Kyūshū
Cheap it isn't, but how often can you stay in a samurai house? This large (100 sq metre) former castle guard house has been renovated in Japanese minimalist-modernist style (dark wood, stone floors, kitchen, cypress bathtub) and sleeps up to six, with options for futons or beds. It's a real retreat, and the owner provides a list of local restaurants.
Arrangements are handled out of Komura Kinenkan Museum. Prices do not include tax.
6.91 MILES
Reached via a coastal path, this brightly painted Shintō shrine occupies an open cavern overlooking unusual rock formations in the cove below. In 2017 the…
14.24 MILES
The first thing you'll notice as you cross the Yayoibashi bridge (120m) to the island of Aoshima is the unique geological feature surrounding it. Called…
14.19 MILES
This colourful, photogenic shrine on the island of Aoshima is a favourite of visitors seeking luck in love. To the right of the main shrine, a path lined…
22.52 MILES
The park's centrepiece is the 37m-high Peace Tower monument constructed in 1940, a time when peace in Japan was about to disappear. Its timeless design…
13.22 MILES
West of town, an 8km-long, well-maintained hiking path winds through this forested gorge following the Kaeda-gawa, a refreshingly clear stream filled with…
21.83 MILES
This shrine honours Emperor Jimmu, the semi-mythical first emperor of Japan and founder of the Yamato court. Spectacular centuries-old wisteria vines…
20.37 MILES
Steps away from Miyazaki Station, this family-friendly interactive science museum boasts one of the world's largest planetariums; some exhibits include…
0.16 MILES
Only the seriously imposing walls of the original Obi-jō are intact, but the grounds and surrounding area host several important buildings, including the…
0.16 MILES
Only the seriously imposing walls of the original Obi-jō are intact, but the grounds and surrounding area host several important buildings, including the…
6.91 MILES
Reached via a coastal path, this brightly painted Shintō shrine occupies an open cavern overlooking unusual rock formations in the cove below. In 2017 the…
12.07 MILES
Just off the coast from Ishinami-kaigan, the tiny island of Kō-jima is home to a group of monkeys that apparently rinse their food in the ocean before…
13.22 MILES
West of town, an 8km-long, well-maintained hiking path winds through this forested gorge following the Kaeda-gawa, a refreshingly clear stream filled with…
5. Miyako Botanic Garden Aoshima
13.88 MILES
On the mainland across from Aoshima island, this manicured garden is home to 64 species of fruit tree.
14.17 MILES
At Aoshima-jinja, this museum tells the story of sun goddess Amaterasu, Emperor Jimmu and the founding of Japan in wax-museum-style dioramas with English…
14.19 MILES
This colourful, photogenic shrine on the island of Aoshima is a favourite of visitors seeking luck in love. To the right of the main shrine, a path lined…
14.24 MILES
The first thing you'll notice as you cross the Yayoibashi bridge (120m) to the island of Aoshima is the unique geological feature surrounding it. Called…