Kitakyushu — The City the Shinkansen Skips
Most people skip Kitakyushu. They fly into Fukuoka, take the Shinkansen through Kokura Station without stopping, and continue to Hiroshima […]
Destinations
City and area guides across Kyushu
Unzen Jigoku — Walking Through Hell in Nagasaki
The ground was warm under my feet. Not metaphorically — actually warm. I was standing on a boardwalk at Unzen
Karatsu — Castles, Pine Forests, and the Best Pottery in Kyushu
I found Karatsu by accident. I was trying to get from Fukuoka to Nagasaki and took the wrong train —
Aso Shrine — 2,000 Years at the Foot of an Active Volcano
I visited Aso Shrine two years after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake brought down its tower gate. Half the shrine was
Visiting Mt Aso — Walking on an Active Volcano in Kyushu
The ground was warm under my feet. Not metaphorically — actually warm. I was standing on the rim of an
Visiting Kokura Castle — A Shinkansen Stopover Worth Making
Most people pass through Kokura without stopping. It’s a Shinkansen station on the way to somewhere else — Fukuoka, Hiroshima,
Visiting Oura Cathedral in Nagasaki — Japan’s Oldest Church and the Hidden Christians
I didn’t expect to feel much at Oura Cathedral. Another old church in another port city — I’ve seen plenty.