Obi Castle & Castle Town: Kyushu’s Little Kyoto
Obi Castle Town in Nichinan, Miyazaki: the Ito clan's 'Little Kyoto of Kyushu' — the 1978 wooden gate, samurai streets, the combined ticket and obiten.
Category Kyushu & Okinawa
Travel guides and hidden gems in the Kyushu & Okinawa region of Japan
Southern Japan · Volcanic & Tropical
Kyushu & Okinawa — volcanoes, hot springs, and the tropics.
Yakushima’s ancient cedars, Aso’s volcanic caldera, Beppu’s onsen, and Okinawa’s coral seas.
Kyushu covers Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. Okinawa is the 47th prefecture — a separate former kingdom 700 km southwest. We have deep coverage of Yakushima (Kagoshima), Aso (Kumamoto), and the Fukuoka food scene; Okinawa coverage is growing.
When to visit
October–April for Kyushu (cooler, less typhoon). June–September for Okinawa beaches (typhoon-aware). January–February for Beppu / Yufuin onsen in cold weather. May for fresh cedar greens on Yakushima.
How to get there
Sanyo Shinkansen reaches Hakata (Fukuoka) from Osaka in 2h 30min. Kyushu Shinkansen runs Hakata→Kagoshima. Yakushima: hydrofoil/ferry from Kagoshima or fly. Okinawa: fly only.
Plan a trip to Kyushu & okinawa
AirportKIX onward to FukuokaConnecting flights from Kansai if your itinerary starts Kyoto/Osaka.StayFukuoka & Kagoshima hotelsFukuoka business hotels and Kagoshima with Sakurajima views.DriveRental car for the islandsYakushima, Aso, and onsen towns need a car.RyokanBeppu / Yufuin onsenThe two most famous Oita onsen towns — deep ryokan inventory.
All Kyushu & okinawa articles
Cape Toi: Miyazaki’s Wild Horses by the Sea
Cape Toi at the southern tip of Miyazaki — wild Misaki horses roaming the clifftop grassland (a National Natural Monument), a climbable lighthouse, and how to visit responsibly.
Udo Jingu: Miyazaki’s Shrine Inside a Sea Cave
Udo Jingu in Nichinan, Miyazaki — a vermilion shrine built inside a sea cave on the cliffs, famous for the untama luck-ball toss at the turtle rock and a sea-god birth legend.
Aoshima & Aoshima Shrine: Miyazaki’s Island in the Sea Terraces
Aoshima is a subtropical shrine-island off Miyazaki, ringed by the Devil's Washboard rock terraces — a free, myth-soaked spot for couples on the Nichinan coast.
Takachiho Gorge: The Boat to Manai Falls (Miyazaki)
Takachiho Gorge in Miyazaki: rent a rowboat to the foot of 17-metre Manai Falls, through seven kilometres of columnar-basalt cliffs. Boat fees, online booking, access and seasons.
Arita Porcelain Park: A Free Baroque Palace in Saga’s Pottery Town
Arita Porcelain Park in Saga is a free theme park built around a full-scale replica of Dresden's Zwinger Palace — with a sake brewery, porcelain workshops and a baroque garden.
Yoshinogari Historical Park: Japan’s Great Yayoi Village in Saga
Yoshinogari Historical Park in Saga preserves one of Japan's largest Yayoi-period moated settlements — reconstructed watchtowers, a ceremonial hall and a leaders' burial mound on a 117-hectare site.
Getting to Imari & Arita: Saga’s Pottery Towns by Train & Car
How to reach Imari and Arita from Fukuoka — the split Chikuhi Line, the limited express to Arita, the Matsuura Railway, and why a car wins.
Imari Shrine: The Vermilion Gate, the Sweets God & Tontenton
Imari Shrine in Saga: a photogenic vermilion gate over a white tunnel, a rare shrine to the god of sweets, and the Tontenton fighting festival.
Imari Bay Fireworks: Saga’s Giant Autumn Show (2026 Guide)
Imari Bay Fireworks is a rare November fireworks show in Saga, headlined by a giant 3-shaku shell fired over the bay.