Winter vacation in Kyushu

Favorite things to do in Kyushu during the winter months?
Is it much different than the summer months?
I'm open to all different things during travel - as long as it's accessible by public transport.
I usually spend my winter vacations up north, but am considering going to Kyushu instead.
I know it's a very broad topic.

What type of interests do you have? What type of stuff do you like to do?

Most of my trips to Kyushu have been in winter. It can get a little chilly - but nothing that a jacket and a smile can't fix.

Once I know what you like to do - then I can make some suggestions.

It's easy to spend 3 weeks in Kyushu.

Sunamushi, which is bathing but in hot sands not hot tub. It is too hot in the summer but nice in thd winter. There is a good one in Kagoshima.

I mainly travel to take photos.

I love nature, mountains, and scenic routes like the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and Kurobe Gorge.

I like open air museums like Meiji Mura.

I like old places like Gunkanjima (that would be the top attraction for me in Nagasaki).

Yakushima Island�c I�fm not sure that counts as Kyushu, because it�fs an island near Kyushu.

The time I spent two weeks in Kyushu, I traveled up the east coast of Kyushu, and wished I had done it a lot slower. Instead of one day in Miyazaki, I wish I had spent three. I went north to Nobeoka, and took a bus to Takachiho. I only spent one day at Takachiho, and left wanting another day. Bebbu, and the Hot Springs places nearby was the same thing.

This was in late April. I planning to go to Japan in late October to mid November, and I will go up the east coast again. One of the reasons for going in the fall is the Ohana Festival in Kagoshima, and the Kunimigaoka cloud inversion in Takachiho, which is a phenomenon around this time. I�fve also figured out that at 64 years old, I probably not going to visit Easter Island and see the Moai Statues, so seeing the life size replicas at Sun Messe Nichinan will have to do. I missed them on my first swing through the west coast the first time.

Even though you will be traveling in the winter, I will still recommend going up the East Coast of Kyushu.

Good luck, in planning your vacation.

Thank you ebaychucky311!

Yes, I love nature�c So I�fm wondering if winter is ok to go and see it - or does it die out and turn brown like up north?

I don't think much changes in what you can and cannot do. With a few cervats of course.

1. Clearly beach related activities aren't gonna happen.

2. It snow in the higher up inland areas, may slightly change the way to attempt things.

So with that in mind. Check this website and other tourism websites for places you wanna visit.

Yakushima Island is a humid sub-tropical island. So yes, I am sure you will see nature there.

Beppu is the second largest caldera in the world, and I saw steam venting several times while on my tour. I believe that even in winter, it might be more temperate in Beppu. Beppu in the winter should have lows averaging around 35 F, and the high around 52 F. Miyazaki should be between 37 and
57 F.

Takachiho is at a higher elevation, so it will be colder, but the gorge is magnificent. As a photographer, I think it�fs a place for you to visit.

Once again, good luck in planning you visit.

If you like hot springs, then Kyushu is an ideal place for you. There are numerous places all over the island. Some of the most famous places are Yufuin, Beppu, Kurokawa, Unzen, and Takeo.

The Kyusendo Cave in Kumamoto is also nice and the biggest on Kyushu - formed over 300 million years ago, and not subject to the weather.
Winter is not the best season for all the natural beauty, but there is always Aso and Sakurajima. Lots of good hiking on the island as well.
https://goo.gl/Q843Bg

For open air museum, there is a pre historic one close to Saga, which I enjoyed. Not your typical old Japanese houses/temples:
http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2017/11/day-53-yanagawa-to-saga...

Apart from that my personal highlights of Kyushu are:
- Dazaifu
http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2017/11/day-55-dazaifu-to-fukuo...

- Kurokawa onsen
- Sakurajima and a traditional garden opposite of it

http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2017/11/day-51-sakurajima-round...

http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2017/11/day-50-tokyo-to-kagoshi...

But I have to admit I haven�ft traveled a lot in Kyushu. In total less than 2 weeks.

I also remember that there are a lot of Meiji era industrial sites now protected as UNESCO world heritage. Have a look at JG.


Enjoy your trip!

Thank you all!!!!

I�fm a little sad to hear that nature isn�ft best in winter. I knew it wasn�ft the best, but I was hoping that I could get at least some decent shots along the coast line?? And also Hashima and Ikeshima??

So you like nature. Some of the most spectacular landscapes in Japan are found in Kyushu - but are best seen in summer or with a car. Mt Aso (for summer) and Yakushima (for a car) comes to mind along with the Kunisaki Peninsula (for a car as well). Note that this will be a LOOONNNGGG post.

