Hiking in Southern Japan
The Trails of Kyushu & Yakushima
Printable version of trip itinerary
Traveling in Japan in 2024: What to Expect
Explore the mountain trails of Japan’s southern islands of Kyushu and Yakushima. Enjoy hikes in the volcanic wonderlands of the Kirishima-Kinkowan and Aso-Kuju National Parks punctuated by active volcanoes, enlivened by bubbling hot springs, graced by placid crater lakes, and adorned by woodlands ablaze in autumn color. On the remote island of Yakushima, one of Japan’s pre-eminent natural treasures, immerse yourself in the dense greenery of primeval cedar forests and explore the island’s lonely granite peaks. After a day on the trail, retire to comfortable lodgings and treat yourself to a hot spring (onsen) bath–one of the joys of traveling in Japan. Some have called Kyushu Japan’s friendliest and most beautiful island. Join us and see for yourself!
Arrival Day
Arrive at southern Kyushu’s Kagoshima Airport. Transfer on your own via airport limousine bus from Kagoshima Airport to the Kagoshima-chuo bus station in downtown Kagoshima. The group meeting hotel (the Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel) is adjacent to this bus stop. Note that your accommodations for this evening in Kagoshima are not included in the trip price, but we are happy to assist you in securing lodging for this evening.
The blue crater lake of Rokukannon with flat-topped Mount Koshiki volcano in the background.
Day 1
Overnight at Kirishima Onsen
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Travel by vehicle into the mountains of the Kirishima Volcanic Range. Start your exploration of the Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park with a loop hike that leads you past a pair of lovely blue crater lakes and a grove of giant Japanese cedar trees. If you desire, you can extend the hike by tackling the trail that climbs steeply to the summit of Mount Koshiki. Mount Koshiki’s broad and shallow summit crater encloses a protected wetland. The view to the south is dominated by Mount Karakuni and its steaming vent known as Ioyama (“sulfur mountain”). After the hikes travel a short distance to Kirishima Onsen, a hot springs resort village in a wooded setting on the southern flanks of the Kirishima Mountains.
Mount Karakuni and Lake Byakushi.
Day 2
Overnight at Kirishima Onsen
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today, you’ll have the opportunity to hike to the summit of Mount Karakuni (Karakuni-dake), the highest point in the Kirishima Range. The well-traveled trail ascends the mountain’s western slope steadily gaining elevation. As you approach the summit, the forest is replaced by high elevation plant communities including ground-hugging azalea bushes. From the summit, the walls of Mount Karakuni’s yawning (but presently dormant) crater fall away abruptly to the north. To the southwest is a wonderful view of Mount Shinmoe, it’s broad summit caldera (which once held a lake) now filled with black lava from the 2018 eruptions. On clear days, you can make out the massive and active Sakurajima volcano rising out of Kagoshima Bay twenty-six miles to the south. If you’re up for more hiking, you can set off on a second hike that circumnavigates the rim of Lake Onami, perhaps the most beautiful of the many crater lakes that grace the Kirishima Range.
The lava-filled caldera of Mount Shinmoe with the sharp peak of Mount Takachiho beyond.
Reflection of Kaimondake.
Day 3
Overnight in Ibusuki
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This morning, you’ll travel by vehicle south toward the seaside town of Ibusuki in Kyushu’s far southwest for the hike to the summit of Kaimondake (Mount Kaimon). This lovely cone-shaped peak is number ninety nine on the Nihon Hyaku-meizan, a list of one hundred famous Japanese mountains compiled in the early 1960s by a Japanese mountaineer. Follow the trail as it spirals up the slopes of the volcano and enjoy sweeping views over land and sea from the summit. After the hike, travel a short distance to your hotel in Ibusuki where sweeping views over the ocean await. You’ll notice that Ibusuki’s mild climate allows hibiscus and even bananas to flourish! Warmed by the flow of hot spring waters, Ibusuki’s steaming beaches offer the opportunity for “sand bathing,” a unique spa experience.
Looking out from the Fifth Station viewpoint on Kaimondake.
The forests of Shiratani-Unsuikyo.
Day 4
Overnight on Yakushima
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Depart Ibusuki by ferry boat this morning bound for the island of Yakushima, a lush, sub-tropical paradise boasting primeval forests of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria), waterfalls and granite mountain peaks. Yakushima’s wilderness treasures were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1993. Much of the central portion of Yakushima is also a national park managed by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment. Upon arrival, travel by vehicle to the dense forests of Shiratani-Unsuikyo, said to be the inspiration for the settings in Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film, Princess Mononoke. A choice of hikes is offered in this mystical wonderland of ancient twisted trees and cascading brooks. You’ll discover several fine examples of the island’s venerable yakusugi (the Japanese name given to cedars that are over a thousand years old). Energetic hikers might consider a push to the granite rock of Taiko-iwa for a view over Yakushima’s forest wilderness. After the hikes, travel by vehicle to your hotel on Yakushima’s southern coast and settle in for a two-night stay.
