Tour Duration: 6 days
Price : USD 1,890 (price per person, based on twin/triple room occupancy)
Tour start and end place is Fukuoka
Day 1- Meeting place at Fukuoka City
Today, each of us will meet at the hotel in Fukuoka. On your request, we can arrange a transfer from Fukuoka International Airport. Fukuoka is Kyushu’s largest city, and if you arrive early, you can enjoy exploring this bustling metropolis.
Day 2 – Visiting beautiful old towns
At the hotel lobby, you will be greeted by an English-speaking guide. In the morning, we go to Yabakei, which is said to be one of the three most beautiful places in Japan, with a unique view of oddly shaped rocks. We take a chair lift up the hill to see the absolutely astounding Rakanji Temple, which also has 3,700 stone Rakan (Buddha’s disciples) statues.
Then we travel to Nakatsu, an ancient castle town. Because they brought sea water into its moat, Nakatsu Castle is also known as Ocean Castle. It is known as one of the three mizujiro, or “castles on the sea”, in Japan, with Takamatsu Castle in Kagawa Prefecture and Imabari Castle in Ehime Prefecture.’ We’ll also take a stroll through the lovely Teramachi district.
You’ll also get to stay at Toyoko Inn Oita Nakatsu Ekimae.
Day 3 – Temple visit
Usa is situated at the entrance to the Kunisaki Peninsula, where we’ll visit the Usa Jingu, one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines. It serves as the headquarters for Japan’s 40,000 Hachiman Shrines. The vermilion color of the shrine building is breathtaking.
Then we head deep into the Kunisaki Peninsula’s mountains. Shugendo (mountain worship) evolved in these mountains, where worshipers received ascetic training. The hills still have old temples and ruins with only stone Buddhas. We’ll go to Fukiji Temple, the Sentoji ruins, and Futagoji Temple for a delicious vegetarian lunch.
The hotel is at Villa Kunisaki.
Day 4 – Kitsuki Castle to Ocean Hell
In the morning, we head to the castle town of Kitsuki, which is located in the southern part of the Kunisaki Peninsula and has a community of 30,000 people. The townscape is eye-catching due to the numerous slopes. We take a stroll through the Kitadai Samurai district and tour an old Samurai residence. The view from Kitsuki Castle is superb.
Our next stop is Beppu, Japan’s largest hot spring resort town. There are numerous spring water sources with varying ingredients that give each hot spring pond a unique color. This is referred to as the “Tour of Hell.” One pond is blue, earning it the name ‘Ocean Hell,’ while the other is red, making it the name ‘Blood Hell. We spend the night in this town and enjoy the hot spring in the hotel.
Day 5 – Agriculture in Ajimu
You will have a one-of-a-kind experience in Ajimu today. Ajimu was the first town in Japan to pioneer agritourism. A farmer’s family will greet us and demonstrate how they grow vegetables or rice. Rice transplanting season is in the spring. The agricultural products we will deal with will be determined by the timing. After work, they will invite us to their home and serve us lunch made primarily from their own agricultural products.
We will spend the night in the old town of Hita at the end of the day.
Day 6 – Exploring old district, Hita
In the morning, we’ll take a walk through Hita’s old district, including a stop at the Gion Yamahoko Kaikan, which showcases festival floats from the local festival. Onta, a small pottery village, is next on the itinerary. It’s fascinating to walk around the village because they still use antique machinery to make materials for their pottery. If you are interested, you can visit some of the kilns and, of course, purchase their products.
We will then return to Fukuoka, where our tour will conclude at Hakata Station. You can take the shinkansen train to your next destination from here. Thank you for visiting Kyushu; we hope to see you again!
