Reply To: A week in Kyushu, Japan – recommendations?

[Ihenders]

We had a few days in Kyushu as part of our October 2023 trip.
Temperatures were comfortable mid-20s in late October. I imagine September will be fiercer, and concur with @meta about risk of typhoons (with Kyushu particularly prone to flooding)

Some highlights:
• Nagasaki is a friendly city – and less touristy than expected. We arrived by train (very indirectly from Takayama) which made the location seem a little remote on the island as a whole.
• Particularly enjoyed a half-day boat trip from Nagasaki to Gunkanjima – an interesting insight into Japan’s industrial heritage as well as satisfying the James Bond enthusiasts. Gunkanjima Concierge ran the trip well.
• Hired a car from Toyota in Nagasaki to drive the nearby Unzen National Park and then on to Fukuoka. Very happy with Toyota Rent A Car.
• Staying at the Unzen Kyushu Hotel (a modern ryokan) overlooking the fumaroles of Unzen Jigoku was the highlight of the trip. Incredible location, incredible food and good walking.
• The nearby Nodake Observatory provides incredible views from near the top of the volcano. Like Sakurajima (and most of the other volcanoes on Kyushu) it’s active – but on a slow burn cycle😉

If you’re driving other parts of Kyushu and interested in Unzen, it’s worth investigating the car ferry from Kumamoto over to Shimabara on the peninsula. This also gives a different way of approaching Nagasaki.

Kyushu is well worth a visit. It has a different atmosphere to Honshu. We enjoyed it enough that, in October 2025, we’ll be back in Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Yakushima.