Japan highlights

Editor's Choice: Japan Highlights

Explore Kyushu’s diverse landmarks, from the UNESCO-listed Oura Catholic Church and Glover Garden in Nagasaki to the modern architecture of the Kyushu National Museum. This selection features the Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch, the expansive wisteria tunnels of Kawachi Garden, and the 400-year-old stone-walled Tsuzura Rice Terraces. Coastal highlights include the marine life at Uminonakamichi and Pearl Sea Resort, alongside the authorized Moai statue replicas at Sun Messe Nichinan and the brick-built Tabira Church.

Editor's Choice: Japan Highlights — Map

FlyingToaster / CC BY 3.0

A

Canal City

Canal City Hakata is a large shopping and entertainment complex in Fukuoka, Japan.

B

Glover Garden

Glover Garden is a park in Nagasaki, Japan, built for Thomas Blake Glover, a Scottish merchant who contributed to the modernization of…

そらみみ / CC BY-SA 3.0

C

Oura Catholic Church

The Oura Church or Oura Cathedral, officially the Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan, is a Catholic minor basilica and co…

D

Huis Ten Bosch

Huis Ten Bosch is a theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan which recreates the Netherlands by displaying life-sized copies of old Dutch…

STA3816 / CC BY-SA 3.0

E

Marine World Uminonakamichi

Opened in 1989, this marine world features 70 aquariums full of marine animals and plants.

z tanuki / CC BY 3.0

F

Kyushu National Museum

The Kyushu National Museum opened on October 16, 2005, in Dazaifu near Fukuoka—the first new national museum in Japan in over 100 years,…

そらみみ / CC BY-SA 4.0

G

Kawachi Wisteria Garden

Private garden featuring two 100-meter-long wisteria tunnels with over 20 species of flowering vines that typically bloom between late April and early May.

うきは市 / CC BY 4.0

H

Tsuzura Rice Terrace

Historic site featuring approximately 300 terraced rice fields supported by 400-year-old stone walls in the mountains of Ukiha.

Atsasebo / CC-BY-SA-3.0

I

Tabira Church

Red brick Catholic church completed in 1918 and designed by architect Tetsukawa Yosuke. It is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.

z tanuki / CC BY 3.0

J

Sun Messe Nichinan

Coastal park featuring seven authorized Moai statue replicas, reconstructed with permission from Easter Island's elders to overlook the Pacific Ocean.

K

Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort

Marine resort featuring the Umi Kirara aquarium, dolphin performances, and boat tours through the 208 islands of the Kujukushima archipelago.

Other Lists

Kyūshū's Absolute Essentials Kyushu Museums Journey Kyushu Castles Kyushu's Sacred Sites Kyushu Heritage Sites Kyushu Parks and Gardens Kyushu's Best Viewpoints and Peaks Kyushu's Natural Wonders