Taking the train through western Tokyo, the capital undergoes a gradual, but stark transformation. The high-rise city center and its busy streets give way to increasingly peaceful suburbs, before the train windows begin to frame rural, mountainous views.
It’s here, in places like Lake Okutama, where Tokyoites come for natural respite, for the cherry blossom in spring and fiery foliage in autumn, or to unwind all year round with lakeside hikes, bike rides, and hot spring baths—maybe even a spot of stand-up paddle boarding or canyoning in the rivers fed by the lake.
From top down: Fukuoka – Mt. Kubote, Saga – Arita porcelain, Oita – Mt. Kirikabu, Nagasaki – Mt. Unzen peak, Kumamoto – Kurokawa town, Miyazaki – Takachiho/Hinokage Walking Course, Kagoshima – Sogi Falls. Connected via local train lines. Illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi
The Okutama area and western Tokyo are easily accessible by train from central Tokyo, but thanks to Japan’s wider rail and air network so too is the great outdoors across Japan. That includes Kyushu, the westernmost of Japan’s four main islands, a place that is home to stunning natural landscapes, and also the perfect destination for bringing body, mind, and spirit together while quite literally bathing in nature.
The gateway to Kyushu
For many travelers, the first taste of Kyushu comes in Fukuoka Prefecture in the island’s far north, where Fukuoka City is easily reached by air from Tokyo with ANA or JAL airlines in under two hours. A cosmopolitan city of around 1.65 million people, Fukuoka also serves as a jumping off point for exploring the neighboring Mt. Kubote (around 2,566 feet / 782 meters) and Mt. Inugatake (around 3,711 feet / 1,131 meters), roughly 50 kilometers to the east. This pair of peaks are especially stunning when repainted deep-red by maples and golden-yellow by gingko in autumn.
In autumn, the trails around Mt. Kubote in Fukuoka Prefecture are transformed by seasonal colors. Photograph courtesy of Fukuoka Prefecture
Hiking the trails here, you’ll be following in the footsteps of the Shugen-dō ascetics, who trained and worshipped on the wooded Mt. Kubote from the 700s to the 1800s, using a complex mix of Shintō Mountain worship, Buddhism, and folk religion. Today, the peak is still topped by a small shrine, while the quiet pathways offer the chance to connect with nature like many ascetics who came before
Hikes and views
From Fukuoka, JR Kyushu trains and Nishi-Nippon Railroad buses make much of Kyushu accessible without having to rent a car, including Nagasaki Prefecture on the northwestern tip of the island. Like Fukuoka, Nagasaki has an eponymous main city with a charming mix of old and new, and is also surrounded by easy-to-access natural escapes, like the magnificent Mt. Unzen, which 90 years ago became Japan’s first national park (now called Unzen-Amakusa National Park). Arguably the best way to experience Unzen is to take the Unzen Ropeway cable car up Myoken peak (around 4,373 feet / 1,333 meters), then hike across to the Fugendake peak (around 4,459 feet / 1,359 meters), where trails deliver expansive views of the Shimabara peninsula and offer a close-up look at one of Japan’s newest mountains, the smoldering Heisei Shinzan (around 4,866 feet / 1,483 meters), which was created by a series of eruptions in the 1990s.
Volcanically active Mt. Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture is comprised of eight rugged peaks that together offer some of the best hiking in Kyushu. Photograph courtesy of Nagasaki Prefecture Tourism Association
On the east side of Kyushu, another easy-to-reach viewpoint is Mt. Kirikabu (around 2,264 feet / 690 meters) in Oita Prefecture, a flat-topped mountain that resembles a tree stump. In fact, unlike Mt. Heisei Shinzan, one legend says that Mt. Kirikabu was created not from volcanic activity, but by a giant who chopped down a mighty camphor leaving behind just this stump (kirikabu in Japanese literally means tree stump). At the top, you’ll find remnants of a medieval castle along with a 4.5-meter-high swing from which you can take in panoramic views over a swathe of rice paddies and the mountains beyond.
Mount Kirikabu in Oita Prefecture takes its name from its appearance: It sticks up like a tree stump. Photograph courtesy of Oita Prefecture
Not all the top views in Kyushu, however, are from mountains. In Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu’s south, you could stop by the Sogi Falls, aka the “Niagara of the East.” With a width of 690 feet (210 meters) and a height of 40 feet (12 meters), Sogi is both stunning to look at and hear, as the water thunders over the falls and leaves behind a massive spray that can cool the hottest of summer days. It’s particularly attractive when cherry blossom and azalea bloom in spring, and when the surrounding forest turns red, yellow, and orange in autumn.
The sight and sound of water cascading over the Sogi Falls is one of many natural wonders in Kagoshima Prefecture. Photograph courtesy of Isa City Regional Development Division
Bathing in nature
Alongside stunning views, Kyushu also offers travelers a variety of wellness experiences that can soothe body and mind. In Kumamoto Prefecture in the heart of Kyushu, you could spend a night in the rustic riverside hot spring town of Kurokawa Onsen, a photogenic spot home to 30 traditional ryokan inns, where guests can stay in tatami mat rooms, enjoy fine kaiseki (multi-course) dining, and bathe in indoor and outdoor hot springs. After a dip, you could slip into a yukata (cotton kimono) gown and geta sandals and leave your ryokan for a leisurely stroll, soaking up the peaceful atmosphere of the town’s tree-lined streets.
Among the highlights of Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture are the mineral-rich hot spring baths that come with natural views and a host of reputed health benefits. Photograph courtesy of Kumamoto Prefectural Tourism Federation
Similarly, there’s the town of Ureshino Onsen in Saga Prefecture—between Fukuoka and Nagasaki—where the hot spring baths are said to deliver skin-beautifying effects thanks to their sodium-rich water, which leaves skin feeling smooth and refreshed. To add an extra dose of healthiness, Ureshino Onsen is also known for its antioxidant-rich green tea and its yudofu (simmered tofu) meals. If you stay overnight at one of Ureshino Onsen’s ryokan inns, within a short drive you could tag on a visit to nearby Arita and Imari, a pair of small ceramic-making towns, known for their high-quality, handcrafted ceramics and quaint streets dotted with kilns.
One of the soothing, natural hot spring baths at Ureshino Onsen in Saga Prefecture, which like much of Kyushu offers the opportunity to experience Japan off the tourist trail. Photograph courtesy of Saga Prefecture Tourism Federation
Finally, Kyushu offers ample opportunities to try shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, an activity that proponents say can reduce stress and promote feelings of happiness. In Miyazaki Prefecture, you could try shinrin-yoku in the town of Hinokage, with slow walks along a network of woodland trails where you can listen to the flow of cool mountain streams and the sound of wind rustling the leaves on the trees. Other than the stretch of trail that traces the disused tracks of the Takachiho Railway, it’s not much different to absorbing the natural surroundings, just like generations of Kyushu’s Shugen-dō.
In Miyazaki Prefecture, a trip to Hinokage can easily be combined with the Takachiho Gorge, a river canyon where you can rent rowing boats to explore sheer, towering cliffs accented by waterfalls and lush foliage. Photograph courtesy of Miyazaki Prefecture Tourism Association
Discover more sights and delights just a short trip from Tokyo here.
