Hidden Gems of Southern Kyushu

Southern Kyushu’s landscape is defined by the volcanic geography of the Satsuma and Osumi Peninsulas and the ancient forests of Yakushima. This collection features the 7,000-year-old Jōmon Sugi cedar and the ruins of Kagoshima’s Edo-period Tsurumaru Castle. Coastal highlights include Cape Sata, mainland Kyushu's southernmost point, and the granite-carved Senpiro-no-taki Waterfall. The list also includes the 1,200-year-old Tsukazaki camphor tree, which grows atop an ancient burial mound, and the unique geological potholes of Sekino-o Falls.

Jōmon Sugi cedar

Jōmon Sugi is a large Cryptomeria tree located on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Japan.

Cape Sata

Cape Sata is a cape at the southern tip of the Ōsumi Peninsula of Kyūshū island, Japan, and is the southernmost point of the island, just…

Cape Nagasaki-bana

Nagasakibana, also known as Cape Nagasakibana or Cape Ryūgū, is the most southern headland on the Satsuma Peninsula at the entrance to…

Kagoshima Castle

Kagoshima Castle was an Edo period flatland-style Japanese castle located in the city of Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

塚崎のクス

A 1,200-year-old camphor tree growing atop the Tsukazaki Kofun No. 1 burial mound. It is ranked as the third-largest camphor tree in Kagoshima Prefecture.

神川大滝

A 30-meter-high waterfall in Kinko featuring a 68-meter-long suspension bridge that offers panoramic views of the falls and the surrounding forest.

Senpiro-no-taki Waterfall

A 60-meter waterfall on Yakushima Island known for its massive V-shaped granite rock face, which spans approximately 200 meters in width.

Janokuchi Waterfall

A 30-meter waterfall on Yakushima accessible via a 4-kilometer round-trip hiking trail through subtropical evergreen forest.

布引の滝

A waterfall on Yakushima Island where water cascades down a steep granite cliff. It is located near the southern coast of the island.

関ノ尾滝

An 18-meter-high waterfall famous for its upstream field of potholes, which is one of the largest in the world and designated a national natural monument.