Where to experience autumn leaves in Kyushu?

Hi folks,

My wife and I are traveling to Kyushu 1-24 Nov this year. We will be arriving at Narita Airport then will take a shinkansen to Fukuoka to begin exploring Kyushu.

I read that Kyushu might not be the best autumn sightseeing spots. While there however, are there any particular cities, towns or parks that you would recommend to experience autumn colours (maple, gingko, etc.)?

We are planning to visit these areas in the following order: Fukuoka > Nagasaki > Kagoshima > Yakushima > Kirishima > Kumamoto > Takachiho > Aso > Kurokawa > Takachiho Gorge > Aso > Kurokawa Onsen > Kuju Mountains > Yufuin > Beppu > Kitakyushu

We might skip Yakushima, Yufuin and Beppu to fit in either Kurashiki, Kinosaki Onsen or Minoo Park on the way to Tokyo.

Please kindly share your tips and opinions =)

As this site says, "The mild climate does not make Kyushu one of Japan's top autumn color destinations. Nevertheless,..." . And one location is mentioned.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4775.html

There are some very good places for autumn leaves in Kyushu; they are just much more known to the locals than the tourist guidebook "experts". Timing of course is important, and Kyushu stays a bit warmer than other areas much further north, so early November is probably too early except for the higher mountains.
One popular places is Akizuki in Fukuoka, site of an old castle and a large skirmish in the death throes of feudalism just before the Satsuma Rebellion. Miyama, Daizaifu, and Itoshima also have some good places, as well as a very beautiful temple, Raizansennyoji Taihioin (but really need a car, and parking gets jammed from mid-morning).
Saga has some good places as well, like Mifuneyama Rakuen, and the Daikozenji temple, plus Kunenan.
In Oita there is Mt. Tsurumi, plus Kyusuikyo Gorge. Yabakei is also a very well known place for the people of Kyushu, though you really have to rent a car. Kagoshima has Kirishima, Miyazaki has Ebino Kogen, and Nagasaki has Mt. Unzen.
And so on, and so on. If you know where to go, and your timing is right, Kyushu has some autumn spots which are as good as many others in the rest of the country.

Kurokawa Onsen is lovely in Autumn:

https://en.japantravel.com/kumamoto/autumn-in-kurokawa-onsen/7408

Thank you all for your tips and links. These are very helpful, so thank you for taking the time to reply.

@Denis, we will stop by Kurokawa Onsen, so we will try to time it right.

@Ken -- those places you mentioned like Akizuki, Miyama, Dazaifu and Itoshima would they be better visited mid to late Nov? I do love Japanese feudal history, so visiting Akizuki would be good.

For the mountain areas like Kuju, Mt Tsurumi and Mt Unzen, would they be better visited in early Nov? Looks like we need to rent a car. Are carparks generally free in temples and parks?

Unzen Nita Pass, Mt Tsurumi, Hitomi Hakkei, Yabakei, Kunen-an (Kanzaki), Kankyo Geijutsu-no Mori (Karatsu), Mifuneyama Rakuen, Raizan Sen'nyo-ji Temple,

Every year there is some variation, but places like Akizuki, Miyama (Kiyomizudera Honbo Teien), Dazaifu, and more urban sights typically have their autumn season in the last part of November to early December.

More mountainous areas like Yabakei, Kyusuikyo Gorge, Unzen, Ebino Kogen, the Kuju Mountains, etc would be late October through mid-November.

Beginning at the end of October, the leaves change in the area north of Hitoyoshi known as Gokanosho in the Kyushu Sanchi Highlands. The only problem is getting there. Even with a car, the roads can get crowded with locals all going to look. Much of the forest is still indigenous (not planted cedar) so entire hillsides can be yellow and orange.

A photo from many years ago:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/anaguma/402815573

Thank you all for your insights and information around the koyo timing. It seems for early Nov, we better explore more mountainous areas, and closer to mid Nov, we can start going to urban sights and places like Miyama and Akizuki.

Are there shorter hiking trails in Mt. Unzen, Mt. Aso and Mt. Kuju, about 1-3 hours return? We love hiking, but we've never hiked in Japanese mountains in autumn, so we are unsure how cold it would be.

Is the Kyusuikyo Gorge essentially the ravine below Kokonoe Yume suspension bridge in Oita?