Backpack trails in Japan - Kyushu 九州篇
Chapter A - Kagoshima 鹿兒島
[Kagoshima Memory-A: Sakurajima-櫻島] Since the departure from Okinawa, it’s been 24hrs on the ferry. Finally, I arrived at Kagoshima Port very early. After walking to the hostel, I set off towards Sakurajima Island (櫻島). However, there was a heavy rain suddenly. I had to take shelter in a 7-Eleven and had breakfast. I bought a ‘cute pass’ for the two-day transportation and then on my way to Sakurajima. Here, I met Amasen, a elder japanese from Sakurajima.
Amasen offered to give me a tour of the island via his car! Perhaps I was too naive :) I agreed with him. But the situation had a twist. He asked me to pay a lot for the fuel and also for lunch in return :( Since we were eating together, I paid for his ramen, but I refused to pay for the fuel as it would cost me too much :( After that, we parted ways (he looked unhappy). But it was nice to continue my journey alone – it felt more comfortable!
After I soaked in the foot bath on Sakurajima (it is said to be the longest foot bath in Japan), I walked along the coastline on the old volcanic rock path. The path was lined with black volcanic stones from the nearby Sakurajima Volcano. Fortunately, on the way back, the rain was over and the fog cleared up, such that I finally saw the glowing peak of Sakurajima volcano before the sunset.
[Kagoshima Memory-B: Sengan-en 仙嚴園 with Alison] At the second day, it was still drizzling in the morning. So I slept in for a bit and left around noon. I met an Irish traveler named Alison! And we hit it off right away. She had a fascinating background— had taught English in France and Italy before coming to Japan for travel. She was also planning to pursue a PhD in Multi-lingual studies, focusing on the relationship between languages and their evolution/fading across the world.
We had the same goal for the day, which was to visit Sengan-en, so we decided to go together. The weather was great—not too hot—and the visibility of the Sakurajima volcano was very clear. We took a lot of pictures.
Following a recommendation from our host, Shoko-san, we decided to visit a nearby onsen, Chouju-sen (長壽泉), which is located on the mountain and has three pools—two hot and one cold. The bath was incredibly relaxing, and we also tried the sauna. The price was very affordable!
[Kagoshima Memory-C: June Lantern Festival 六月燈會 with Alison] In the evening, we went to a nearby festival and tried our luck with a fortune slip. We drew “Daikichi” (Great Luck 大吉) together! It suggests that the rest of our trip would go smoothly without any problems. It was my first time seeing such a large festival in Japan (I will see more soon:). The entire shrine was packed with people, and there were stalls everywhere. It felt like something out of the Japanese anime scenes I used to watch as a kid on TV. The day with alison is really a great memory!
Chapter B - Ibusuki 指宿
[Ibusuki Memory-A] Southernmost JR Station in Japan - Nishi-Oyama Station (西大山站) & Cape NagasakiBana (長崎鼻)
Continuing my journey, I took a train from Kagoshima city to Ibusuki. I found a very nice guesthouse! I rent a bicycle here, and set off towards the southernmost coast—Cape NagasakiBana. On the way, I stopped by the southernmost JR station in Japan—Nishi-Oyama Station(西大山站)—to take a quick photo.
[Bottom Left] Waiting for the train at Kagoshima. [Bottom Right] Riding the bicycle to Cape NagasakiBana.
The view at Cape NagasakiBana was absolutely stunning! I met two Austrian travelers (Jacob and Mani) here, and we had a great conversation, though we lost track of time:) So when we were ready to head back, it had already gotten dark. Since my bicycle didn’t have lights, it was quite dangerous for me to go back alone. Fortunately, they decided to help me and offered to drive me with my bike back to the hostel !!!
Ps. their car is pretty small, so it was quite a challenge to fit my bike in the car :) I am so grateful for their help.
After a few attempts, we succeeded! They drove me back, and we took a group photo together. It turned out to be an amazing day! Hope to see them again in Europe.
[Right] Me in front of the Kaimondake Valcano 開聞岳 (where I will climb tomorrow).
[Ibusuki Memory-B] Kaimon-dake, 開聞岳, the “Fuji of Satsuma”.
Following the recommendation from Yoko-san (guesthouse owner), I decided to try climbing the nearby famous volcano—Mount Kaimondake. I put on my hiking shoes, packed two bottles of water and some bread, and set off.
Once I arrived, I spent a lot of time trying to find the trailhead, and then realized I might miss the bus back. In the end, I decided to go ahead with the climb anyway. It took me five and a half hours to go up and down the mountain. My clothes, pants, and even my backpack were soaked with sweat. By the time I descended, I was exhausted, but the moment I reached the summit, it felt all worth it!
This was my first attempt at climbing a volcano, and after the sixth section of the trail, it became extremely steep. I had to use both hands to climb the entire way, making it quite dangerous. But in the end, it was a very fulfilling experience. I even managed to find an electric bike to get back home.
