I can never stop coming back to Japan. Twice, thrice, or even maybe twice a year! You can never get tired of Tokyo’s amazing food scene and shopping or Kyoto’s cultural sights, but it is really the hospitality of the locals that keep me coming back for more. Everyone is so courteous and treat each other with respect. That feeling rubs off on you and make you want to be nice to everyone too! (Not that I’m not usually)

So on my fourth return to the Land of the Rising Sun, I’ve planned to limit myself to two days in the capital to eat and shop and spend the rest in a part of the country I’ve never been: Kyushu island.

We based ourselves in Kagoshima, about an hour away from Tokyo on an ANA flight, as it was most central to the places I wanted to visit in Kyushu. Kagoshima is a temperate seaside city with an active volcano, Sakurajima, overlooking the cityscape. The city is quite far from the airport and the best way to get there is by airport bus. You can get a ticket at the vending machine just outside the arrival terminal, by the curb side where the bus picks you up. Our hotel is located in Tenmonkan district and the one way fare was 1250 yens.

KAGOSHIMA TRAMWAY

A cute way to travel in the city centre, these trams have rails over a section of the road that has grass! One can’t help but wonder how they keep these so clean and weed-free. The tram brings you to the main attractions in the city including the ferry port,  Tenmonkan shopping mall, the aquarium and more. A single ticket fare is 170 yens for adults.

SENGAN-EN GARDEN

The beautiful garden is part of a Shimazu Lord’s residence and faces the bay. You can also admire the view of Sakurajima in the distance.

SAKURAJIMA

The volcano used to be an island in the middle of Kagoshima Bay, but became connected to the mainland following an large eruption in 1914. From the city, you could take the ferry to access the volcanic peninsula or go around by car and access it from the east side. I would recommend taking your car onto the ferry, because while Sakurajima is not a big island, it is much easier to visit on four wheels. Otherwise, there is a car rental shop across the street from the arrival terminal of the ferry, it cost me 4500 yens for 2 hours. There are a few lookouts you want to visit: Yunohira Lookout and Arimura Lava Lookout. Otherwise, we just enjoyed the walking trails along the shore and the fabulous sunset that day. Behind the tourist information hut is an onsen to soak your feet after a tiring day of exploration. Admission is free!

To visit the other attractions on Kyushu island, a rental car was mandatory. I rented from Toyota Rent-a-car online and every step went smoothly. I picked up the car in the city center of Kagoshima and was planning to drop it off at the end of our trip at the Oita airport.

Ogawa-no-taki Waterfall

Over 46 meters high, the water upstream is the source for hydroelectric power generation. This is also the reason why the sight was quite disappointing the day we visited. The water flow was very limited, resulting in a not very impressive waterfall. Nevertheless, the bright blue colour of the pool was quite mystifying.

TAKACHIHO GORGE

One of the most popular sights on Kyushu, the gorge has cliffs more than 80 meters tall on either side of the river. A recommended activity is to paddle along the river to get up close to the Manai falls. Although the gorge is serene, try to visit off season or early in the day. The abundance of tourists can make the beautiful scenery lose its charm quickly.

HIKING MOUNT YUFU

Considered the highlight of our time in Kyushu, is the conquest of Mount Yufu. We are not expert hikers, but we do enjoy day hikes quite a lot. Considering the short time that we had, we wanted to tackle a short 4-5h hike that had challenging terrain without requiring great expertise or particular equipment. So our search fell on Yufu-dake, and we completely loved it! It was the perfect level of challenge and length for two people (in their 30’s) in average physical form. The only regret is that the view at the top was almost non-existent due to the snowstorm. (!) Lucky we were equipped with multiple layers just in case.

The trailhead is opposite the parking lot on the other side of the highway. After signing in the visitor’s log book, we start walking the trail on flat plains and rocks for one kilometre before reaching the forested area. A series of switchbacks make the ascend fairly manageable but after an hour or so, it gets a little boring. That’s when the fun part starts! The trail gets more rocky and a little technical, and the treeline gets thinner and thinner until we’re completely exposed.  Here and there, we will have to make use of some installed metal chains to hike up. The last portion of the ascent was the most exciting part, where we will need to basically climb up with hands and feet. The adrenaline and excitement got us going and made us forget about everything else in that moment. It’s only when I’m sitting in my couch here that thinking back gives me the chills. A snowstorm was starting and the wind picking up, being exposed atop the rocks like that was probably not something my mom (or any mom) would approve. Lucky I didn’t show her my pictures…So I definitely recommend this hike to anyone on a clear calm day, without a doubt! But if you’re planning to go sometime in the beginning of December…hike at your own risk! The perks are that you’ll get the entire mountain to yourself! I think we met a total of three people the whole time…which also means that nobody would be there to help if anything really happened.