This article is reprinted with permission from trendstraveler (ID: trendstraveler). Cover by Stefan Magdalinski. Kyushu is rarely the first choice for tourists to visit Japan. Even if people know about this place, they have the prejudice that it is just a "country place". Many years ago, when a friend who was studying in Japan recommended Kyushu to me that it was the most popular hot spring spot for Japanese people, I was very skeptical of his words. Located within an hour's train ride from Fukuoka, the largest city in Kyushu, there is a wide variety of hot springs, thanks to Kyushu's unique geothermal resources. The seaside, the countryside, the forest, and the beautiful scenery in front of you while soaking in the hot springs are also extraordinary. There's more to this rural place than that: themed trains, A5-class Japanese Wagyu beef, world-famous Japanese ceramics, and the world's largest active volcanic crater attract visitors from all over the world.
Karatsu Lonely Maizuru Castle is more famous than the hot springs for Karatsu's porcelain, and as the porcelain capital of Japan, Karatsu ware is indeed the best quality. Overseas, however, not far from Karatsu, Arita ware is synonymous with Japanese porcelain. Arita ware has intricate decorations and bright colors, and is popular with foreigners. Karatsuyaki, on the other hand, is delicate and elegant, representing the high standard of local Japanese tea ceremony utensils.
Karatsu-yaki matcha bowl | ©Sonda0112 Both Arita ware and Karatsu ware benefit from Kyushu's high-quality kaolin. This barren land between the mountains and mountains has attracted tourists because the porcelain is exported overseas. There are many kilns and studios scattered around the towns of Karatsu and Arita, and ceramic exhibition halls are also indispensable. Far more attractive than the exhibition hall is the fact that the Minamoto Kiln, one of the three major kilns in Arita is open to visitors free of charge, and you can watch the process of painting the ceramics first-hand.
Painted porcelain from the Minamoto Oemon kiln | © The Japan National Tourism Organization talks about travel experience, and Karatsu, which is surrounded by mountains and seas, is slightly better than Arita. Karatsu Castle is located on the picturesque Higashimatsu Peninsula, where the fantastic coastline has been eroded into its current shape by the waves of the Genkai Sea. It also has an even more fantastical name, Maizuru Castle, where pale red cherry blossoms reflect the blue sea in spring and turn into red maples in late autumn. Climb up to the castle tower and enjoy a panoramic view of Rainbow no Matsubara, one of Japan's three largest pine forests, which is shaped like wings spreading out from Mount Manshima, which is why Karatsu is called Maizuru Castle.
Cape Karatsu Hado | © Start your trip to Kyushu SagaSince you have come to Karatsu, which is under the jurisdiction of Saga, how can you not taste Japan's top Saga beef. Unexpectedly, this small seaside town actually has a Michelin-starred restaurant, and there is no shortage of foodies queuing up for Wagyu beef on weekends. The soft A5 grade Saga beef is cooked on an iron plate to make a fine steak and is presented to diners, tempting waves of gourmets at home and abroad.
Mobile vending vehicle for "Karatsu Beef Burger" | © Beginning our trip to Kyushu Saga, we arrived at a hot spring inn by the Karatsu Sea in the evening. The sky was gloomy, and looking out of the window of the hotel room, there was an inexplicable loneliness when an old man walking his dog alone on the beach walked by. Just looking out the window, before I knew it, it was time for dinner. Dinner was very rich, all freshly baked seafood, a small stove and grate for one person, and then served after eating together. The biggest "surprise" of this night was that a transparent live octopus was brought in front of it, and I couldn't eat it after a long day of psychological construction. On the beach in the evening, the old man took the dog for a walk and woke up at six o'clock in the morning, and went straight to the seaview bath to take a "head bath" while no one was there. The main feature of this hot spring inn is the "Shioyu" made by boiling natural seawater, and the salt bath makes the skin feel fresh and smooth to the touch, as if you are back in the embrace of the sea. The bath is semi-open-air, and when you take a bath indoors and walk out, the sky is no longer the haze of yesterday, and the eyes are full of blue and open sea, and it is really a wonderful experience to soak in the hot springs with sea views.
Karatsu Onsen Ryokan caught the morning train from Karatsu back to Fukuoka, and it was drizzling all the way. The train travels along the seashore, shuttling through the rain and mist, and realizes that it is not the sea train in "Spirited Away"?
One of the reasons to go to Yufuin is to experience the Yufuin Forest, which is a popular train. In the first year of Heisei (1989), Yufuin no Mori departed from Beppu in Kyushu and was positioned as a "resort express on the leisure train of the highlands" and quickly became popular with the public. The interior of the train is designed in a European nostalgic style, with log floors, flannel seats and leather handles, giving it the atmosphere of a European holiday.
