Kyushu

Watatsumi Sushi Restaurant is located on the 3rd floor of "Miyazaki Bougainvillea Airport", the sky gateway to Miyazaki. From Ladies’ Sets to Seafood Rice Bowls and lettuce-wrapped sushi rolls, a Miyazaki original, to caviar and sturgeon meat sushi, the restaurant offers an extensive range of seafood to enjoy. It is the kind of place you can drop in for a casual bite while waiting for your plane.

Mikado Shrine, surrounded by a sacred forest, thick with giant trees. Said to have been founded in 718, the deities enshrined in Mikado Shrine include Oyamatsumi, Teika-O of Baekje, Hakuchi-O (the third prince of Baekje), Ukanomitama, and Emperor Ojin.

Nakagoya Astronomical Observatory in Misato in the Higashi Usuki District of Miyazaki is located on the Nakagoya Ridge at an elevation of approximately 1,000 meters. Due to its clear air and freedom from the effects of light pollution, it is the perfect spot for star-gazing. It was previously named the best star-gazing spot in Japan in the "darkness of the night sky" category of the National Continuous Star Observations that used to be conducted by the Japanese government.

Ofunade-no-Yu is a natural hot spring ideally located overlooking the deep blue sea and uninterrupted sky. In addition to a market of Hyuga's regional produce and Shiosai restaurant offering delicious food at a spectacular location, the complex facility is also equipped with an auto campground, a ground golf course, and tennis courts.

Usa Jingu Shrine, a power spot of Oita Prefecture, is a shrine located in Minami Usa in the city of Usa, Oita Prefecture. It is known as the origin of the Rokugo-Manzan, a syncretic religious culture that fuses Buddhist and Shinto traditions. Many worshippers come to Usa Jingu Shrine to receive goshuin stamps and omamori amulets. The divine blessings they bestow are related to the divine virtues of the great god Hachiman and the other various deities that are enshrined within the shrine grounds.

The Kokonoe "Yume (literally, "dream")" Grand Suspension Bridge, at 390 m long and 173 m high, is Japan's largest suspension bridge exclusively for pedestrians. From the bridge, you can view the Shindonotaki falls and the Kyusuikei natural forest. The valley presents different forms of beauty in each season.

Ajimu Budoushu Koubou is where the popular Ajimu wine is made. Visitors can see how the wine is made, tour the vineyard, and enjoy tasting wines. Ajimu is situated in a basin and is shrouded in mist in the mornings because of the extreme temperature differences between day and night. Grapes started being harvested here since the 1960s, and a variety of types of grapes are being grown by taking advantage of this unique climate.

In the city of Beppu in Oita Prefecture, eight hot springs, collectively known as the Beppu Hatto, are scattered throughout the city. They include Beppu Onsen, which has many inns nearby that allow non-staying guests to bathe during the day, and Kannawa Onsen, which is famous for the Kannawa Steam Baths. With so many hot springs in the same city, each with different scenery and hot spring water characteristics, you can enjoy all of their different offerings.

The Hiina Doll Festival of the Kitsuki castle town in Kitsuki City, Oita Prefecture, is a magnificent event. Various kinds of Hina dolls are put on display throughout the castle town, which has the air of a little Kyoto. The event is held from February to March every year. Only in Kitsuki can you see so many different Hina dolls in the 30 or so locations around the city. 

Surrounded by magnificent nature, “Autopolis” is well loved as Kyushu’s only international racing circuit. The main course, with a total length of 4,674 meters, is one of the largest in the country. It is a space for all to see, participate in, and enjoy, used for everything from big races such as the Super GT, Super Formula, Super Endurance, and All Japan Road Race Championship, to sports drives for people who want to enjoy driving the circuit, and participatory events such as pushbike races...

The Oike Springs are located in the Asono district of Shonai in the city of Yufu in Oita’s central-south region. Even though they are not very far from the popular tourist destination of Yufuin Onsen and they have been selected as one of Japan’s best 100 waters, this is a hidden scenic spot known only by a few.

Bungotakada, located on the western side of the Kunisaki Peninsula, is known for its delicious Bungotakada soba noodles. A unique feature of this local specialty is that the season for newly harvested soba (buckwheat) comes twice a year. In particular, the crop acreage of Harusoba, the soba planted in the spring, is the largest in the country. This is a staple dish you should definitely try when visiting Bungotakada.