Chapter C - Kumamoto 熊本
[Kumamoto Memory] Searching for Kumamon 尋找熊本熊 + Kumamoto Castle
I set off early in the morning to search for Kumamon 熊本熊, the Kumamoto mascot, and headed to the Kumamoto Prefecture office. Unfortunately, it wasn’t yet time for the performance. So, I visited Kumamoto Castle instead, which has been rebuilt twice—once after a large fire many years ago and again after the major earthquake last century. Despite the reconstructions, the castle still retains its unique charm and is very beautiful. You can even go inside and explore.
At lunchtime, I happened upon a soba shop specializing in oil-sautéed buckwheat noodles, with a long line of high school students waiting. It seemed like it must be delicious, so I joined the queue. It didn’t disappoint—the noodles were spicy and fantastic. The restaurant is called the “東京油組總本店”. I’ll definitely remember the name for next time. Afterward, it was time for travel—bus, ferry, and then another bus to Unzen. It took a total of three hours. I was exhausted.
Chapter D - Unzen 雲仙
[Unzen Memory-A] I arrived at Shimabara Unzen City, where I would stay for two nights. The accommodation wasn’t as great as I had imagined; the pillow was really hard, so I couldn’t sleep comfortably :( The interesting thing is that just in front of the guesthouse is the entrance to hell (Jigoku 地獄). So I could say I lived around the hell for two nights.
In the evening, I visited a nearby sulfur hot spring. It was quite hot, but still enjoyable. I met a French traveler named Lior, but we didn’t chat much at that time. Little did I know, there would be more to our story later on! :)
At the second day, I spent the morning resting at the hostel, though I didn’t rest as well as I’d hoped. In the afternoon, I went to the nearby Unzen Hell. Apart from the strong sulfur smell, it really did give off a “hellish” vibe. The high-temperature muddy water was constantly boiling, and thick steam rose from it. Afterward, I soaked in a nearby foot bath.
[Unzen Memory-B] In the evening, after the sulfur bath, I met another two French travelers here and was pleasantly surprised by how much fun the conversation turned out to be. Hugo worked at a French restaurant, and Hiji was a student who had moved to France to study. She worked at Hugo’s restaurant, and that’s how they met and became a couple. She really liked spicy food, and that evening, she brought out some microwave-heated crispy noodles or spicy noodles and shared them with us.
They were both really nice people. It turned out that they were continuing their journey in Japan, and their route was surprisingly similar to mine (though in the opposite direction, haha). Before I knew it, we were chatting into the late hours of the night and ended up taking a group photo together.
Chapter E - Nagasaki 長崎
[Nagasaki Memory-A] Atomic Bomb Museum, Historic Bridge, and Tomato Ramen.
At 9 AM, I took a bus from Unzen to Nagasaki. Fortunately, I found a decent hostel again after two nights of poor sleep, during which I felt completely worn out. At Almas Hostel, I ran into Alison, my companion from Kagoshima. We still got along really well. After catching up, we decided to head out together to visit the nearby Atomic Bomb Museum. It filled me with sadness at that momen. The number of deaths caused by the atomic bomb in Nagasaki was 70,000, while the Nanjing Massacre caused 200,000–300,000 deaths. I was struck by the weight of history.
In the evening, I tried the tomato ramen that Hugo and Hiji had recommended earlier—it was quite good. Later, Alison and I visited a nearby historic bridge. Since she was leaving tomorrow, we went back to the hostel for beer and a farewell chat.
[Nagasaki Memory-B] Saying Goodbye to Alison, and an Unexpected Reunion with Lior.
In the morning, I had to say goodbye to Alison. We went to a nearby café for lunch together. Alison mentioned how many friendships formed during travels tend to be fleeting, but she believed we were real friends and would have a lasting friendship (We are now! and have seen her again in Hong Kong recently).
By evening, I headed to the top of Mount Inasayama, where the view was breathtaking. I watched the sunset and the stunning nightscape of Nagasaki—it was absolutely beautiful.
Just as I was about to leave, I unexpectedly ran into Lior again. It felt like fate to meet him here. He was carrying a Sony camera (looked like an R3, he said) that he’d been using for years. I had a look at his photos—they were really impressive. Unfortunately, I was rushing to catch a ride, so we didn’t get to chat much.
Sadly, I missed the bus again and ended up waiting for a long time. It seems my timing still needs work!
[Nagasaki Memory-C] Dejima Port, Third Encounter with Lior, Nagasaki -> Fukuoka -> Osaka
Finally, it’s been the last day in Kyushu. I left Nagasaki and visited Dejima Port around noon. This port was the only gateway for foreign trade during Japan’s period of isolation. Many Dutch merchants lived here at the time.
After touring the area, I coincidentally ran into Lior again! He joked that I had put a GPS in his bag to track him down :) He recommended a nearby Chinese restaurant, which was quite good. There was also a young child at the restaurant serving tea, probably the owner’s child. In the afternoon, I took a train to Fukuoka Airport and arrived in Osaka at 10 PM!