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Day trips ✦ 日帰り旅行 ✦ Dazaifu ✦ Itoshima ✦ Nagasaki ✦ Beppu ✦ Weekend trips ✦ Hagi ✦ Day trips ✦ 日帰り旅行 ✦ Dazaifu ✦ Itoshima ✦ Nagasaki ✦ Beppu ✦ Weekend trips ✦ Hagi ✦ Day trips ✦ 日帰り旅行 ✦ Dazaifu ✦ Itoshima ✦ Nagasaki ✦ Beppu ✦ Weekend trips ✦ Hagi ✦ Day trips ✦ 日帰り旅行 ✦ Dazaifu ✦ Itoshima ✦ Nagasaki ✦ Beppu ✦ Weekend trips ✦ Hagi ✦
Day trips & weekends
All of Kyushu,train away
Three months is a lot of Saturdays. Hakata Station is a short ride from the studio, and from there trains and buses reach shrines, onsen towns, castles and islands. Tap any place to see how to get there and when to go.
All Under an hour About an hour Make a day of it Weekend trips
Under an hour Back by lunch, or make an easy afternoon of it.
太宰府 ~50 min Shrines & snacks · ~50 min from the studio
Dazaifu
The great shrine to the god of learning, a long approach lined with snack stalls, and a slower pace than the city.
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What to do
Dazaifu Tenmangu and its thousands of plum trees Umegae-mochi, grilled rice cakes filled with sweet red bean, sold all along the approach The Kyushu National Museum, reached by an escalator tunnel behind the shrine
Getting there
Subway to Tenjin, then the Nishitetsu line to Dazaifu with one quick change at Futsukaichi. The Dazaifu Liner bus from Hakata Bus Terminal also works.
Best time to go
Feb–Mar for plum blossoms. November for autumn leaves at the moss garden of Komyozen-ji.
Tip Go on a weekday morning. By noon on weekends the approach is shoulder to shoulder.
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南蔵院 ~50 min Temple · ~50 min from the studio
Nanzoin
A 41-meter bronze Buddha lying on its side in the forested hills of Sasaguri. Bigger than you're picturing.
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What to do
The reclining Buddha, one of the largest bronze statues in the world Rows of small stone Buddhas along the stream and stairs Quiet forest paths that are part of the Sasaguri pilgrimage route
Getting there
Walk or ride the subway to Hakata Station, then take the JR Sasaguri Line to Kido-Nanzoin-mae. It's a short walk uphill from there.
Best time to go
Any season. November is lovely when the maples turn.
Tip It's an easy half day. Go in the morning and you're back in Hakata for lunch.
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海の中道 ~45 min Ferry & flowers · ~45 min from the studio
Uminonakamichi
Take a ferry across Hakata Bay to a huge seaside park with flower fields, bike paths and an aquarium.
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What to do
Seasonal flower fields: blue nemophila in spring, cosmos in autumn Marine World, Fukuoka's aquarium, right by the ferry pier Rent a bike and ride the paths through the park
Getting there
Walk about 20 minutes (or take a short taxi) to Bayside Place Hakata, then catch the Uminonakamichi ferry across the bay.
Best time to go
April for nemophila, October for cosmos.
Tip Take the ferry back near sunset for the city skyline from the water.
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About an hour Leave after breakfast, home for dinner.
柳川 ~1 hr Canals & eel · ~1 hr from the studio
Yanagawa
A castle town laced with canals. You float through it on a wooden boat poled by a boatman who may sing to you.
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What to do
A slow canal boat ride, around an hour, past willows and old stone walls Unagi no seiromushi, eel steamed over rice in a lacquered box Ohana, the old villa and garden of the Tachibana lords
Getting there
Subway to Tenjin, then the Nishitetsu limited express to Yanagawa. Nishitetsu sells a combined train and boat ticket at Tenjin.
Best time to go
December to February, when the boats have kotatsu heated tables. Spring brings the hanging sagemon dolls.
