After we had a wonderful time exploring Hokkaido by car in the summer of 2023, I decided that we should do more of the same. This time, we did a road trip in Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan.
Like Hokkaido, Kyushu is blessed with unspoiled natural sights, rustic and yet luxurious onsens (hot springs), roads and trails that will allow visitors to come close to active volcanoes, mountains, gorges and waterfalls. There are also interesting local cuisine and the freshest seafood in the country and many more. As someone who enjoys nature, hiking, good food and good company, Kyushu was a perfect place to visit in November when the autumn foliage will add more colour to the already gorgeous landscape.
Many of Kyushu’s natural attractions are located far away from the major cities and not easily accessible by train or public transport. With many quiet and scenic country roads, driving is an ideal way to explore Kyushu.
We started and ended our road trip from Fukuoka, since this is the city with the international airport. I decided to rent the car from Toyota-Rentacar, with car pickup upon arrival from the Fukuoka Airport and car return at Hakata Station in Fukuoka without additional drop-off fees.
We made sure the car came with the ETC card reader and card. ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) is a system that enables the payment of expressway tolls without having to stop, by means of wireless communication between an antenna located at the toll booth, and the ETC card (IC card) inserted into the card holder in your vehicle.
Although there is Kyushu Expressway Pass which allows for unlimited driving on the Kyushu expressways (toll roads) for a fixed price, Toyota-Rentacar does not sell it. In any case, I have decided not to buy this pass since we will be doing most driving on non-toll roads.
The following is the itinerary, with links to trip reports for the activities we did on each day.
Day 1 (3 November 2024) – Arrival at Fukuoka Airport and travel to Yufuin
My flight into Kyushu was on SQ656 from Singapore and we arrived as scheduled at 8.10 AM.
The plan for the first day of our Kyushu road trip was to drive from Fukuoka Airport to Yufuin. Located at the foot of Mount Yufu, Yufuin is one of the most popular hot spring resort towns in Japan. This small onsen town, which is less well-known than the neighbouring Beppu Onsen, has a more scenic landscape with Mount Yufu in the background, Lake Kinrin, rice fields and a tranquil river flowing through it. This was why I chose this smaller town to stay instead of Beppu, which is a city.
Yufuin is about 120 km from the airport and the total driving time is estimated to be around 1.5 hours. Instead of driving all the way to Yufuin, we made sightseeing stops at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Kirin Beer Garden and Jionnotaki waterfall.
Dazaifu Tenmangu is a large Shinto shrine set in beautiful grounds in the historic town of Dazaifu, about 30 minutes drive from Fukuoka Airport. The Tenjinsama-dori pedestrian shopping street in front of the shrine has many stores selling snacks, souvenirs, restaurants, and cafes. A must try local specialty at Dazaifu is the umegae mochi, rice cakes filled with bean paste.
The next stop on our way to Yufuin is the nearby Kirin Beer Farm. Although there are tours of the Kirin Beer factory where visitors could see the beer making process and try tasting their beer, we came to see the cosmos that are in bloom during this time of year.
Jionnotaki waterfall was the first of many waterfalls we would see in Kyushu. Located next to a Michi No Eki (rest stop with nice bathrooms and a little farmers market), Jionnotaki waterfall is a good place for a rest when driving between Fukuoka and Yufuin.
We arrived at Yufuin at about 4 PM. Yufuin is a small town with one main shopping street and many ryokans with onsens. We had time to explore Yufuin Floral Village before dinner at our ryokan.
I have booked a stay in Yufuin Bettei Itsuki with dinner and breakfast included. Yufuin Bettei Itsuki is one of the more exclusive and popular ryokans in Yufuin with only 14 differently themed, independent cottages.
Each cottage in this ryokan has 2 private hot spring baths - an internal hot spring bath and an outdoor or semi-open hot spring bath. Yufuin Bettei Itsuki serves an excellent and beautifully plated kaiseki dinner that was a highlight in itself.
Soaking one’s body in the hot spring bath and enjoying the region’s best food in a kaiseki dinner is one of the highlights of staying in Yufuin.
