Best things to do in Kyushu

Kyūshū's Absolute Essentials

Kyūshū features a diverse range of historical and natural sites. Highlights include the active volcano Mount Aso and the 17th-century stone Megane Bridge in Nagasaki. The island's international history is preserved at Glover Garden and the Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch. Religious heritage is represented by the 8th-century Kushida Shrine and the UNESCO-listed Oura Catholic Church. Modern attractions range from Fukuoka’s Canal City shopping complex to the specialized TOTO Museum, while natural scenery is found at Manai Falls and the Kawachi Wisteria Garden.

Kyūshū's Absolute Essentials — Map

A

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…

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…

z tanuki / CC BY 3.0

D

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,…

kamoseiro / CC BY 3.0

E

Fukuoka Castle

Also known as Maizuru Castle, this historic sight is situated on top of Fukusaki Hill, overlooking the city.

STA3816 / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

Ōhori Park

Opened in 1929, this park has quickly become a popular relaxing destination for locals and tourists alike.

G

Museum Shoko Shuseikan Main Building

A UNESCO World Heritage site housed in a former stone machinery factory built in 1865. The museum explores the 800-year history of the Shimadzu clan and the early industrialization of the Satsuma domain.

そらみみ / CC BY-SA 4.0

H

Kawachi Wisteria Garden

A private garden in Kitakyushu featuring two 100-meter-long tunnels of blooming wisteria. The site is open to the public during the spring wisteria season and the autumn maple leaf season.

Hahifuheho / CC0

I

Mount Aso

Mount Aso or Aso Volcano is the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world.

そらみみ / CC BY-SA 4.0

J

Munakata Taisha Hetsu-gū

Munakata Taisha is a collection of three Shinto shrines located in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.

FlyingToaster / CC BY 3.0

K

Canal City

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

663highland / CC BY 2.5

L

Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown

Spreading over a single city block in Nagasaki downtown, this is the oldest Chinatown in Japan.

663highland / CC BY 2.5

M

Megane Bridge

Meganebashi or Spectacles Bridge, over the Nakashima River was built in Nagasaki in 1634 by the Chinese monk Mokusunyoujo who was in the…

Pontafon / CC BY-SA 3.0

N

Kushida Shrine

Founded in 757, the shrine is considered to be the oldest Shinto shrine in the city.

tak.wing / CC BY-SA 2.0

O

TOTO Museum

This unique museum displays toilets & tableware made by the Toto company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016.

Takasunrise0921 / CC BY 2.5

P

Manai Falls

A 17-meter-high waterfall located within the volcanic basalt columns of Takachiho Gorge. Visitors can view the falls from a clifftop observation deck or by renting rowing boats to navigate the Gokase River.

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