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A 1 day training course for beginners costs 6,000\ per day (not including gas) This is in the Midori river area. Phone 0963790201 Water Skiing Pearl marina Matsushima town (Amakusa). You can rent your own boat for fishing, or go water skiing. Phone 0969561035 Wind Surfing Wind surfing is possible off the northern coast from Misumi town, which gets strong winds. A one day windsurfing school costs 5,000\. 3hr rental costs 3,000\ (this includes board and wetsuit.) Phone 0964530865 Windsurfing and Body Boarding There is rental wind-surfing and body boarding equipment available at Hondo city - for use on the Hondo beach. It costs 2,000\ for 4 hrs. Phone 0969233485 Wake boards Wakeboards can be rented from "Kenny's" in Komori, Nishihara village. Phone 0962922035 for more details. Sea Kayaking/snorkeling You can rent sea kayaks from the campsite at Myoken ga Ura (Shimoda) in Amakusa. They only cost 500yen for an hour. There are some great sea caves to explore along the coast. This beach is also the premier dive site in the prefecture - and there is some great snorkeling a short distance from the shore. You can see a large variety of tropical fish - but watch out for the jellyfish from late August. Rafting There are a number of rafting companies that offer the chance to raft down "one of the 3 fastest rivers in Japan". If you're not feeling too adventurous, then opt for the Land Earth Outdoor Sports Club (Phone 966-22-1077). Here you will ride in a wooden boat whilst the boatman steers you down the river. There is a choice of courses - an 8km clear course and a 10km rapid course. However, even the rapid course is rather tame - its closer to punting in Oxford than white-water rafting -soothing classical music played through the boats speakers, and there is a kotatsu (heated table) in the boats when it gets colder! The clear stream course costs 2,835\ and the rapid Stream Course costs 3,675\. They both last 90min. Directions: The company is based on the banks of the Kumagawa, a short drive from Hitoyoshi town. The Kuma River Rapid Shooting Company Phone 0966-22-5555. This company offers more exciting rafting opportunities. You will ride a proper white-water raft, and be guided by an experienced instructor There are 3 courses to choose from. The Exciting Course is from Watari, Kuma Village to Issshochi and lasts 90 minutes. The Fighting Course also lasts 90 minutes and goes from Isshochi to the Kyusendo Limestone Cave (see earlier in this section). The All Round Course combines the two starting at Watari and finishing at the Kyusendo Limestone Cave. It takes 3 hours. Rafting is possible from March until November. It costs 12,800\ (this includes a 3000yen year long membership charge, lunch and insurance.) Main Stream Phone 0966283100. Another adventure rafting company. There are two rafting trips a day - at 8am - 12am and 12am-4pm. This consists of 3 hour rafting and 1 hour training on an indoor facility. It costs 7,000\. There are also 1 day courses available 12,000\ (per person with up to 3 people) and 11,000\ (per person with 4 or more people). Diving Amakusa has numerous dive sites (6m to 14m depth) most of these are reachable by shore and have an easy access from land. There are a few different dive schools to choose from. Blue Earth 21 franchise shop Dip Divert offers dives in Amakusa (Ushibuke and Shimoda). It is open 10am-10pm. It costs 5,000\ for full rental (BCD, wetsuit etc.) and then 7,000\ extra for 2 beach dives or 9,000\ for 2 boat dives. This price also includes transport from the dive shop to the dive site (3 hours away). You meet at the dive shop at 7am and arrive at the dive site for about 10am. It is also possible to arrange a pick up along the route. Uto Station is convienient (around 8am) as is Hondo (around 9am). Amakusa has some of the best beaches in the prefecture - and the best dive sites. Good coral reefs are a short distance from the shore at both Ushibuke and Myoken ga Ura . There is also a good selection