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Yakushima Yakushima is the best place that I've been to whilst in Japan - and certainly worth a visit. Once you have got yourselves down to Kagoshima, take a ferry from the port to the island (slow ferry 5000yen 4 hrs, fast ferry 7000yen 2 1/2 hrs). The island is a nature lover's paradise. The island has huge interior mountains and a gorgeous coastline. On the beaches you can see turtles come onshore to lay eggs in the summer season. Looking out to sea I saw about 30 turles in just over an hour coming up to the surface to breathe. It was pretty amazing. Other wildlife inclues wild monkeys and some mean looking snakes. Activities Hiking. There are great 1 day, 2 day or 3 day hikes in the sugi forest and along the mountain tops. Along the way you can see some pretty big (the oldest of which is reportedly 7000 years old..) Climb to the top of the tallest mountain peak and enjoy a 360 degree panarama of the island and surrounding ocean. Watersports. There are companies which can arrange snorkelling, fishing, diving and canoeing. Pick up a leaflet from the tourist information (Japanese version - the English version doesn't include anything very useful) Onsen. There is an excellent onsen on the sea shore at the south of the island. You have to check the tides to find out when you can enter (2 hours either side of low tide is ok). It's a natural hot spring in a rockpool - in which you can sit and watch the approaching tide. By high tide the onsen is completely covered. On the island there are a number of accomodation options - stay in a guesthouse (for about 4000yen a night - chinryuan guesthouse is recomended - their website is included as a link further down) stay in the mountain huts that follow the interior mountain trail bring a tent - there are plenty of places to pitch. Transport is a bit of a problem - renting a car is your best bet. Buses are really infrequent. Hitching is also possible - I did it a couple of times and was picked up within 5 minutes on each occasion. The Chinryuan website has a lot of great inforamtion on ferry times, bus times and loads more. Skiing Hiroshima There are slopes in Miyazaki and Kumamoto (Aso area) but these have poor snow and few runs. Hiroshima is only a 4 hour bus ride away from Fukuoka and the closest top-quality ski resort to Kyushu. A weekend trip from Kumamoto, taking the overnight Friday bus, including two days skiing, ski rental and accommodation would cost about 40,000yen. There are also ski-deals on offer at travel agents (Tom Tourist, HIS Travel) for around 20,000yen but this only includes one day skiing. The Osorakan resort is on the largest mountain (1346m) in Hiroshima prefecture. It is open from mid December until mid March. There are 10 ski-lifts for 5 slopes. The longest slope runs from the top of the mountain and is 2.5 km in length, whilst the steepest slope is 38 degrees. It costs 4900yen for a day-lift pass. Rental ski-gear is 3500yen a day (6000yen for ski-clothes and ski-gear rental) Places to stay at Osorakan ski resort. The windy, narrow road from Tougouchi to the mountain side becomes almost impassable at peak times (8am to 10am and 4pm to 6pm) and so the best option is to stay at the foot of the slopes. Accommodation here is expensive though - a stay at Yoshinoya ryokan costs 8000yen per person, but does include an excellent evening meal and breakfast - and is a 3 minute walk from the slopes. (0826 28 1716) There are also log cabins for rent at Osoraken Ushi Goya Highlands (08262 87270). Directions; The JR Highway bus leaves from the 3rd floor of the Fukuoka Kotsu center (next to Hakata station). The two most convenient buses for Hiroshima leave at 7pm and 10.35pm (arriving at 10.55pm and 6 am respectively). The buses cost 7000yen return. The overnight bus does take considerably longer but you do save on accommodation costs in Hiroshima. The two most convenient return buses leave at 4.10pm and 6.23pm. The JR Highway bus number is 093 511 1616. After arrival at Hiroshima bus station take a streetcar or taxi to the nearby Hiroshima train station. Buses to the ski resorts only leave early in the mornings. The bus for Osorakan departs at 7.45am (arrives 9.50am) and costs 6500yen return on weekdays and 7500yen on weekends. (082 238 4930) Buses to Geihoku Kokusai and Utopia Saito depart at 7.15am (arrives 9.30am and 10.00am respectively) and cost 6000yen return on weekdays and 7000yen at weekends. "BigAir" Fukuoka, Bayside place skiing. "BigAir" is an artificial indoor ski slope - complete with real snow. The 13 degrees slope is a little short at 60 meters - but with no queues for the conveyer-belt lift this really isn't a problem. The place is