Is Kyushu worthwhile?

We're considering adding Kyushu to our route for our visit in September starting at Osaka. We toured a year ago and saw most of the "top sights" and would like to explore traditional Japan more this time. Advice on a route and places to visit and stay in would be very welcome.We specially love affordable Ryokans under Y10000 a room, fascinating old towns and spectacular landscapes . Would car hire be a good option here?

Yes, Kyushu is worth it. I have traveled both coasts and across the center of the island past Aso (all by train). The country side is beautiful and the rail journeys very relaxing. Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Beppu and Yufuin were my bases from which many side trips were taken. I've stayed 3 times at this ryokan:
http://www.jpinn.com/inn/15-3.html
Mr Nakazono is the best host you will find and his ryokan affordable and only 10 mins walk to the ferry to Sakurajima Island.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4601.html
You could see more/stop more with a car obviously but if you will be using a JR pass it will save you all a lot of money.

Dear Steve,

thank you for your praise of Kyushu. we are going to Japan in early July to Japan and I would like to visit Kyushu. Can you recommend some town or village with a beach and relaxing surrounding. We would like to lay back and enjoy easy going, some nature and maybe swimming in the sea if such is possible on Kyushu.
Thanks in advance

..your recommendation of the ryokan is most welcome. When it quotes the rates for two persons $84 is that for the room or each person? - we have this confusion quite a lot.

Western style hotels often post rates on a per room basis, but ryokan and minshuku almost always post their rates on a per person basis. It'll typically look something like this:

1 person = $100
2 people = $90
3-4 people = $80

The reason that it doesn't get much cheaper for more people is that a big portion of the rate goes towards your meals. $84 sound like a good per person rate for a lower range ryokan.

... Ryokan mentioned above quotes Y4200 for 1
Y8400 for 2
Y11970 for 3
I can only assume this is the per room rate hopefully.

Anyone have a suggested route to see & stay in Kyushu for 8 days?

Ryokan mentioned above quotes Y4200 for 1
Y8400 for 2
Y11970 for 3
I can only assume this is the per room rate hopefully.

In that case I would say that it is the per room rate, especially since the 2 person rate is exactly double the single rate, and the triple rate is only slightly less than 3 times the single rate.

It isn't typical to see ryokan rooms listed this way but it makes sense if you think about it. The general rule I use is that if the rate listed is cheaper with more people than it is the per person rate. It if gets more expensive then it is the room rate. But it can definitely become confusing since every place lists it differently.

Btw, are meals included as the price seems extremely low for it to include food.

Forgot to mention that I really enjoyed Kyushu the last few times I was there. Went to Miyazaki and Kagoshima to do some hiking.

In Miyazaki, Aoshima and Udo-jingu were beautiful and the coast from Miyazaki city to Nichinan was spectacular.

Kagoshima was great too. Did some onsen and hiking up in Kirishima and went to Yakushima island for a few days which was some spectacular hiking.

Yakushima information can be found here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4650.html

Kagoshima here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4600.html

but there isn't much info on Miyazaki on this site yet.

yllwsmrf, Thank you for recommending Kagoshima. I currently shuttle between Kagoshima and Tokyo as my husband moved to Kagoshima this April (for business reason). Just a couple of visits to the area made me love it!

I second spending a few days in Kagoshima. If you don't mind staying at one of the business hotels in downtown Kagoshima (for money-saving)and rent a car, you can easily go to Kirishima (which is near the airport), Ibusuki (famous for "sand spa", about 1.5hr from downtown by car), Chiran (for a well-preserved Samurai houses, about 1 hr from downtown on your way to Ibusuki) and of course Mt. Sakurajima (an active volcano, accessed by car/ferry)! Senganen park in downtown Kagoshima is also worth visiting.

It is also known for good food, millions of onsen (there're many public-run onsen where you can use for as cheap as 300 yen) and Shochu. I really hope that someone who read this thread will have more interest in Kagoshima!

To clarify for Connie Chiwa:
Yes, that is the room rate for 2 people. Most of the ryokan in the Japan Inn Group that Nakazono is a member of charge that way (by the room). You might look on their website for other ryokan on your trip:
http://www.jpinn.com/
For Thomas:
I have been to the hot sand beach at Ibusuki that JLady recommends. You can be buried in hot sand (wearing a yakata), spend time in the baths behind the hot sand area or swim in the ocean. Beppu has a nice big beach also.

Connie, Forgot to mention that at Nakazono Ryokan meals are not included but there is a major street just a block or so away with many dining choices. Also, you can bring back take away food from Lawsons or 7-11 to your room. Their refrigerated cases are filled with fresh salads, noodle/rice dishes, bento boxes etc, not necessarily junk foods.

...yes, the food is always so good - a major reason for our return!

I just returned from Kyushu in April, not counting the first day arrival & last day departure, I got Northern JR 3-day Pass and Nishitestu 3-day Bus Pass, and they cover most interesting places:
I used the JR-3-day-Pass for the first 3 days:
1st day to Beppu & Yufuin; 2nd day to Kumamoto; 3rd day to Nagasaki & Unzen (bus fare extra)..
4th day used 3-day-BusPass to travel between Unzen-Obama-Shimabara-Hakata; 5th day from Hakata to Kurokawa Onsen (overnight, a small old fashioned town, very nice ryokan & hot springs area); and 6th day from Kurokawa Onsen direct to Mt.Aso and back to Hakata via Kumamoto (a long bus ride).. But this schedule does not cover Kagoshima.

If you don't plan to stay in a ryokan onsen in Unzen, you could stay overnight in Nagasaki and go to Huis Ten Bosch for a day.