of tropical fish to see (lion fish, blowfish etc.) Myoken ga Ura has some fantastic hard coral cliffs with narrow ravines you can swim through. After the first dive you will have lunch. If there is time you can head to an onsen. Overall this is a fantastic day out! The dive master Namoto speaks some English - and is really friendly. There is a TV and some videos in the minibus to soften the long trip down to Ushibuke. The center also offers weekend trips and Kagoshima dives. The shop is located on the West Bypass (which runs parallel to Route 3). It is close to Kumamoto Station. Follow the 28 towards Tamana from the station, turn left onto the Nishi bypass. The dive shop is a 5 minute drive on your left. It is a 1,000\ taxi ride from the station. ( Tel: 096-352-0077 Fax: 098-352-0077). There is another Blue Earth 21 franchise shop located across the road from the Suizenji koen mae tram stop on the streetcar line. (096-385-0001 Fax: 096-387-2188) Captain Boat Contact 0969-24-3035 Fax: 0969-24-4038 The dive center is located in Hondo, but dives take place in other parts of Amakusa. A trial dive costs 10,000\ (including 1 dive and equipment). A boat dive costs 15,000\ (including 2 dives and lunch). NAUI Diving certificate courses (think PADI) cost 60,000yen (4 days). Equipment rental costs 2,100yen each for tank, regulator, wet suit and BCD. JapanDiving.Com offers dives in Kumamoto through Tsukada Diving Services. Dives are led by Frederick Claro, a highly experienced (English speaking) diver. NAUI Courses run from April to October - and are in English Courses include, Passport Diver Program (try scuba), Scuba Diver Course (beginner), Advanced Diver Course Rescue Diver Course, as well as specialist courses (First Aid and CPR, deep diving, underwater photography, night diving etc.) NAUI Diving Courses (a similar certification course to PADI) Beginner Course: 2 Weekends: 61,000\ all inclusive Advanced Course: 1 Weekend: 47,000\ all inclusive Two Tanks Diving Days from Amakusa or Ashikita beach 2 Dives with transportation: Club Members: 17,000\ (including equipment rental) Visiting Divers: 22,000\ (including equipment rental) 2 boat Dives in Amakusa National Park: 25,000\ (includes transportation and equipment rental) Japandiving.com also organize some social events like BBQs in the summer, to which non-divers are welcome. For more details about prices/dives please contact [email protected] Canoeing Arase Dam Boat House canoeing It costs only 200\ an hour per person at this excellent facility. You can choose between kayaks (single man), Canadians (2-3 man), and pedalos (2 man). There is also instruction available for beginners It is possible to do a day trip up the Kuma river towards Hitoyoshi - through lush green hillside. A 10 minute drive back along the 218 there is a great restaurant serving wild boar (look for the picture of a boar on your right). It is also within 10 minutes drive of Sakamoto Onsen. Phone 0965-45-2228 Open 9:00-16:00. Closed on Monday (In the case of a holiday, the next day). Directions: Driving from Yatsushiro along the Kumagawa turn off onto the 60 - following the sign for Sakamoto Onsen. Then rather than continue towards the onsen, follow the road round across the river. The boathouse is a right turn, on the 158. Alternatively take a train to Haki station (along the Yatsushiro-Hitoyoshi line). The boathouse is a 2 minute walk. Kikusui Town Canoeing Place You can canoe down the Eta river (a branch of the Kikuchi River). There is instruction for beginners available - the lesson will take you 4km along the river in 3 hours. Phone 0968-86-3100 Open 10:00-16:30. Closed 2nd & 4th Mondays. Directions: the canoeing place is close to Kikusui IC - in Kikusui town. Ichifusa Dam Rental Canoe You can canoe at Ichifusa Dam, located in the far S/E corner of the prefecture. The dam is at the foot of Mt. Ichifusa, which is good for hiking. Phone 0966-49-6011 Kawabe River Rental Canoe It costs 2000\ for 4 hours. It's located in Sagara village (Hitoyoshi). Phone 0966350211 |