Port 20 minutes before the Jetfoil is scheduled to go back to Kagoshima. You will arrive back in Kagoshima around 3:30 PM, which is in time to catch a train to Miyazaki.

Whew....

Here is a link to the Yaku Monkey Visitors Guide to Yakushima Island.

http://www.yakumonkey.com/

You should be able to stop at a tourism desk at Kagoshima-Chou and get Ferry, Jetfoil, and Sightseeing Bus tickets. I think the sightseeing bus requires at least five people with reservations to run. On the day that I went, there were only three of us in the morning, but 4 more people joined the tour in the afternoon.

This would mean arriving at Kagoshima on the 9th, touring Yakyshima on the 10th, and touring again on the morning of the 11th before getting to Miyazaki that night.

I don't know if you have the time to do this.

Hey ebay I just booked Hana Ryokan Iwatoya on the 13th. The distance between Amano Iwato Shrine and the Gorge looks far. How did you get one place to the other? Bus? Shuttle Bus?

I'll skip out on Yakushima this time. I'm more interested in Takachiho for some reason. It would be an awesome experience to rent to boat and go through the gorge.

I just need to figure out if I should overnight it in Kagoshima then head to Miyazaki or do Sakurajima and head to Miyazaki in the evening for two nights.

So these coin lockers you speak of. I had no idea lockers were located at the stations. How safe is that?

It is pretty far from Ryokan to the Gorge.

There may be other ways, but I walked from the bus depot to the Takachiho shrine, and there was a shuttle bus from the shrine to the gourge and back. I don't remember if I had to pay to use it, but it was nominal, maybe 100 yen per ride.

I then walked back to depot, and caught a bus to the shrine and Ryoken on the hill. I ended up getting off at the shrine, walking from the shrine to the Ryoken to drop off my luggage, and then walked back to visit the shrine. The bus may have went right past the Ryoken and could have dropped me off in front of it. I am not sure about that.

Since the Ryokan has a shuttle bus, you may also be able to call the Ryokan from the Bus Depot for a pickup.

I can tell you that the Takachiho Shrine is about a kilometer or so from the bus depot, and it was a easy downhill walk to it.

Yikes, so buses run from the Ryokan to bus depot? Is there a way to check this?

Alrighty, April 11 I head to Kagoshima to check out Sakurajima. After than I head to Miyazaki.

April 12 I will do some site seeing around Aoshima and other places you recommended.

April 13 I'm staying at the Ryokan you mentioned. I read on this site that from the Ryokan (Amano Iwato Shrine area) to the Gorge is like $20-$25 taxi ride as a worst case scenario. I'll find a way to make it there!

April 14th I head to Kurokawa Onsen and now the only thing is to figure out how. Well Ebay you mentioned how, it's just me figuring out the many transfers I need to make to pull this off.

This being my first trip to Japan is going to be intense!