Nature and Sport trip
On a cold weekend in early December, I did a little tour of Kyushu from Oita to Mount Aso and then south to Miyazaki Prefecture.
My trip spanned three days and I stayed in two onsen hotels, ate a lot of seafood, soaked in many an onsen and saw some amazing parts of Japan that I didn't know existed. These little spots are places that may be a little off the main tourist path for those going through Kyushu but if you happen to venture down this side of Japan, it would be worthwhile checking out a few of these. I think the list of places I went to has a little something for everyone.
My personal favorite spots were Aoshima and Takachiho. These two places made it to my top 2 because each area had a number of different things to see and do which were all within a short walking distance from each other. If you are traveling by car, it is always nice to find a place where you can stop and maybe have something to eat, sit down for a little bit, rest and then visit some amazing points of interest within the same area. Aoshima also scored points because it was just so different to any other part of Japan that I had been to before. It was so tropical and lush. At times, I thought I was traveling through Bali or Thailand. And Takachiho, I loved this part of the tour because it was just utterly beautiful and the gorge and the waterfall just took my breath away.
There is something really special about traveling through Kyushu and how the experience helps you connect to the land, its people and its culture. Every place I visited, every shrine I came across, every person I held a conversation with, helped deepen my connection to this part of Japan. It’s really given me a newfound perspective about Japan that sits at my doorstep.
One of the things I loved about doing a three-day road trip was the fact that Kyushu is surprisingly varied in its scenery. There are deep green forests, gorges and waterfalls (Takachiho), amazing mountain ranges (Mount Aso and Daikanbo), windswept plains (Kusasenri), tropical beach towns (Aoshima) and steep slopes that get covered by snow once winter truly sets in. It is really astounding to see the breadth of texture in the landscape, especially since each location is relatively close to each other. There is always a special place to explore and be swept up by the wanderlust of it all.
I also loved seeing how Kyushu moves so gracefully through the changes in its seasons. You can see this in the landscape where the forests transform into gold and red wonderlands in the autumn and also how the food here is seasonal. The people in these towns show a great amount of respect for the land and the seasons and where their food comes from.
In the trip, I also went to see sports stadiums, ski resort, and ice-skating field. Surprisingly, you can play with the snow even though geometrically Kyushu considered quite a tropical island. Snow at the ski resort is man-made but soft and nice.
Above all, this trip has taught me to continue to stay curious and to explore this spiritual country with wide eyes and with a big open heart. There is just so much to learn and to experience.
For someone who craves the stillness and grounding presence of nature and a good soak at an onsen, Kyushu has so much to offer.
