Seek Nature, Onsen, and Food Culture on This Less-Visited Japanese Island

Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures are in Kyushu, Japan’s southern island. The region is rich with unique geological features that set the stage for rejuvenating hikes and adventures. It’s also a place known for its spiritual connection to the deities and for opportunities for self-reflection in nature and at spiritual sites.

A benefit of being in the Ring of Fire (it’s said to be home to 75 percent of the world’s active volcanoes) is the onsen or hot springs. Ending the day with a long soak in an onsen helps promote deep sleep after sightseeing.

Plus, Kagoshima and Miyazaki are the Napa Valley of shochu aficionados. Having trained as a shochu advisor (like a sommelier but specializing in the distilled spirit called shochu) some 20 years ago, I was excited to visit the area recently for a weeklong visit. As someone who leads market tours in Tokyo, I was excited to learn more about katsuobushi (smoked and dried skipjack tuna) and green tea as well.

It’s also easy to get to Kyushu from Tokyo by taking a nonstop JAL flight (like I did) with multiple departures daily to the island that take about two hours. (Pro tip: You can get around southern Kyushu by trains and buses, depending on the location, but some spots are remote, so you may want to hire a taxi or rent a car.)

Visit Sakurajima Kinkowan Geo Park and Aoshima Shrine

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

Sakurajima is an active volcano in Kagoshima with some 3,000 residents living in the surrounding area. At the Sakurajima-Kinkowan Geo Park, visitors can learn about the island’s history, and the museum guide gave us a good picture of what it’s like to live so close to a volcano. It was remarkable to see in person for the first time, especially with the constant flow of steam and some ash rising from the top.

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

People come to pray to meet their spouse at Aoshima Shrine in Miyazaki, which dates back at least 1,200 years. It’s located on a small island connected to the main island by a land bridge and surrounded by unique rock formations, formed by erosion over the course of some 7–8 million years. Called the Devil’s Washboard, the natural phenomenon looks like an old-fashioned washboard.

Go forest bathing and packrafting in Takachiho

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

The art of shinrin-yoku, literally “forest bathing,” is a Japanese practice for mental and physical health. Waterfalls, gorges, forests, and mountain paths offer opportunities to immerse yourself in negative ions, said to have health benefits. The Takachiho Gorge, formed by four major eruptions of Mount Aso between 270,000 and 90,000 years ago, offers a fabulous walk along the river in Miyazaki. Dramatic views of rocks, waterfalls, and the river’s blue-green water await—it’s one spot I definitely want to revisit.

Paddling through the Gokase River Gorge in Takachiho offers stunning scenery that you can only see from your inflatable raft. Massive rocks polished by water over tens of thousands of years line the gorge, and the fresh air from the waterfall is rich with negative ions to recharge your body. Take care when hiking over rough, slippery terrain to the river entry point.

Attend a kagura dance at Takachiho Shrine and ride over one of Japan’s highest railway bridges

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

Kyushu is called Shinwa no Furusato, the land of the gods, based on legend that says this is where gods arrived in Japan. Locals continue the connection with the gods at shrines and temples throughout Japan’s southern island.

At Takachiho Shrine in Miyazaki, dancers perform Takachiho kagura nightly at 8:00 p.m. These Shinto tales, depicted through dance, take place throughout Japan but are thought to have originated here. It was one of the highlights of our time in the region, with other Japanese travelers sitting near me who came from all over Japan to see the kagura dance in person.

According to folklore, the spirits interact with villagers through these dances. Accompanied by live flute and drums, only men perform kagura, sometimes wearing masks to portray characters, including women.

Nearby, Amaterasu Railway in Miyazaki, which has an open-air train car like a children’s ride at an amusement park, brought us to the highest railway bridge in Japan. The blue skies above and the deep valley are a spectacular view. As a popular tourist spot, it sells out quickly, so go early in the morning for timed tickets, which are first-come, first-served.

See Ogawa Falls

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

Popular in Japan as a filming location for movies and TV shows, Ogawa Falls is a remote 200-foot-wide waterfall accessible by a short walk along a river in Kagoshima. Note that to get here, you’ll need a rental car or taxi.