Trip report: Our stay at Bettei Itsuki Ryokan in Yufuin.
Day 2 (4 November 2024) – Enjoy morning in Yufuin and travel to Kurokawa Onsen
We woke up early the next morning to take a short walk to Lake Kinrin, a place of natural scenic beauty. Lake Kinrin is better known as a lake with morning mist. One of the reasons why I chose to stay overnight at Yufuin is so that I could take photos of the misty lake in the early morning.
We spent the rest of the morning exploring Yufuin’s Yunotsubo Kaibo Street and do some souvenir hunting. There are enough interesting and unique shops, themed cafes and galleries to merit an hour of exploring.
Trip report: Morning at Lake Kinrin and Yunotsubo Kaido Street.
We left Yufuin at about 11 AM. We would be spending the night at Kurokawa Onsen. Kurokawa Onsen is an idyllic hot spring town, with charming traditional ryokans, and renowned as one of the most popular hot spring spots in Japan.
Kurokawa Onsen is only 48 km from Yufuin and the driving time without stopping was slightly over an hour via the Yamanami Highway. It is a scenic route that traverses through the Kuju mountain range.
We planned to make some slight detours in order to see Kyusuikei Gorge with Tengu Waterfall, Kokonoe Yume Otsurihashi suspension bridge and the Tadewara Wetlands along the way.
We would be pampering ourselves again at the Yamabiko Ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen.
Yamabiko Ryokan has 6 small private hot spring pools, either in wood or carved in the rock and 2 shared outdoor hot spring pools with views of the natural surroundings. 
Trip report: Our stay at Yamabiko Ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen.
Day 3 (5 November 2024) – From Kurokawa Onsen to Mount Aso with stops at Nabegataki Falls, hiking at Kikuchi Gorge and Daikanbo Lookout.
Our plan for the day was to see Nabegataki Falls, hike at Kikuchi Gorge and then take the scenic Kikuchi Aso Skyline (Highway 45) up to the northern rim of the Aso caldera for the dramatic views from Daikanbo before descending into the caldera itself.
Nabegataki Falls is one of the most impressive waterfalls on the island of Kyushu and is only a 30 minutes drive from Kurokawa Onsen. The best time to visit is in the earning morning with better light for photos and lesser visitors.
Trip report: Nabegataki Falls.
By car, it took us about 40 minutes to get to the Kikuchi Gorge from Nabegataki Falls. The gorge was another outstanding place for nature lovers, fans of waterfalls and photographers.
Overall, we spent about 2 hours hiking the 2 km trail at the gorge, including time for photos and rest.
Trip report: Hiking at Kikuchi Gorge in autumn.
From Kikuchi Gorge, we drove along the scenic Kikuchi Aso Skyline (Highway 45) up to the northern rim of the Aso caldera. Driving along the Aso Skyline Highway is a “must do” on a road trip in Kyushu. There are many breathtaking vistas of the Aso caldera and the majestic mountains that define the landscape.
A good place for lunch is at the Kitayama or North Mountain Restaurant serving the famous Akaushi rice bowls.
Before descending into the Aso caldera, we stopped at Daikanbo Lookout, an excellent place to enjoy panoramic views of the Aso caldera, the five central peaks of Mount Aso, Oita’s Kuju Mountain range and the rolling grasslands inside the caldera.
Trip report: On the edge of a caldera – Northern Mountain Restaurant and Daikanbo Lookout.
We stayed at Minshuku Asogen, a value for money guesthouse located on the outskirt of Aso City, located within the Aso caldera. I had booked a stay with dinner and breakfast. For the price we paid, we got a decent room, good service and a really nice multi-course dinner with horse meat sashimi, a specialty of Kumamoto, and generous portions of high grade wagyu beef for our yakiniku.
Trip report: Our stay at Minshuku Asogen in Mount Aso and viewing the One Piece Statue of Usopp.
Day 4 (6 November 2024) – Explore Mount Aso and drive to Iwato
The plan for the day is to visit the volcanic peaks of Mount Aso in the morning, and explore the southern part of the Aso caldera known as Minami-aso in the afternoon.