What I'll put below is a long list of potential places to visit which have good transport links or I consider are must Sees and have usable transport links.

Fukuoka Prefecture

Dazaifu: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2680
Munakata:https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2680
Kitakyushu: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2685
Fukuoka city is also nice for a couple of days.

Oita Prefecture

Usuki: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2893
Yufuin: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2890
Beppu: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2889
Kitsuki: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2886

Miyazaki Prefecture:

Takachiho: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2894
Obi: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2898

Kagoshima - note that a lot of Kagoshima has less public transport options of my knowledge of it is limited.

Kagoshima City
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3394
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3395
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3396

Izumi: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3328

Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamoto City:
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3330
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3331

Kurokawa: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3334

Yamaga: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3332

Saga Prefecture

Takeo: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2697

Yutoko Inari Shrine: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2694

Ureshino: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2693

Yoshinogari Park: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2692

Saga City: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2691

Nagasaki Prefecture

Huis Ten Bosch
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2703
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2701

Nakasaki City
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2704
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2705
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2707

Shimabara: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2708

Unzen Onsen: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-2709

Minamata: https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3329

The coastline is the coastline. You won't notice much difference. Other things like flowers though, very different.

Thank you Ken! That was my main concern.

I've done some more research!

In Fukuoka, I�fd like to visit Shikanojima and Ainoshima. In Sasebo, I�fd like to visit Saikai National Park and Huis Ten Bosch. In Nagasaki, I�fd like to visit Hashima and Ikeshima. There�fs also a lot of cool buildings in these cities that I would like to take photos of.

I thought that because these locations don�ft have too much foliage though, so they would be okay in December. I tried to find winter photos of these areas on Google and Instagram and the the trees were still green, but like you said Ken, no flowers. That's okay with me! But perhaps the photos were outdated... So any input on these specific locations would be appreciated!

My backup plan is Okinawa, but since I can't drive, I may wait to go with a family member who can.

Well, if you are mentioning Gunkanjima, Ainoshima, and Ikeshima, you must have a big interest in the coal mining or the cats. Gunkanjima (Hashima) is a 3 hour tour (just one on the island) with a strict, led by the nose tour. You won't be getting near the crumbling buildings; take a good zoom lens with you. The other 2 places you can walk around freely, but there is not much there and most people go for the feline residents there (take some cat treats with you). For Ikeshima there is no train access to the ferry port - just a slow bus to the wharf, and while there are a couple places to eat, there really is not much and I'm not aware of any overnight accommodations.
For Ainoshima, you'll have to go up to Shingu and walk a bit to the pier (30 min) or take a bus. There are about 5 ferries a day, the last one back is about 5 PM in winter (but don't quote me). You can walk around the whole island, and there are some scenic coastal spots as well as a 5th century tumuli. If interested in the cats, Genkaishima is also another possibility, but if you want the most interesting island overall (but no felines I'm aware of), there is Iki Island with a lot more to see and a place to stay overnight, if you want.
If you want some really nice island scenery, I suggest you consider the 99 island cruise from Sasebo.
https://travel.sasebo99.com/en/tourism/tours/kujukushima-fully-enjoy

Shikanoshima is attached by a sandbar, and you can either take a ferry to Uminonakamichi or the long way round by train. For touring the island, driving makes the most sense. It's a very historical place from more than 700 years ago, but there is little that remains from those times.

Thank you again Ken!!!

I've got my tour to Gunkanjima booked.

I'll take the bus to Ikeshima.
Sadly I won't get there until 9:30,
which means taking the 10:30 ferry there and the last ferry back.

I'll also go to Ainoshima.
I have the ferry times, but am wondering if they're close on the Sunday 26th.
I saw some ferries are close on the weekends or the last weekend of the month.
The official website doesn't list dates.

You may have seen the page already, but the schedule is on
https://www.town.shingu.fukuoka.jp/index.cfm/60,970,284,191,html
It is from 2019, but may not have changed in that time. I don't see any info about it closing on weekends etc.
To make sure, you could contact the Shingu town office at
https://www.town.shingu.fukuoka.jp/mailform/mailform.cfm
using simple English and ask, or the ferry office phone number is on the website 092-963-0304 and you could ask the tourist info office when you get into Fukuoka to check for you, if you don't understand enough Japanese.

For the Ainoshima ferry, I was able to find this photo from google, good as of July this year. It confirms the 2019 schedule.
https://bit.ly/3lTGLJj
Please note the red outlined schedule is the summer schedule from the island back to Shingu. The one to the right of it is the winter schedule, and the one in the lower right is for winter from Shingu to the island. The 17 minute ride is 480 yen each way. Things could change, so you still might check beforehand or note the times when boarding.