Kyushu

Fukuoka has long been Japan’s gateway to the world. It and Nagasaki, further around the coast of Kyūshū, have had trade links with China and Korea, and with other parts of the world, for millennia. Many traces of this remain for you to explore during your holiday in Kyūshū – from the European houses in Fukuoka, the imported arts and crafts, to the defensive walls at Hakata built to withstand the Mongol invasion. Fukuoka was the first place where rice farming was introduced from Asia in the fourth century BCE. Originally from the Fukuoka area, tonkotsu, a famous ramen of noodles in a pork stock soup is now one of the culinary standards around the country. Other traditional foods to experience on a holiday to Kyūshū include karashi mentaiko (spicy fish roe), unagi (eel) and fugu (the famous pufferfish, a fatal delicacy, if not correctly prepared).

A holiday to Nagasaki represents the best all-round destination in Kyūshū. Though most famous for the atomic bomb museum and related sights, the city also has a picturesque harbour setting, a laidback, cosmopolitan air and a spattering of temples and historical museums. From here it’s a short hop east to Kumamoto, famous for its castle and landscaped garden, and the spluttering, smouldering cone of Aso-san. This is great hiking country, while hot-spring enthusiasts will also be in their element – from Kurokawa Onsen’s delightful rotemburo to the bawdy pleasures of Beppu on the east coast.

Fukuoka is Japan's busiest international hub after the trio of Tokyo, Chubu and Kansai and has excellent connections throughout Asia and Japan. All the other prefectural capitals also offer limited service within Japan and to a few major Asian cities (typically Seoul and Shanghai). The San'yo Shinkansen line runs from Osaka to Fukuoka and many trains continue along the Kyushu Shinkansen line to Kagoshima. All Shinkensen trains stop at Kokura Station in Kitakyushu and Hakata Station in Fukuoka; a trip by train all the way from Tokyo takes 5:40 by Nozomi.

Kyūshū has a similar climate to the rest of Honshū on the lower coastal areas, while higher areas inland tend to be cooler.

Temperatures in summer average near thirty degrees centigrade around the coast and a few degrees lower on higher ground. Rainfall is concentrated in the summer period as the monsoons come through – being further southwest, they arrive earlier in Kyūshū than other parts of Japan. Sunshine is fairly consistent throughout the year, a little lower in June (typhoons) and during the winter. As one of the main reasons for coming to Kyūshū is the hiking and camping, make sure that you have an alternative plan in case of typhoons.