We took Prefectural Road 111 that will lead us all the way to the Aso Volcano Museum and Mount Nakadake. Highway 111, also known as the Aso Panorama Drive, is a scenic drive up the mountain.
Things to do and see in Mount Aso include viewing Komezuka along the way, driving up to the active volcano Mount Nakadake, exploring the Kusasenri grassland and potentially do a hike up Mount Eboshi.
Unfortunately, the weather was too cloudy for a hike and the wind direction was not right for visiting the crater of Nakadake. We spent our time exploring Kusasenri grassland and viewing Nakadake from there.
Visitors to Mount Aso could ride horses from the operators located on the vast grassland.
Trip report: Visiting Mount Aso – Komezuka, active volcano Mount Nakadake and Kusasenri grassland.
After a visit to the volcanic peaks of Mount Aso in the morning, we continued along Route 111 to the southern part of the Aso caldera known as Minami-aso. There was a nice viewpoint located near the hairpin curve of the Route 111 connecting Minami-aso and the Aso Mountains. It offers magnificent views of Nango Valley and the southern outer rim of the Aso caldera.
We had lunch at Kamado in Minamiaso before visiting the Shirakawa Spring, Takamori Station (where One Piece Statue of Franky is located) and Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine.
Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine is located on a hill within a cypress forest and is famous for its steep stone steps that lead to the main pavilion at the top. Not to miss is the rock archway in the hill above the shrine called Ugetoiwa. It is said that if you go through the arch, all your goals and ambitions will come true.
From Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine, we drove about 41 km southwards to Iwato to visit the famous Amano-iwato Shrine and Amano-yasukawara, a cave with a shrine inside.
Trip report: Our visit to the Amano-iwato Shrine and Amano-yasukawara.
We stayed overnight at the Hana Iwato Ryokan, a small traditional Japanese inn located next to the shrine. The town of Iwato is a good place to stay as we planned to drive to the gorgeous Takachiho Gorge the next morning. Takachiho Gorge is only 11 km (less than 30 minutes drive) away.
Trip report: Our stay at Hana Iwato Ryokan and viewing the Tochimata Rice Terraces.
Day 5 (7 November 2024) – Morning at Takachiho Gorge and drive to Miyazaki with stops at Cape Hyuga along the way.
From Iwato, we drove to Takachiho via Highway 7. This highway offers scenic views of farmlands and the Tochimata rice terraces. This is one bonus of staying at Iwato instead of Takachiho.
Takachiho Gorge is one of the most scenic places in Kyushu and should be included in any Kyushu itinerary.
The best time for photos at the gorge is in the late morning and some of the best views are from a rental boat in the gorge itself. Unfortunately, the boat ride operation was cancelled due to high water level.
Trip report: Morning at Takachiho Gorge.
We ended our visit to Takachiho Gorge with lunch at the Nagomi restaurant located in Takachiho town. This restaurant serves the finest Takachiho beef raised in the great outdoors.
Trip report: Enjoy Takachiho beef at Takachihogyu Restaurant Nagomi.
From Takachiho, we drove to the city of Miyazaki. The drive from Takachiho to Miyazaki is approximately 130 km. We decided to break the journey and stop for some sightseeing at Cape Hyuga, Umagase and the Sea Cross which were near the halfway point.
Trip report: Drive from Takachiho to Miyazaki with stops at Cape Hyuga, Umagase and the Sea Cross.
We stayed the night at Dormy Inn Miyazaki, located in the city center, making it easy to access nearby restaurants and shopping malls.
We cannot come to Miyazaki and not eat the locally produced Miyazaki beef. The popular Miyachiku restaurant is a specialty teppanyaki (iron-plate grilled dishes) and yakiniku (Japanese-style BBQ) restaurant serving exclusively Miyazaki beef.
Trip report: Miyazaki Beef and Ise lobster at Teppanyaki Miyachiku Restaurant.
Day 6 (8 November 2024) – Drive from Miyazaki to Kagoshima
We had planned a long drive from Miyazaki to Kagoshima via the Nichinan Coast. The total driving distance for the day was about 200 km with stops at Aoshima Island, Udo Shrine and Sekinoo Waterfall.