View into the wilderness core of Yakushima from granite-topped Mount Kuromi.
Day 5
Overnight in Yakushima
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
If the weather is fine, enjoy a hike to the picturesque Hana-no-ego moorlands. If you desire, you can push on to the granite outcroppings on the top of Mount Kuromi for views over Yakushima’s mountainous wilderness core. If weather conditions make the ascent into Yakushima’s highlands infeasible, explore lower elevation trails for additional close encounters with Yakushima’s classic forest landscapes.
Senpiro Falls, Yakushima.
Day 6
Overnight in Yufuin
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After breakfast, depart for Yakushima’s airport. En route, take a brief stroll to the Senpiro Falls viewpoint where you can enjoy the spectacle of this lovely waterfall spilling into a granite-walled gorge. Continue to Yakushima Airport where you’ll board a plane for the one hour flight to Fukuoka in northern Kyushu. A short distance from the airport, enjoy a short “leg-stretcher” hike on Mount Tenpai. After the hike, continue by vehicle to the hot spring resort town of Yufuin, your base for the next two evenings.
The Yufudake volcano (Mount Yufu) and its twin summits.
Day 7
Overnight in Yufuin
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today’s hikes take you up the slopes of Mount Yufu, the twin-peaked volcano that presides over the town of Yufuin. The trail to the summit switchbacks gently but steadily up the mountain’s southern flank. The path steepens just before reaching the saddle between Yufudake’s two summits. A steep but short trail leads to the east summit from where far-ranging views over a landscape of rolling hills opens up before you. To the west the waters of Beppu Bay sparkle, and on clear days you can make out the peaks of the Kuju volcano, Kyushu’s highest point, to the southwest. If you’d like a bit more hiking you can add the short “out and back” hike to Yufudake’s subsidiary peak of Imorigajo.
A view of the summit area atop Mount Kuju.
Day 8
Overnight at Mount Aso
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After breakfast, travel by vehicle from Yufuin to the Makinoto Pass where you’ll begin a hike up the slopes of Mount Kuju (Kuju-san), a centerpiece of the Aso-Kuju National Park. Bamboo grass and azalea bushes line the trail as you ascend the slopes of the volcano. Once you gain the open ridge, the views extend south over the Senomoto Plateau toward the peaks and caldera of Mount Aso. Enjoy the “top of the world” views from Mount Kuju’s summit before descending. A longer descent option leads you down the northern flanks of the volcano past the steaming Mount Io and through the Bogatsuru marshlands (a Ramsar Convention wetland). After the hikes, head south by highway and descend into the fifteen-mile-wide volcanic caldera of Mount Aso (Asosan). Today, the caldera floor is covered in farm fields and is home to several villages. Settle in for a two-night stay.
Mount Aso’s steaming Nakadake crater seen from the slopes of Eboshidake.
Day 9
Overnight at Mount Aso
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This morning, travel by road up the slopes of Mount Aso to the picturesque, grassy highland plain of Kusasenri-ga-hama. Here, the Aso-Kuju National Park Visitor Center provides a concise introduction to the natural and human history of the Mount Aso region (in English). The center of the Mount Aso volcano consists of five separate peaks and the choice of hikes on this day will depend on the volcano’s level of activity at the time of our visit. If the volcano is quiet, we’ll attempt the trail to the summit of Taka-dake, Mount Aso’s highest point. On the way to the top, you can peer into the impressive, steaming crater of Naka-dake, the second highest of Mount Aso’s five summits. If Takadake is not accessible, we’ll enjoy the day hiking on Mount Eboshi and Mount Kishima–Mount Aso’s fourth and fifth highest points. A farewell dinner this evening caps off your Kyushu hiking adventure!
Departure Day
Breakfast included
Following breakfast, we will provide one complimentary transfer from the hotel to Kumamoto Airport. Planned arrival time at Kumamoto Airport is 9:15 AM. Please plan your departure from Kumamoto for no earlier than 10:45 AM.
Japanese andromeda (Pieris japonica) in bloom at Kusasenri-ga-hama, Aso-Kuju National Park.
Other Resources
The national parks of Japan are administered by the Ministry of the Environment. Learn more about Japan’s national park system.
Watch this “audio-visual poem” about Yakushima presented by UNESCO and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Lake Onami, Kirishima Mountains.
Printable version of trip itinerary
Traveling in Japan in 2024: What to Expect
Photos on this page are by John Osaki (© All Rights Reserved).
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