great for beginners - if you want to learn how to snowboard then do it here. Instruction is available. The small jump and rail should be enough to keep intermediate snowboarders/skiers amused, and for the advanced there is one make, off which where you can do some really big jumps. There is also a great American-style cafe overlooking the slopes with good food and free table football. Opening hours: Weekdays 11am to 11.30pm, 10am to 12.30pm on Saturdays 10am to 11.30pm on Sundays and national holidays. Cost: non-members, 2300yen for 90 minutes or 4500yen all day, 1500yen for all equipment hire. Members, 1800yen for 90 minutes or 2500yen all day, 1350yen for all equipment hire. All clothes can be hired. If you have "large" feet (bigger than 30cm) then you may have a problem with rental. Be sure to phone and check first. The place itself is geared more towards snowboarding than skiing, and as a result only short skis are available for hire. Contact details: 092 263 5755 Directions; Take a train to Hakata station in Fukuoka. From here it is a 10 minute taxi ride. Ask for the Hakata Port Tower - Big Air is next-door. Onsen Kagoshima - Furusato onsen The hotel onsen costs 1050yen (which includes hire of a white yokatta for bathing) - and is truly spectacular. The hotel has an inside onsen tub - and a 20 metre long hot-spa pool. Outside there is a communal cliff-side hot spring which overlooks the sea. In the Onsen itself is a shrine to the huge tree center-piece - whose roots dangle in the waters (and from which reputedly the water gets its healing powers). It is also possible to climb to an observation point high up the volcano itself. Directions; To get to Kagoshima take the inter-Kyushu bus. This leaves Kumamoto Kotsu center 10 times a day - and runs from 7am until 6pm. It makes stops at Matsubase IC, Yatsushiro IC and Hitoyoshi amongst others. From Kumamoto Kotsu center it is a 3hr 15 minute journey and costs 3600yen. It is best to get off at Nishi-Kagoshima train station - as there is a tourist information nearby (a 50 meter walk in the direction the bus was traveling). The most lively district of Kagoshima (Tenmonkan) is a 15 minute tram ride away. To get to the onsen take the 15 minute ferry trip cross from Kagoshima Port to Sakurajima volcano. A free shuttle bus from the Sakurajima ferry point to Furusato onsen runs twice an hour (with a lunch-break from 1-2pm). Hiking Kirishima Most visitors to Ebino Kogen come for the breath-taking hiking scenery - there are 23 volcanoes 15 craters and 10 crater lakes within the national park. There are plenty of walks for all standards - a loop which takes in Karakuni (the largest peak in the range at 1700m) and circles the crater lake Oonami before returning to Ebino Kogen is of moderate difficultly and takes between 4-5 hours. There are fantastic views from the summit - of Kagoshima city - and its and of the volcanic crater below. A full days walking would take in the neighboring peak Mt Shishiko. A two day option is to walk the length of the ridge - over 4 volcanoes, and camping at the Takachihogawara campsite. On the second day you would Climb Mt Takachiho before finishing the hike at Lake Miike . As well as the Rotenburo onsen on the east of town, there are a couple of good onsens at the Karkuni Villa and the Ebino Kougen hostel. These are both open from 11am-3pm for non-residents. The lake in town (Byakushi-ike) is used as an outdoor ice-skating rink in winter. This closes at the end of February. (0984 33 5946) There is a nice two hour walk around the 3 nearby lakes to the north of the settlement. This is through woodland in which tame deer can be seen (if you're lucky you may also see some wild-boars). Where to stay; There is a good campsite a five minute walk from the visitors center. They have tent pitches and log cabins for hire. (tent pitch 700yen) The price also includes access to the small but adequate campsite onsen. The owner is a little grumpy - and insists on visitor ID (gaijin card or passport) for campers. Check-out is 11am (including tent pack-up). An alternative is Ebino-Kogen Rotennburo which has wooden huts available for 1540yen per person. They have a far superior open-air onsen - with night bathing possible. Contact; Campsite 0984 33 0800 Directions; Getting to Ebino Kogen without a car is a little tricky. There are regular bus services to Ebino IC. It takes two hours from Kumamoto Kotsu center (6 services a day). This costs 3000 yen. You can also take a train to Ebino station - although this is more expensive (3500yen aprox). However, from Ebino IC to Ebino Kogen is 20km up slow mountain roads. For 3 or 4 people a taxi is a viable option (cost about 5000yen). Hitching is a good alternative - provided you are traveling on a weekend or holiday there will be plenty of traffic up to the plateau. Aim to arrive at Ebino IC between 10am-noon to catch the day-tripper traffic. Unzen The Unzen Jigoku "Hells" are the number one attraction here, and it is certainly worth a visit. A wooden walkway guides you around the 1.5km course. Pleasant enough in the day, the attraction is best viewed at night when the billowing clouds of white steam backed by rolling snow-capped mountains are set against a starlit sky. For a great volcano walk take a bus to Nita Pass from Unzen for 370 yen. Here you can ride the cable-car to the top the ridge (650 yen one way). However, you're just as well to walk the 5km route to the top - it's not a difficult path and has some great scenery on the way. From the ridge-top both mt Kunimi and mt Fugen are within easy walking distance. The whole circuit, starting and finishing at Nita Pass, should take no more than about 3 hours (without using the cable cars). Climbing is easy to moderate - but hiking boots are necessary in the winter months when 3-4inches of snow lines the ground. The path is flanked on both sides by 4-5ft azalea bushes. In winter, frozen and heavy with snow, and in late spring when it is in full bloom, the walkway is breathtakingly beautiful. From the mountain top you are rewarded with panoramic views of both Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefecture, and on a clear day you can see as far as the smoking Aso caldera. From Nita Pass consider taking the 45 minute woodland trail back to Unzen. Places to stay; By far the cheapest option is to stay at the Shirakumo-no-ike pond Campsite located at the bottom of the town, a 15 minute walk from the bus stop. Camping charges are 300 yen per person. Pre-assembled family tents (for 5-6 people) can also be rented. Check out time is 11am. Technically the camp is closed between October 1st and April 31st. However you can still camp here in these months -the raised wooden platform pitches make camping possible even in snowy conditions. Directions; Take a bus from Kumamoto Kotsu centre terminal 21 to Kumamoto Port. This will take 30-40 minutes and cost 480 yen. The Ocean Arrow takes 30 minutes and costs 650 yen. (0957 65 0701) You can also reach Shimbara by ferry from Misumi and from Amakusa. Outside the Ferry port in Shimbara buses to Unzen run (infrequently) from platform 2. Aim to catch the 1221, 1444, 1626 or 1726. The bus costs 730 yen and takes a further 40 minutes. The 1110 Ocean Arrow arrives in time for the 1221 bus from Shimbara - getting you into Unzen for about 1pm. A round trip from the Kotsu centre costs less than 4000 yen - which for Japanese travel is an absolute bargain. Surfing Miyazaki The best surfing beaches in Kyushu are found along the Miyazaki coastline from Hyuga to Miyazaki city. The water temperatures are mild. It is possible to start surfing in spring- but the best season is summer when the waves are highest. If you want to find out about surf conditions then ring one of the many surf shops on the coast. Ask in the town surf shop at the top floor of Parco for more details. There are a selection of nice beaches to choose from down the west coast of the city. There are some great sheltered coves and some really good beaches to the south of Hyuga.. Aoshima is the closest place to Miyazaki city where board rental is available. Where to hire surf-gear: Many of the popular surf beaches have surf shops nearby. There is a good shop 5km south of Hyuga on Rt10. Rental is also available from shops at Aoshima beach. Standard prices are 3000yen/day for a surfboard and 2000yen/day for a wetsuit. You will need to bring your gaijin card as proof of ID. Where to stay; There is a campsite 10 minutes drive south of Hyuga on Rt.10. It has its own sandy cove, tennis courts and grass-skiing. Bungalows are available for rent. A tent pitch costs an extortionate 3000yen for one night, but it's still the cheapest and most convenient option. Bring provisions as there is no restaurant at the campsite. The Nangou campsite is a great place to stay in the south of Miyazaki - it is by the beach, has body boards for rent and is well positioned for surfing further south down the coast. Directions; If you live south of Kumamoto City then it is probably best to take the expressway to Miyazaki City - and do your surfing around there. Taking the expressway from Kumamoto to Miyazaki IC only takes about 2 1/2 hours. It will cost 4000yen in expressway fees for a k car. Alternatively you could drive up on Rt 57 through Aso and then drive down the coast to Hyuga. From Kumamoto city to Hyuga takes about 3 1/2 hours if you start early and avoid the horrendous weekend traffic. |