Kumamoto City makes a great base for any stay in Kyushu due to its central location and good travel links. It is easy to travel outside the prefecture, taking day trips beyond Kumamoto to the well known spots of Kagoshima City, Fukuoka City or Nagasaki City by train.
Kuju Flower Park
Some of the top spots you can visit in a day from Kumamoto are Takachiho Gorge in Miyazaki, Kuju Flower Park and Kuju Mountains in Oita and Yanagawa and Dazaifu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Explore Kumamoto runs popular day trips to Takachiho Gorge, Takachiho & Mt.Aso, Kuju Flower Park and more. Customised tours are also available.
Takachiho Gorge boating
A little further off the beaten track why not take a day trip across the Ariake sea to Unzen on the Shimabara peninsula (Nagasaki Prefecture) or head to Izumi (Kagoshima Prefecture) to see the multitudes of cranes that winter there.
Yanagawa boating
If you are planning a trip through Kyushu and thinking about where to go after Kumamoto, how about visiting Yufuin or Beppu in Oita or heading south to the sunshine state of Miyazaki?
Shiramizu Falls 白水滝 - Taketa Shiramizu falls in Ogimachi, Taketa is a beautiful waterfall walk only a 30 minute drive from Takamori Town in Aso. It is a little known spot but definitely worth a visit. In the summer it's a perfect place to escape the heat & even though ... read on
Lamune Onsen ラムネ温泉 Named after Japan's traditional fizzy drink Lamune or Ramune, this quirky soda pop spa is a hot spring that attracts onsen officianados and admirers of architecture from all over Japan. Why visit? Firstly, the onsen water itself is naturally carbonated, tiny bubbles fizzing and collecting around you ... read on
The Chojabaru plateau is a lovely stopping off point on the Yamanami Highway midway between Aso and Yufuin in the midst of the Kuju mountains. Famed for the Tadawara Marsh, a Ramsar designated wetland of international importance which is situated on the north west side of the Kuju mountain range. The marshland offers ... read on
The Kuju Flower Park offers stunning seasonal displays of flowers set against beautiful mountain scenery. [ytplayer id=7253] The Kuju Flower Park, or Kuju Hana Kouen くじゅう花公園, offers seasonal displays of over 3 million flowers in 500 different varieties from spring to late autumn. The park covers 49 acres of the beautiful Kuju plateau, ... read on
The Kokonoe 'Yume' Otsurihashi 九重夢大吊橋 is Japan's largest pedestrian suspension bridge. The bridge offers marvellous views of one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls. The graceful span hangs and sometimes sways above the deep Kyusui ravine at a height of 173 m above the river valley floor. With a length of 390 m and an altitude ... read on
The solemnly peaceful 1800 year old Takachiho Shrine is set in a wonderful grove of towering Japanese Cryptomeria trees, the oldest said to be over 1000 years old. Takachiho Shrine is the head shrine of the 88 shrines of the 18 villages of Takachiho. The most famous of the trees surrounding the ... read on
Takachiho is not only famous for its gorge, it is also the creator of 'Nagashi Soumen' - 'flowing noodles' just about the most fun way to eat noodles ever! This simple and refreshing summer dish is made of super thin wheat flour noodles, plunged into ice cold water eaten with ... read on
One of the most popular activities to do in Takachiho Gorge is to rent out a rowing boat and experience the gorge from the water. Boats cost 4,000 or 5,000 Yen and seat 3 people or 4 if there is a small child, the boats are rented out for 30 ... read on
Ama No Yasukawara Cave From the Ama No Iwato Shrine take a 10-minute walk along the Iwato River, past many delicious looking icecream stalls, descend a steepish path over a simple, arched bridge into the river valley, follow the river path for a few minutes and rounding a corner you will suddenly come to a vast ... read on
Just over the border into Miyazaki Prefecture, the romantic Takachiho Gorge winds its way through the sleepy town of Takachiho. The gorge was formed from the pyroclastic flow of the Aso volcanos, when sudden cooling led to dramatic columnar formations and sheer cliffs that rise above the river between 80 to ... read on
