Cape Sata

Getting here is half the point. Cape Sata is the bottom of the Osumi Peninsula and the southernmost point of the Japanese mainland, and no regular bus goes there; the last route stopped in 2006. Most people drive, often taking Ferry Nankyu across the bay from Yamakawa, near Ibusuki, to Nejime in about 50 minutes, then driving about 45 minutes south. The road ends at a car park with 40 spaces and a tourist information center (9:00 to 17:00) with material on the lighthouse. From there an 800-meter path runs through cycads, banyans and bougainvillea, rising and dipping as it goes, so wear proper shoes. On the way is Misaki Shrine, said to date from 708 and now visited by couples for its matchmaking charms. The observation deck, rebuilt in 2018, has the Pacific on one side and the East China Sea on the other, and on clear days Tanegashima, Yakushima and Mount Kaimon. Just offshore, Sata Misaki Lighthouse stands on the islet of Owajima: designed by Richard Henry Brunton and first lit in 1871, destroyed in a 1945 air raid and rebuilt in 1950. The park opens at 8:00 and closes at sunset. Watch for monkeys and wild boar on the road in.