It took about 25 minutes to drive the 16 km distance from Miyazaki city center to Aoshima. Aoshima is a very small island with palm trees and tropical greenery located just off the coast of Miyazaki prefecture and is the start of the Nichinan Coast. There is a shrine on the island but for me, the Devil’s Washboard is the highlight of Aoshima Island.
Trip report: Aoshima Island and the Devil’s Washboard.
We drove southwards on Route 220, along the east coast of Miyazaki, from Aoshima Island towards Udo Shrine. This stretch of the coast is known as the Nichinan Coast and is a very scenic route with the sea on our left and the mountains to our right. A good place to stop for lunch is at the seafood restaurant called Taikai.
Trip report: The Nichinan Coast and Udo Shrine.
After seeing Udo Shrine, we headed inland towards the mountains of Kirishima. We had time to visit Sekinoo Falls on our way to Kagoshima.
The driving distance from Sekinoo Falls to our hotel in Kagoshima is about 71 km (about 75 minutes drive via country roads and E3 expressway). Our accommodation in Kagoshima is the Dormy Inn Kagoshima, only a few minutes walk along the main street to Tenmonkan, the shopping and dining area in Kagoshima’s downtown area.
One of the “must-try” when visiting Kagoshima is their kurobuta (black pork) which is considered a top brand because of the unique breeding and raising method. 
Trip report: Enjoying Kagoshima’s famous kurobuta pork at Ichiniisan Tenmonkanten.
Day 7 (9 November 2024) – Explore Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay area and drive to Kumamoto
This was another day with long driving distance so we had an early start at 7.30 AM with buffet breakfast at Dormy Inn Kagoshima.
Our plan for the day was to explore the sights on Sakurajima and areas around the bay before heading north to Kumamoto. Total distance travelled was 230km with cumulated driving time of more than 4 hours. I will not be driving non-stop since there are plenty of sightseeing stops during the drive.
Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and the symbol of Kagoshima. We went to Shiroyama Observatory to enjoy views of Sakurajima, the city and Kagoshima Bay.
Once at Sakurajima, we went to the Visitor Center, the Sakurajima Shore Park and Footbath, local convenience and produce stores, Yunohira Observation Deck, Arimura Lava Observation Deck and Kurokami Buried Shrine Gate.
We left Sakurajima by driving across the Ushineo Bridge located on the eastern side. After crossing the bridge, we headed northwards on National Road 220 running along the eastern shores of Kagoshima Bay.
The Tarumizu Yuttarikan Roadside Station is a good place to stop for a rest.
We went to the restaurant at Sakamoto Kurozu (Black Vinegar) Brewery for lunch. Sakamoto made black vinegar the traditional way using jars. The restaurant serves Chinese food with kurozu as an ingredient or food that is best eaten with it.
Trip report: A road trip on Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes.
Leaving Kagoshima, we drove northwards to Kumamoto, making a stop at Sogi Falls along the way. Although it is geographically located between Kagoshima and Kumamoto, it is a bit out of the way. We had to take a “detour” off the expressway E3 linking the 2 cities and travel through the slower country roads and residential areas to get to it.
Sogi Falls is one of the largest and most beautiful waterfalls in Japan and it is also one of the most popular tourist spots in the northern part of Kagoshima Prefecture.
Sogi waterfall is sometimes called the "Niagara of the Orient".
From Sogi Falls to Kumamoto took about 2 hours. Thankfully we managed to avoid driving in the dark country roads after sunset.
Our hotel for the night was the Hotel New Gaea Nishkumamoto Ekimae, located next to the Nishi-Kumamoto JR Station. I had chosen to stay in the outskirt of Kumamoto instead of central Kumamoto since we had no plans to see the sights in central Kumamoto the next day and hotels are generally expensive in the city center.
Trip report: Visiting Sogi no Taki or Sogi Falls on drive from Kagoshima to Kumamoto.
