Rebecca Hallett | 21 February 2024
9 ways to get adventurous in Kyushu, Japan’s Onsen Island
Here’s how to experience the best of nature, culture and the great outdoors in Kyushu
Here’s how to experience the best of nature, culture and the great outdoors in Kyushu
With its steaming hot springs, thundering waterfalls and smouldering volcanoes, Kyushu is a land of wild and beautiful nature. The southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, it’s played an important role in connecting Japan with the rest of the world – Kyushu and its outlying islands are the first recorded places where Europeans entered Japan, and for over 200 years it was the country’s only base for foreign trade.
Kyushu’s spiritual traditions run deep, with wooded valleys featured in ancient Shinto texts; peaks sacred in Shugendo mountain worship; Japan’s oldest Zen temple; and UNESCO-registered churches. Between its unique history, dramatic landscapes and diverse cuisine, Kyushu is an ideal destination for an adventurous and refreshing trip. Here are just a few of the best active travel experiences on offer.
In northeastern Kyushu, the rural Kunisaki Peninsula juts out into the Seto Inland Sea. E-biking is an ideal way to take in its enticing mountainous landscapes, allowing you to head from the castle town of Kitsuki to the atmospheric temple of Fukiji in a day. Along the way you’ll be able to admire historic samurai residences, gaze out over a terraced landscape of rice paddies little changed in centuries, and refresh your body and mind with a tea ceremony at 280-year-old Tomaya. Fukiji makes a rewarding end point after all your peddling, a peaceful temple surrounded by trees, where the wooden main hall is recognised as a national treasure.
©OITA
Kunisaki is also an incredible place to explore on foot, slowing down and really taking in the region’s spectacular nature. The Kunisaki Peninsula Ridge Long Trail takes you along ancient routes used by mountain ascetics, who were practitioners of Shugendo. Along the way you’ll come to Ofudo Iwaya, a natural cave with sweeping views of the valley below, where huge rock formations rise out of the dense forest. Further along the trail is Sentoji, a Buddhist temple where you can write your wish on a wooden tablet called a goma; the tablets are later burned in a purification ceremony.
Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is a relaxing way to explore the Kyushu coastline, giving you a different perspective on the craggy coastline. In Beppu Bay, you can enjoy a paddleboarding adventure which leads you to a secret cave, totally inaccessible from land. After paddling back, you can restore your energy levels in Hiji, with a luxurious kaiseki lunch in the elegant surroundings of Tekizanso restaurant. Wrap up your day with a stroll up to the ruins of Hiji Castle, from where you can see the very waters you were exploring earlier.
Though Kyushu is famous for its active volcanoes, there are also plenty of quieter ones which you can safely explore. The small island of Himeshima, off the tip of the Kunisaki Peninsula, was formed by one of these ancient volcanoes: Mount Yahazu. Though it was last active some 90,000 years ago, you can still see traces of its lava flows as you ascend to the summit, 266 metres above sea level. Catch your breath at the observation deck at the top, which has impressive views towards the Kunisaki Peninsula, its mountains fading into the blue horizon.
©OITA
Undoubtedly the best-known attraction in northeastern Kyushu is Beppu Onsen, where roiling clouds of sulphurous steam pour out of the town’s dozens of bathhouses and hot-spring hotels. As you explore the town, you’ll be left in no doubt as to why Kyushu is also known as “Onsen Island”. Unsurprisingly, relaxing in the naturally heated waters of Beppu feels amazing after you’ve spent time hiking, biking and paddleboarding. The only problem will be choosing where to go – Beppu is Japan’s most productive hot spring, and also has a wide range of springs and other treatments like mud baths and steam rooms.
The highest peak on Hirado, an island off northwestern Kyushu, Mount Yasumandake is sacred to multiple religions, making it a great place to explore Kyushu’s spiritual heritage. It has long been a site of mountain worship in both the Buddhist and Shinto traditions, and some Shugendo rituals are observed here even now. But for a long time local Christians worshipped here, too. While their religion was banned in Japan, they secretly made their pilgrimages here in the name of their own god, under the guise of visiting the Shinto Shirayamahime shrine. Local residents are proud of this history, and Yasumandake is now included in the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region UNESCO World Heritage listing.
©Nagasaki Prefecture Tourism Association
While Japan is famous for its fresh fish, on Hirado you can take it to the next level by catching your own. Board a fishing boat early in the morning, bring in the nets, and then enjoy the fruits of your labour over breakfast. It doesn’t get fresher than that! This activity is a great way to get a taste of local life here, as you’ll be heading out with people who fish these waters every day. You can also prepare a local speciality for your lunch: oshizushi (pressed sushi), made by pressing sushi rice mixed with boiled vegetables into small fan or flower-shaped moulds.
Linked to Hirado by bridge, Ikitsuki is excellent for cycling. A road runs along the coast, making it easy for you to see the island’s cliffs, lighthouses and fishing village over the course of a leisurely few hours of peddling. The Sunset Road along the west coast has more ups and downs, so it’s easier to start with this scenic section and enjoy its unimpeded sea views. After stopping off at Ōbae Lighthouse in the north, you can head back to Hirado via Ikitsuki’s more populous east coast, where you can get a glimpse of local life on this small island.
You need to keep your energy levels up for adventure travel, and Kyushu’s local cuisine is perfect for that. Sweet potatoes have long been a staple crop on Himeshima, which led to the creation of imokiri: thin noodles made from dried sweet potatoes. You can try making them yourself while you’re here, enjoying their subtle sweetness and chewy texture. Over on Hirado, you can enjoy a hands-on confectionary-making activity. The Portuguese introduced castella, a light cake, to Kyushu in the sixteenth century, and on Hirado locals learned a special way to prepare it: dipping small pieces in egg yolk then cooking them in sugar syrup. The resulting sweets, called casdoce, are deliciously indulgent.
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