Tip Ask at Nishitetsu Tenjin for the Yanagawa sightseeing ticket before you go. It saves money and a queue.
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糸島 ~1 hr Beach & cafés · ~1 hr from the studio
Itoshima
Fukuoka's beach getaway: clear water, surf shacks, salt makers and cafés with a view of the sea.
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What to do
The wedded rocks of Sakurai Futamigaura, with a white torii standing in the sea Seaside cafés and the salt workshops along the coast Oyster huts in winter, where you grill your own over charcoal
Getting there
The Kuko subway line runs straight through to Chikuzen-Maebaru. From there, take a local bus. A rental car is the easiest way to hop along the coast.
Best time to go
Summer for the beaches. Oyster huts run in the colder months.
Tip Stay for sunset at Futamigaura. It sets right behind the rocks.
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北九州 ~1 hr Castle & retro port · ~1 hr from the studio
Kitakyushu
Two stops in one day: Kokura's castle and market, then the old harbor district of Mojiko.
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What to do
Kokura Castle and Tanga Market, the city's covered food market Mojiko Retro, a port district of early 1900s brick and stone buildings Walk the undersea tunnel beneath the Kanmon Strait to Honshu
Getting there
Shinkansen from Hakata to Kokura (under 20 minutes), then the JR line to Mojiko.
Best time to go
Any season. The Kanmon Strait fireworks are in August.
Tip Try yaki-curry, Mojiko's baked curry with cheese, before you head home.
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熊本 ~1 hr 15 Castle · ~1 hr 15 from the studio
Kumamoto
One of Japan's great castles, rebuilt after the 2016 earthquake, plus a classic strolling garden.
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What to do
Kumamoto Castle and its restored main keep Suizen-ji Jojuen, a garden built to look like a miniature landscape Kumamoto ramen, tonkotsu with a hit of black garlic oil
Getting there
Shinkansen from Hakata to Kumamoto, then the city tram to the castle.
Best time to go
Late March, when the castle grounds fill with cherry blossoms.
Tip Stop by Kumamon Square, a short walk from the castle, to say hi to Kumamoto's famous bear mascot.
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Make a day of it An early start and a late train home.
唐津 ~1.5 hr Castle by the sea · ~1.5 hr from the studio
Karatsu
A small castle town on a bay, known for its pottery, its pine forest and its November festival.
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What to do
Karatsu Castle, looking out over the bay Niji no Matsubara, a pine grove that runs for kilometers along the beach Karatsu-yaki pottery studios and galleries
Getting there
Some Kuko subway trains run straight through to Karatsu, so you can ride all the way from Nakasu-Kawabata with no change.
Best time to go
November 2 to 4 for Karatsu Kunchi, when giant festival floats are pulled through town.
Tip Add Yobuko, a bus ride away, for the morning market and squid sashimi.
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長崎 ~2 hr Harbor city · ~2 hr from the studio
Nagasaki
A hilly port city shaped by centuries of trade, with a history that deserves an unhurried visit.
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What to do
The Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum Glover Garden and Dejima, the old trading post The night view from Mount Inasa
Getting there
The Relay Kamome train from Hakata, changing at Takeo-Onsen to the Nishi-Kyushu shinkansen. Highway buses from Hakata Bus Terminal are slower but cheaper.
Best time to go
The Lantern Festival around Lunar New Year, usually in February.
Tip It's a full day. If you want the night view, consider staying over.
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別府 ~2.5 hr Hot springs · ~2.5 hr from the studio
Beppu
Steam rises from the streets in Japan's hot spring capital. Soak, get buried in hot sand, eat food cooked by the earth.
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What to do
The Hells of Beppu, a tour of boiling, colorful hot springs A hot sand bath by the sea Food steamed in hot spring vents at Kannawa
Getting there
The Sonic limited express from Hakata Station, about two hours along the coast.
