Things to Do in Kyushu, Japan

The volcanic south: active craters, some of Japan's best onsen, and gateways to the Ryukyu islands.

162 destinations across 7 prefectures

Festivals in Kyushu

RubyKaigi

14 to 16 April 2027

Miyazaki · Festival

Hakata Dontaku Port Festival

3 to 4 May 2027

Fukuoka · Dance festival

Hakata Gion Yamakasa

1 to 15 July 2027

Fukuoka · Float procession

Nagasaki Kunchi

7 to 9 October 2027

Nagasaki · Dance festival

Karatsu Kunchi

2 to 4 November 2027

Saga · Float procession

Suggested Itineraries

New Year in Japan 2026-2027: What Is Closed, What Is Open, and Hatsumode

New Year in Japan 2026-2027: What Is Closed, What Is Open, and Hatsumode Shogatsu, the New Year holiday, is the one time of year when Japan really stops. Offices close, banks close, family resta...

Japan Winter Illuminations 2026-2027: Dates, Hours and Prices

Japan Winter Illuminations 2026-2027: Dates, Hours and Prices From late October to spring, Japanese parks, shopping districts and main streets string up lights, and some of them stay lit for six...

Japan's Famous Day-Trip Onsen: Historic Public Bathhouses You Can Just Walk Into

Japan's Famous Day-Trip Onsen: Historic Public Bathhouses You Can Just Walk Into You do not need a ryokan booking to bathe in Japan's best-known hot spring water. Most onsen towns keep public ba...

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Hikyo: Japan's Secluded, Hard-to-Reach Places and How to Get There

Hikyo: Japan's Secluded, Hard-to-Reach Places and How to Get There Hikyo (秘境) is the Japanese word for a remote, secluded place. The two characters mean something like "hidden region", and in Ja...

Japan's Black Castles: A Guide to the Kuroi Shiro (Crow Castles)

Japan's Black Castles: A Guide to the Kuroi Shiro (Crow Castles) Not every Japanese castle is a white one. Alongside famous white keeps like Himeji, Japan has a striking family of black castles,...

How to Visit Gunkanjima: Complete Hashima Island Travel Guide

How to Visit Gunkanjima: Complete Hashima Island Travel Guide Gunkanjima, also known as Hashima Island, is an abandoned mining island near Nagasaki in southern Japan. The island became famou...

Places to Visit in Kyushu

Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Shrine World Heritage

Fukuoka

Munakata Grand Shrine

Sacred Island and Ancient Shrines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site of five component parts, including the three shrines of Muna...

Munakata, Fukuoka, Japan

Castle

Kumamoto

Kumamoto Castle

One of Japan's Three Premier Castles

Under restoration after the 2016 and July 2026 earthquakes. The main tower has reopened, but chec...

Kumamoto, Japan

Attraction World Heritage

Kagoshima

Yakushima

Ancient Cedar Forest World Heritage Island

A UNESCO World Heritage island with ancient cedar forests, said to have inspired Princess Mononoke.

Yakushima, Kagoshima, Japan

Photo: Houjyou-Minori / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Historic Site World Heritage

Nagasaki

Oura Church

Japan's Oldest Standing Church and National Treasure

Japan's oldest standing Christian church, designated a National Treasure and part of the UNESCO H...

Nagasaki, Japan

City

Nagasaki

Nagasaki - Where East Met West

Historic international port city with a unique blend of Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese ...

Nagasaki, Japan

Onsen

Nagasaki

Unzen Onsen

Unzen Onsen - Volcanic Hot Springs and Jigoku Hells

A historic hot spring resort in the Unzen volcanic mountains, famous for its dramatic jigoku (hel...

Unzen, Nagasaki, Japan

Mountain

Nagasaki

Mount Inasa

333-Metre Summit with Night Views over Nagasaki

A 333-metre mountain west of central Nagasaki with a summit observatory reached by ropeway, known...

Nagasaki, Japan

Onsen

Oita

Yufuin

Yufuin Onsen

Yufuin is an onsen town at the foot of Mount Yufu, known for its art museums, boutique ryokan, an...

Yufu, Oita, Japan

Shrine

Kagoshima

Kirishima Shrine

Mountain Shrine of the Divine Descent

Grand vermillion shrine dedicated to the deity Ninigi-no-Mikoto who descended from heaven to foun...

Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan

Shopping

Fukuoka

Canal City Hakata

Fukuoka's City Within a City

A massive entertainment and shopping complex in the heart of Hakata with a canal, fountains, and ...

Fukuoka, Japan

Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Historic Site

Saga

Yoshinogari Historical Park

Yoshinogari is Japan's largest Yayoi-period archaeological site, featuring reconstructed ancient ...

Yoshinogari, Saga, Japan

Attraction

Miyazaki

Aoshima

Aoshima - Subtropical Island and Devil's Washboard

A small island connected to the mainland by a bridge, surrounded by unique wave-eroded rock forma...

Miyazaki, Japan

Attraction

Miyazaki

Nichinan Coast

Scenic Coastline with Devil's Washboard Rock Formations

The Nichinan Coast stretches over 100 kilometers along Miyazaki's Pacific shore, famous for its d...

Miyazaki, Japan

Historic Site World Heritage

Nagasaki

Hashima Island (Gunkanjima)

Abandoned Coal Mining Island and UNESCO Industrial Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution, Hashima...

Nagasaki, Japan

Attraction World Heritage

Kagoshima

Amami Oshima

A UNESCO World Heritage island between Kyushu and Okinawa, with pristine mangrove forests, vibran...

Kagoshima, Japan

Prefectures in Kyushu

Fukuoka Kagoshima Kumamoto Miyazaki Nagasaki Oita Saga

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