Name: 3 Day Road Trip Across Kyushu | japan-guide.com
Uploaded: 2020-07-30T16:25:07.000Z
Duration: 24 min 29 s
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Kyushu is the southernmost of Japan's four main islands and, in addition to being known

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for its vibrant cities brimming with interesting history and culture, it is also celebrated

as among the best regions in the country to take in breathtaking volcanic landscapes and

One of the ultimate ways to enjoy what this rugged land has to offer is to travel the

breadth of the island between two of its most visited cities

in part along the iconic Yamanami Highway.

Passing three of Japan's top hot spring towns, each of which retain their own unique

charm, this route also treats travelers to a variety of the island's hallmark culture,

Add to these attractions an almost uninterrupted series of awe-inspiring volcanic landscapes

as the route winds through Kyushu's mountainous interior, and you have one of the most epic

With so much to do and see along this route, this was a road trip I was extremely eager

I'm Sam Evans for japan-guide.com, and for the next three days I'll be making the trip

Here's the plan: After flying from Tokyo to Oita, we'll start

our journey by visiting the coastal hot spring mecca of Beppu and then drive along the Yamanami

Highway to reach the quaint hot spring town of Yufuin

On day two, we'll continue along the Yamanami Highway taking in the incredible landscape

and making a couple of fun-filled stops along the way before reaching Kurokawa Onsen, a

rustic hot spring town tucked away in a lush valley.

On our third and final day it's up early as we continue on to majestic Mount Aso before

finishing our road trip with a cultural tour of Kumamoto City.

So follow along as we travel across Kyushu on a three day road trip.

rental car and begin our exciting three-day tour, first stopping in Beppu, and then moving

on to Yufuin Onsen, where we'll be spending our first night.

When most people think about travel in Japan they think about trains, but when going a

long distance like we are today then the best option can sometimes be the plane.

So that's why this morning we're travelling early out of the airport down to begin our

Kyushu exploration, and it's exciting, I've had a good sleep so let's get on with this.

All ready for takeoff, now to sit back for the one and a half hour flight, and take in

some impressive bird's eye views along the way.

After arriving at Oita Airport in Sunny Oita, which is my first time to this prefecture

and a great one to get off the list, we're on our way to Beppu where we're going to

There are seven hells in Beppu, and first up today we are going to visit the Umi jigoku

which literally means “sea hell” in Japanese.

So here we are in Beppu, now this town is special for a number of reasons.

Firstly this town outputs more hot spring water than any other hot spring town in the

Secondly, this town isn't just about bathing.

Apart from the baths there are various areas around town, such as this one behind me, which

are called 'hells' where you can go and view the hot water.

And third, when it does come to bathing well, Beppu's got you covered because here there

are a multitude of different bathing options, not just limited to water but also steam,

And speaking of sand baths, we're going to try one a little later on.

After Umi Jigoku, we'll now check out the Kamado Jigoku, or cooking pot hell, where

we'll walk around a bit and then fill our stomachs with a lunch of onsen-steamed food.

So at this hell you can drink this 80 degree water.

So we've got the food and we're about to eat.

There is so much thermal heat, that is it is used to cook in Beppu.

So I'm about to enjoy some steam-cooked corn, steam-cookied pork bun, steamed eggs, and

It's basically a nostalgic flavored fizzy drink.

Now to open it, you interestingly have to kind of smash this top

So I'm going to give it a whirl now and hopefully I don't break the table while I'm doing it.

Following the fun at the hells, it's only a few minutes' drive over to the beach where

I am about to indulge in a sand bath experience.

With less than a handful of places in the country where one can enjoy this special kind

of bath, I feel fortunate that this will mark my second sand bath experience.

From what I remember of my last experience having a sand bath, it's incredibly pleasant,

super warm, comfy and relaxing, and I'll be surprised if I don't nod off.

So for this experience I was given a yukata which is typical, got changed in the changing

room, and proceeded to lie down here and got buried as you've just seen.

So it's surprisingly it's a really nice temperature.

It's not too hot, but it does feel really nice and cozy.

You can hear the waves in the distance from the beach.

And it's honestly like you're being given a big warm hug.

After this I'm to proceed to rise out of the ground and then I'm going to have to get clean.

So before getting changed I'll go and take a bath in the bathhouse back there.

But what an incredible experience this is.

Reinvigorated after the sand bath, it's time to make the 30 minute drive on to the

Along the way we'll take in the unique scenery surrounding Mount Yufudake, the twin-peaked

volcano that overlooks Yufuin, before descending into the town.

After checking into our beautiful ryokan and dropping my bags, I'll make the short walk

Next it's back to the ryokan to indulge in a traditional course dinner

When staying in a ryokan your traditional Japanese robe, or Yukata, will usually be

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3 Day Road Trip Across Kyushu | japan-guide.com

absolutely

incredible

journey

experience