Hidden Gems Across Japan
1,610 spots
Toriten
Toriten (とり天) is Oita's signature dish — chicken breast sliced thin, marinated briefly, coated in tempura batter, and de…
Usa Jingu
Usa Jingu, established in 725 AD, is the head shrine of all Hachiman shrines in Japan (numbering 40,000+). Hachiman is t…
Beppu Sand Bath
Takegawara Onsen (竹瓦温泉), operating since 1879, offers Beppu's most accessible sand bath experience. Visitors wear yukata…
Yufuin
Yufuin is a highland hot spring resort (elevation 450m) set in a basin surrounded by mountains, most notably Mt. Yufu (1…
Beppu Jigoku Meguri (Hell Tour)
Beppu's 'Hells' (地獄, jigoku) are seven spectacular geothermal hot springs too hot and chemically extreme for bathing — c…
Minamata Disease Memorial
In 1956, a five-year-old girl in Minamata couldn't walk. Her fingers curled inward. She lost peripheral vision, slurred…
Aso Shrine
Aso Shrine, established in 281 AD, is one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines and was famous for its three-story gate tower…
Kumamoto Ramen
Kumamoto ramen is a regional variation of Hakata-style tonkotsu — thicker noodles, richer pork-bone broth, and the defin…
Honmyo-ji Temple
Honmyo-ji is a Buddhist temple on a forested hill northeast of Kumamoto Castle, established in 1585 by Kato Kiyomasa. Th…
Tatsuda-yama Park Cherry Blossoms
Tatsuta-yama Park contains 500 cherry trees (predominantly someiyoshino) planted along a 1.5km hillside path, creating a…
Amakusa Five Bridges Sunset Drive
The Amakusa Pearl Line is a 17km scenic route connecting five islands via five consecutive bridges, built in 1966 to end…
Kikuchi Valley
Kikuchi Valley is a 4km walking trail following the Kikuchi River through a gorge of broadleaf forest, designated as one…
Illustration — not a photographKarashi Renkon
Karashi renkon (辛子蓮根) is Kumamoto's signature food — lotus root stuffed with spicy mustard-miso paste, coated in batter,…
Kumamoto Contemporary Art Museum
The Kumamoto Contemporary Art Museum occupies a modernist building (designed by Kazuyo Sejima) in the heart of downtown,…
Myoken Fireworks Festival
The Yatsushiro Myoken Festival fireworks (October) is consistently ranked among Japan's top three fireworks competitions…
Aso Aka-Ushi (Red Cattle) BBQ
Aso Aka-ushi (阿蘇赤牛) is a regional cattle breed raised on the volcanic grasslands of Mt. Aso. Unlike heavily marbled wagy…
Kurokawa Onsen
Kurokawa Onsen (黒川温泉) is a preserved onsen village in the mountains north of Mt. Aso, designed to look like an Edo-perio…
Shimotori & Kamitori Arcades
Shimotori and Kamitori are parallel covered shopping arcades running for 1.2km through central Kumamoto — the longest ar…
Suizenji Jojuen Garden
Suizenji Jojuen is a 400-year-old stroll garden that recreates the 53 stations of the Tokaido road in miniature landscap…
Kumagawa River Rafting
The Kumagawa River, flowing through the mountains of southern Kumamoto, is called 'Japan's three fastest-flowing rivers'…
Yamaga Onsen & Lantern Festival
Yamaga Onsen is a 1,800-year-old hot spring town in northern Kumamoto with alkaline waters (pH 9.5) that leave skin feel…
Amakusa Islands
The Amakusa Islands (120+ islands, population 100,000) were a center of hidden Christian faith during the 250-year prohi…
Basashi (Horse Sashimi)
Kumamoto is Japan's capital of basashi (馬刺し) — raw horse meat sliced thin and served with garlic, ginger, and sweet soy…
Mt. Aso Nakadake Crater
Mt. Aso is one of the world's largest active calderas (25km across) containing five volcanic peaks. Nakadake is the only…
Estimated from distance to the nearest airport or shinkansen station. Confirm actual journey times before you travel.