Overwhelming Natural Scenery! 21 Must-See Scenic Spots in Kyushu

Perched atop Mount Inasa in the heart of Nagasaki City at an elevation of 1,093 feet (333 m). From the observatory, which has a café and restaurant, you can take in views not only around Nagasaki Bay but also as far as Unzen, Amakusa, and the Goto Islands.

A V-shaped gorge formed when the Gokase River spent tens of thousands of years eroding lava flows from an eruption of Mount Aso.
The scenery is spectacular: sheer cliffs reach up to 328 feet (100 m), averaging 262 feet (80 m), and stretch for 4.3 miles (7 km).
It is designated both a National Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument.

The “Hamanoura Terraced Rice Fields” spread across an eroded valley formed by the Approx. 1.2-mile (2 km) Hamanoura River flowing into the Hamanoura coast.
Along natural curves in the landscape, 283 rice paddies layer upon one another, earning the area names like “Senmaida” and “stepped fields.”

A panoramic observation deck with sweeping views over the Kitakyushu city area.
To reach the observatory at the 2,041-foot (622 m) summit, you’ll transfer from a cable car to a slope car.
The cable car runs 3,609 feet (1,100 m) from the base station to the upper station, with a 1,444-foot (440 m) elevation gain—one of the longest in Western Japan.
Through the fully glass-enclosed windows, you can enjoy stunning scenery that shifts moment by moment.

Sakurai Futamigaura is located in northern Itoshima City and looks out over the Genkai Sea.
Chosen as one of Japan’s “100 Best Beaches,” it’s a signature scenic spot in Fukuoka—and a must-stop when you’re driving around Itoshima.

Nokonoshima is a small island with a 7.5-mile (12 km) circumference floating in Hakata Bay.
It’s an easy-to-reach resort island—just a 10-minute boat ride from the Meinohama ferry terminal in Nishi Ward, Fukuoka City—and draws many visitors looking to relax.
The main destination is Nokonoshima Island Park. Spanning an impressive Approx. 1.6 million square feet (150,000 sq. m), the park features flower fields that create beautiful seasonal scenery: rapeseed blossoms in spring, sunflowers in summer, cosmos in fall, and daffodils in winter.

The “Hamanoura Terraced Rice Fields” spread across an eroded valley formed by the Approx. 1.2-mile (2 km) Hamanoura River flowing into the Hamanoura coast.
Along natural curves in the landscape, 283 rice paddies layer upon one another, earning the area names like “Senmaida” and “stepped fields.”

A pine grove that stretches like a rainbow arc along Karatsu Bay and is designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
It began in the early 17th century, when Terazawa Hirotaka, the first lord of the Karatsu Domain, planted trees as a windbreak and tide-control forest. Today, Approx. 1 million Japanese black pines grow across an area Approx. 2.8 miles (4.5 km) long and Approx. 1,640 feet (500 m) wide.
It is now counted as one of Japan’s Three Great Pine Groves, along with Miho-no-Matsubara and Kehi-no-Matsubara.

A garden built in 1845 after three years of work by Nabeshima Shigeyoshi, the 28th lord of Takeo in the Nabeshima Domain, using the dramatic cliffs of Mount Mifune—Takeo’s symbol—as borrowed scenery.
Designed as a strolling garden around a large pond, it spans a vast area equivalent to Approx. 10 Tokyo Domes, totaling Approx. 15,000 tsubo.

Perched atop Mount Inasa in the heart of Nagasaki City at an elevation of 1,093 feet (333 m).
From the observatory, which has a café and restaurant, you can take in views not only around Nagasaki Bay but also as far as Unzen, Amakusa, and the Goto Islands.

Hashima, commonly known as “Gunkanjima” (Battleship Island), is an uninhabited island in the sea Approx. 11 miles (18 km) from Nagasaki Port.
It’s called Gunkanjima because its outline—surrounded by concrete seawalls and lined with high-rise apartment buildings—resembles the battleship Tosa.