Try Kyushu’s shochu, katsuobushi, and green tea

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

Miyazaki is the top shochu-producing prefecture in Japan. Visitors at the Kirishima Factory Garden operated by Kirishima Shuzo can see shochu distilled from local satsumaimo (sweet potatoes) as a guide takes them through the Miyazaki distillery, where they can observe the shochu-making process. Videos with English subtitles help guests better understand how shochu is made, its place in local food culture, and sustainable practices. It was impressive to taste the many different expressions of sweet potato shochu.

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

Kagoshima is the top producer of katsuobushi, smoked skipjack tuna filets shaved into thin flakes, an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine. (I use katsuobushi several times a week at home.) At Yamagawa Suisan in Kagoshima, we started the tour in a -60°F freezer packed with frozen skipjack tuna, then saw how bones are pulled out by hand from the boiled filets, which are dried and smoked until they lose all moisture. We ended with a cup of chabushi, a traditional instant soup, made from freshly shaved katsuobushi flakes and local barley miso, originating in Kagoshima.

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

Kagoshima also produces the most tea in Japan many years; its warmer climate allows for harvesting three or four times a year. You can learn how to properly brew green tea and make freshly roasted hojicha at Wakoen in Kagoshima. I learned a new method of rolling the teapot to keep the leaves in the hot water, which I started adding to my tea-making routine back in Tokyo. To get to and from Wakoen, staff pick up visitors at the Nogata bus stop and drop them off in the nearby town of Shibushi, which has some hotels.

Relax in sand baths at Ibusuki Onsen

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

The volcanic island is a source of hot springs for onsen baths and is among the world’s only natural steam sand baths. There are other places in Japan where you can get buried in sand, but those typically use regular hot water for heating rather than hot spring water.

At Saraku in Ibusuki Onsen in Kagoshima, guests, robed in cotton yukata, lie down in the warm sand and are buried up to their necks. It felt like being wrapped in a very heavy, warm blanket. The experience lasts about 10 minutes, followed by a shower and a long soak in a hot spring bath.

Many local hotels and ryokan inns have hot springs, offering the benefits of soaking, including relaxation and improved health. Be sure to bathe before entering the hot springs and tie long hair back so it doesn’t get into the water. Note that many onsen still don’t allow tattoos, so check ahead of time for tattoo-friendly baths or get a room with a private onsen bath.

Try Zen meditation and drumming in Tokyo

Most travelers will fly into Tokyo before heading south, and deciding what to do in the metropolis can be overwhelming. Here are some unique experiences.

I enjoyed learning the basics of Zen meditation at Kinryuji and put the technique into practice during our travels. The daughter of the samurai Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the temple 400 years ago. Taijun Namiki, the 23rd monk to serve there, has a shaved head and was wearing an indigo-blue robe while he gave us matcha and wagashi sweets and answered our many questions about Buddhism in Japan.

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

Wadaiko drumming, an integral part of Japanese culture, is another immersive experience you can have in Tokyo. Around Japan, you hear it at festivals, kabuki theater, and sumo tournaments. The introductory class at Taiko-Lab in Aoyama is a fun way to learn some basic rhythms. Our instructor’s performance was full of energy, and you could feel the vibrations in your bones. Later in the trip, when we came across drummers at a temple, I could better appreciate the music.

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

It’s hard to beat the dramatic views of the expansive metropolis, including Mount Fuji and Tokyo Bay from SHIBUYA SKY’s Sky Stage, an open-air observation deck located above the 46th floor of the building. In addition to the rooftop, you can also visit observation decks on the 14th and 45th floors of the building. Next time I return, I’ll try to visit around sunset time to see the city light up. (Pro tip: Book tickets in advance.)

Courtesy of Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau/Michael Yoshioka

For a casual night out, consider heading out to the Sangenjaya area, where you can drop by casual drinking spots, order a drink and a few small plates, then move on to the next place. We enjoyed dishes including tsukemono pickles, fried fish cakes, and chargrilled broccoli with sake at Ikkyu Hanare. (Pro tip: If you are warmly welcomed, go in. If the staff aren’t friendly, move on.)