Best time to go
Early April for the Beppu Hatto Onsen Matsuri, the city's big hot spring festival. One night, the whole hillside of Mount Ogi is set alight to welcome spring, followed by fireworks. Late autumn and winter are best for soaking.
Tip Bring a small towel. Many local baths don't provide one.
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由布院 ~2.5 hr Onsen village · ~2.5 hr from the studio
Yufuin
A countryside hot spring town under Mount Yufu, with galleries, sweet shops and a lake that steams in the morning.
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What to do
Lake Kinrin, misty on cool mornings Yunotsubo Kaido, the main street of shops and snacks Yufuin Floral Village, a storybook lane of stone cottages, little shops and an owl forest A day-use onsen with a view of Mount Yufu
Getting there
The Yufuin no Mori sightseeing train from Hakata (reserved seats only), or a highway bus from Hakata Bus Terminal.
Best time to go
Autumn and early winter, for the morning mist on the lake.
Tip Yufuin no Mori seats sell out. Book as soon as you know your date.
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Weekend trips 3+ hours away. Pack a bag and stay the night.
萩 ★ Our favorite ~3 hr Samurai town by the sea · ~3 hr from the studio
Hagi
Our favorite place in western Japan. A quiet castle town of white-walled samurai lanes, summer orange trees leaning over old walls, and pottery kilns that have been firing for 400 years.
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What to do
The old castle town, with samurai houses and earthen walls you can wander for hours Hagi-yaki pottery studios, where you can watch the potters and buy straight from the kiln The castle ruins and Kikugahama beach, right next to each other on the sea Shoin Shrine and the sites tied to the birth of modern Japan
Getting there
Shinkansen from Hakata to Shin-Yamaguchi, then the Super Hagi bus into town (about an hour).
Best time to go
May, when the natsumikan orange trees bloom and the whole town smells like citrus. Autumn is lovely too.
Tip Rent a bike. The town is flat and small, and the best lanes are too narrow for buses. If you have a car, stop at Motonosumi Shrine and the Tsunoshima Bridge on the way.
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黒川温泉 ~3 hr Hot spring village · ~3 hr from the studio
Kurokawa Onsen
A tiny riverside onsen village in the mountains, where you walk between inns in a yukata with a wooden bath pass.
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What to do
Onsen hopping with a wooden pass that gets you into three outdoor baths A night at a ryokan, with dinner served in your room The Aso caldera and its grasslands, close by
Getting there
Highway bus from Hakata Bus Terminal, about two and a half hours. Seats must be booked ahead.
Best time to go
Autumn and winter. Snow on the outdoor baths is the dream.
Tip There are no ATMs in the village. Bring enough cash for the weekend.
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高千穂 ~4 hr Gorge & myth · ~4 hr from the studio
Takachiho
A deep gorge with a waterfall you can row up to, in the mountain town where Japanese myth says the gods came down to earth.
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What to do
Rowing a small boat through Takachiho Gorge to Manai Falls Amano Iwato Shrine and the cave where the sun goddess hid Yokagura, the nightly sacred dance at Takachiho Shrine
Getting there
Highway bus from Hakata Bus Terminal. Book ahead, as there are only a few each day.
Best time to go
Summer for green gorge views, November for autumn leaves.
Tip The rowboats book out on weekends. Reserve yours as soon as you arrive in town.
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屋久島 ~5 hr Island forest · ~5 hr from the studio
Yakushima
A wild island off southern Kyushu covered in moss and cedar trees that are thousands of years old. Protected as a World Heritage site.
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What to do
The moss forest of Shiratani Unsuikyo A full-day hike to Jomon Sugi, one of the oldest trees in Japan Waterfalls and hot springs along the coast road
Getting there
Shinkansen to Kagoshima-Chuo, then a high-speed ferry to the island. Flights are also an option.
Best time to go
Spring and autumn, between the summer heat and the winter chill.
Tip It rains here more than almost anywhere in Japan. Bring real rain gear and give it at least two nights.
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Times are approximate, door to door from the studio, and depend on connections. Check the timetable before you go.
