Beppu: Beppu has thousands of hot spring sources and the largest hot-spring output in Japan. The Jigoku Meguri tour visits seven volcanic "hells" including cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku and blood-red Chinoike Jigoku.

Yufuin: Yufuin is a valley town known for craft galleries and local food. Lake Kinrinko sits at its centre, with Mt. Yufu rising to the north-east. Under an hour from Beppu by road.

Watatsumi Shrine: Watatsumi Shrine has a vermillion torii gate standing in a tidal inlet, surrounded by dense forest on all sides. The island is isolated enough that arriving feels like a transition.

Wildlife & History: The Tsushima leopard cat lives in Japan only on this island and is listed as critically endangered. Kaneda Castle's stone walls date to 667, built against a feared Tang–Silla invasion; the Mongols landed at Komoda Beach in 1274. Jetfoil from Hakata Port: about 2¼ hours.

Port History: During the Edo period, Nagasaki was Japan's only port open to Dutch and Chinese trade — its window on the world. Portuguese, Chinese, and Dutch influence is visible in the city's architecture, food, and street layout.

Gunkanjima: Gunkanjima (Hashima Island) [UNESCO] was a coal mining community of over 5,000 residents at its peak, abandoned in 1974 when the mine closed. Boat tours run from Nagasaki port. The Atomic Bomb Museum documents the August 9, 1945 bombing.

Mt. Aso: Mt. Aso has one of the largest calderas in the world. Active vents sit at the Nakadake crater, which opens and closes to visitors depending on volcanic gas levels. Horses graze the Kusasenri grassland plateau within the caldera.

Castle & Onsen: Kumamoto Castle was completed in 1607. The main keep is a 1960 concrete reconstruction; 13 original structures remain as Important Cultural Properties. After the 2016 earthquakes the keep reopened inside in 2021; repairs to walls and turrets will run for decades. Kurokawa Onsen is a hot spring village in the mountains north of Aso.

Sakurajima: Sakurajima is an active stratovolcano with frequent eruptions. A 15-minute ferry from Kagoshima city reaches it — lava from the 1914 eruption joined the former island to the mainland.

Sengan-en & Chiran: Sengan-en is a traditional Japanese garden built by the Shimazu clan in 1658, with Sakurajima visible across the bay. Chiran preserves seven samurai garden residences from the Edo period.

Takachiho Gorge: Takachiho Gorge is cut through columns of volcanic rock left by ancient eruptions of Mt. Aso. Manai Falls drops 17 metres into the river. Rowboats can be rented at the base of the gorge — book ahead in busy seasons.

Sacred Cave: Amano Yasukawara is a shrine inside a riverside cave, its floor covered with stone cairns stacked by visitors over generations. The Nichinan Coast to the south is a stretch of sea cliffs, rock formations, and subtropical shoreline.

Arita: Arita has produced porcelain since 1616, when kaolin clay was first discovered nearby. Kilns in the town are open to visitors. Yoshinogari Historical Park preserves a Yayoi-period settlement dating to around 400 BCE.

Balloon Fiesta: The Saga International Balloon Fiesta, held each year from late October into early November, draws over 100 balloons to the Kase River floodplain. One of the largest balloon events in Asia.

Ancient Forest: Jomon Sugi, the island's largest and oldest known cedar, is estimated at 2,170–7,200 years old — reaching it is a 10–11 hour round-trip hike. The island receives among the highest annual rainfall in Japan.

Shiratani & Coast: Shiratani Unsuikyo is a forest ravine with dense moss cover and cedar trails. Yakushima's beaches serve as nesting sites for loggerhead sea turtles from May to July.