After the Yufuin no Mori train leaves the station, a straight road leads directly to Yufuin. Today, Yufuin is not only a hot spring, but also a town that blends the old and the new. Walking from Main Street to the alleys leading to Golden Scale Lake is like stepping back in time to the small village of the Lake District in the UK. In the small town of Yufuin, which inspired Miyazaki to create My Neighbor Totoro, antique classic cars, fairytale houses and decorations, as well as animals such as lambs, rabbits, and squirrels everywhere make you feel like you're in the UK.
The houses in the alley of Yufuin are not small, and after walking around, it takes less than an hour to reach Jinlin Lake. Lake Golden Scales got its name from a Confucian scholar in the Meiji period who came here to see the fish in the lake churning and the scales glittering in the sun. I came at noon, but I didn't see the golden light of the legendary fish scales. A nondescript wooden house by the lake is the Chagall Art Gallery, which has a collection of lithographs by the masters. Today, the Comic Museum of Art, designed by architect Kengo Kuma, has become the new artistic focus of Yufuin because of its collection of works by Japanese national treasures such as Yayoi Kusama, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Takashi Murakami, and Yoshitomo Nara.
If the Yufuin Chagall Museum just wanders around like this all day, it will obviously have some shortcomings. Only a one-night stay to enjoy the high-quality mountain springs hidden in the forest is complete. Among the many hot spring inns in Yufuin, Sanso Tsuyota Tsuyota, Tamanoyu, and Kaminoi Besso are known as the three major hotels of Yufuin. The private bath and the beauty of the garden complement each other, bringing out the low-key luxury of Japanese style to the fullest.
Yufuin's street market is a different town, where the hustle and bustle fades away at night, and it's never been easy to expect that this town has a bar full of relaxation. Tenai Tatsushiki is a café opened by a high-end inn, Kaminoi Besso, which sells coffee during the day and transforms into a Western-style Jazz bar at night. In the dim lighting, the round tables with old wooden barrels renovated with carved black cast-iron railings, and the walls full of books and vinyl records create a sense of relaxation that is out of date, and the style of an old Edo business house and the hedonistic atmosphere of Showa Jazz are perfectly blended.
When you leave the Yufuin Vintage Automobile Museum, don't forget to bring a box of B-speak Swiss rolls. This pastry shop opened by the Lodge Infinite Tower is as sought-after as their hotel room, with a rich creamy aroma that blends perfectly with the fluffy cake for a lingering aftertaste. After eating, I only hated myself for buying less, but fortunately, there was still a sale on the train of Yufuin no Mori on the return trip, so I couldn't help but place another order!
The final stop on a trip to Kurokawa Onsen's hard-to-reach hideaway, Kurokawa Onsen is one of Japan's best hot spring towns, with 28 hot spring inns in the steep, cloud-shrouded, secluded gorge. Entering the valley first is not an easy task, except for the very few buses, you have to drive. Unlike Yufuin, the hot spring landscape here is more abundant, and you can experience it all by the riverside, under the stars, and in the cave with just one hot spring pass. In addition, the water quality of Kurokawa Onsen is rich in various minerals, so the water comes in a variety of colors.
Kurokawa Onsen Private Bath Kurokawa not only sells hot spring cards, but also bar cards. With the bar pass, you can choose any three bars to sample a variety of sake and shochu. To get to Kurokawa Onsen, you have to take a train to Aso and then connect to another means of transportation. There happen to be two themed trains passing through Aso, one is the Kyushu Yokotan Limited Express that connects Kumamoto and Beppu at the east and west ends of Kyushu, and this line is considered the most popular Kyushu-themed train, and the retro wooden carriages are its only feature.
The other Kyushu Hengduan Limited Express is the Aso Boy, which is the most popular among families with children, and the mascot "Kuro" can be decorated throughout the train car, and there are special parent-child rotating seats, a coffee bar, and a wooden color ball pool.
Aso Boy | ©JR Kyushu Railroad Travel Aso is home to the world's largest active volcanic crater, and the occasional eruption of Nakadake makes the journey to Kurokawa Onsen even more difficult. The Aso Volcano Museum has set up a camera near the Nakadake crater, and the crater is broadcast live on a large screen in the museum at any time, and visitors can even control the camera angle remotely. When there are no signs of an eruption, visitors can take the cable car to the crater. If you arrive early in the morning, you will see the wonders of the caldera covered in mist, and the "outdoor er" who loves hiking should not miss this new and exciting experience!
The crater of Nakadake, one of the five peaks of Aso, © is like a treasure trove that becomes more fascinating the deeper you dig and more interesting to explore. The unremarkable countryside and mountains, the hidden scenery, hot springs, food, and art are all amazing. What kind of rural place is this, it's clearly a paradise!
※ The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Nippon Street.
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