Day 8 (10 November 2024) – See the One Piece statues in Kumamoto City and drive to Fukuoka with stop at Yanagawa for lunch and sightseeing
Although Kumamoto city has many attractions like the Kumamoto Castle, Suizenji Jojuen Garden, Kumamon Square and shopping areas, we are giving all of these a miss.
We went to see the statues of two One Piece characters (Tony Tony Chopper and Monkey D. Luffy). These statues are related to the ONE PIECE Kumamoto Reconstruction Project. Eiichiro Oda, a manga artist and creator of the series One Piece, donated ¥800,000,000 to help reconstruct his home city of Kumamoto after it was struck by two earthquakes. After rebuilding Kumamoto, statues of the Straw Hat Pirates are installed all over Kumamoto to thank Eiichiro Oda for his help. These statues are now attractions for One Piece fans from all over the world.
Visitors to the statues could buy the "ONE PIECE" World Collectible figures of the Bronze Statues as souvenirs.
Trip report: One Piece Statues of Tony Tony Chopper and Monkey D. Luffy in Kumamoto.
Leaving Kumamoto, we drove 67 km to Yanagawa. Yanagawa is dubbed 'the Venice of Kyushu' for its many canals.
It is also known for its steamed unagi dish called “Unagi no Seiromushi”. This is a dish where grilled aromatic eel is put in sweet and spicy sauce and steamed on top of rice.
Ganso Motoyoshiya is a popular restaurant serving the popular eel bento box rice and it is best to get to the restaurant before the lunch time crowds formed.
Trip report: Lunch at Ganso Motoyoshiya and a stroll along Yanagawa’s canals.
We spent about 2 hours in Yanagawa, including lunch. From there, we drove to Fukuoka, the last destination in this amazing road trip around Kyushu.Our hotel in Fukuoka is the Hotel Nikko Fukuoka, conveniently located within 5 minutes walk from the car rental shop and Hakata Station.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening at Canal City Hakata, about 15 minutes walk from our hotel.
Canal City Hakata is a large shopping and entertainment complex. Attractions include about 250 shops, cafes and restaurants, a theater, cinemas and a canal running through the complex.
Trip report: Evening in Canal City Hakata.
Day 9 (11 November 2024) –Travel to Fukuoka Airport and good bye Kyushu
I think the best way to travel from Hakata to the International terminal of Fukuoka Airport is by public taxi. It is not that expensive since the airport is very near to the city.
We informed the staff at Hotel Nikko Fukuoka that we need to be at the airport by 7.45 AM during check-in and they helped arranged the taxi for us. The taxi was ready for us at the hotel’s driveway when we checked out the next day at 7.30 AM. Great service from the hotel!
Trip reflection
Overall, our Kyushu road trip went very well and almost accordingly to plan. We did the bookings of ryokans about 3 months before the trip. Popular ryokans in Yufuin and Kurokawa Onsen tends to get sold out fast. We had very good experience in all the ryokans and hotels we stayed in.
One of the joys of travelling in Japan is the cuisine. We made it a point to savour the local produce and delights such as Oita, Akaushi, Takachiho and Miyazaki beef at the respective regions, horse meat sashimi at Kumamoto, chicken nanban at Miyazaki, unagi at Yanagawa and Kagoshima’s black pork.
Travelling with a rental car at our own pace, we could take our time to take many photos and enjoy the experience at each location we visited. Although I had earmarked many attractions or places to visit along the journey, we were ready to adjust and skip some of the lesser ones when needed.
Autumn leaves season in Kyushu is from late November to early December. The peak season depends on the elevation and weather. In the mountainous areas, it could be from early November to early December. The only regret was that we missed the timing for the peak autumn leaves by a few weeks due to the unusually warm weather all over the globe this year.
We also missed taking the boat ride at Takachiho Gorge due to uncontrollable circumstances even though I had managed to pre-book the boat rental at the online site prior to our trip. The tickets for the boat rental are sold only 14 days in advance.
I think Kyushu is worth another visit since we did not have time on this trip to include Nagasaki and the western part of Kyushu in our itinerary. Also, if we had more time, we could have spend more days exploring the rest of Kagoshima Prefecture, e.g. Ibusuki and Yakushima.