Kujukushima is a marine area made up of a complex ria coastline and 208 islands.
“Kujuku” is a figurative expression meaning “countless,” or “too many to count.”
Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort sits at the gateway to the area and is a multi-use complex offering sightseeing cruises, marine activities, an aquarium, a zoo, and more.

A vast grassland spread across the northern foothills of Eboshidake, one of the five peaks that form the core of Mount Aso.
Celebrated since ancient times by many poets and even featured in textbooks, Kusasenrigahama is likely what many people picture when they think of “Aso.”

Mount Aso is a collective term for a volcanic group that developed within a caldera—an area that subsided after four massive eruptions between Approx. 270,000 and 90,000 years ago—including the Aso Five Peaks.
Rail lines run through the caldera, and Approx. 50,000 people live across three municipalities—Aso City, Takamori Town, and Minamiaso Village—making it one of the world’s largest volcanic regions.

Nakadake (4,941 feet / 1,506 m) sits in the center of Mount Aso and remains an active volcano, letting you see its heavily smoking crater up close.
Of Nakadake’s seven craters, the one currently active and viewable is the First Crater, and you can get close to the massive crater, which measures Approx. 2.5 miles (4 km) around.

A rare underwater limestone cave formed when a limestone cavern created 300 million years ago in the Paleozoic era was submerged due to a major eruption of Mount Aso 300,000 years ago.
Its Approx. 0.6-mile (1 km) length is the longest in Japan for an underwater limestone cave, and research is still ongoing today.

A large suspension bridge built for sightseeing, spanning the Kusu Valley at an elevation of 2,549 feet (777 m) near the foothills of the Kuju Mountains, close to the border with Kumamoto Prefecture.
At 568 feet (173 m) high—Japan’s tallest suspension bridge that you can walk across—and 1,280 feet (390 m) long, it offers sweeping views of the surrounding gorge from above and is popular as a thrilling viewpoint.

Lake Kinrin is one of Yufuin’s most popular attractions, in a town famous for its hot springs.
Because it lies beneath Mount Yufu, it was once called “Gakushita-no-Ike” (Pond Below the Peak). In 1884, however, Confucian scholar Mori Kusou is said to have named it “Lake Kinrin” after seeing fish scales in the lake gleam gold in the setting sun.

A V-shaped gorge formed when the Gokase River spent tens of thousands of years eroding lava flows from an eruption of Mount Aso.
The scenery is spectacular: sheer cliffs reach up to 328 feet (100 m), averaging 262 feet (80 m), and stretch for 4.3 miles (7 km).
It is designated both a National Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument.

In 2012, Aya Town was registered as a UNESCO Eco Park. The designation was based on factors such as the presence of extensive evergreen broadleaf forests, the area’s many endemic species, and regional development measures designed with coexistence with nature in mind.
Located within the Kyushu Chuo Mountains Quasi-National Park, the Aya Teruha Suspension Bridge is one of the world’s largest pedestrian suspension bridges. It lets you enjoy the nature of the Aya River gorge with your whole body.

A rare shrine located inside a sea-facing cave on a steep cliff. It is said to bring blessings for safe childbirth, childrearing, matchmaking, fishing, and maritime safety.
The entire Udo area centered on Udo Jingu Shrine is designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty.

Yakushima lies Approx. 37 miles (60 km) south-southwest of Cape Sata in Kagoshima Prefecture.
It was registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 1993.
It is also known as the “Alps on the Ocean.” With a subtropical climate, the lowlands near the coast are warm, while the mountains are cool enough that it can even snow.

Sakurajima is a composite volcano in Kagoshima Bay (Kinko Bay).
It is part of Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park and serves as a symbol of Kagoshima.
Sakurajima was formed Approx. 26,000 years ago and has experienced 17 major eruptions. It used to be an “island” as its name suggests, but lava from the 1914 Taisho eruption filled in the strait, making it part of the Osumi Peninsula.

Sengan-en is a Japanese garden created in 1658 by Shimazu Mitsuhisa as a villa for the Shimazu family. It covers 50,000 square meters.
It is a “borrowed scenery” garden that incorporates Kagoshima’s grand landscape—for example, using Sakurajima as an artificial hill and Kagoshima Bay as a pond.