This is a cape area at the Sada peninsula in Ehime prefecture. At the tip is situated the lighthouse (height - 18m, light extension range 49 meters), and on a clear day, visitors can view Beppu and Kyushu from afar. This area was also a military base during the war, and remains that evidence this can be seen in this area.
This is a hot spring bath in Beppu City. It has 1300 years of history, and boasts the highest volume of natural hot spring water in Japan. It was built around the 8 Onsen towns known as the "8 baths", and due to the sulphuric smells, it has a famous "Beppu hell tour" with the "water hell", "blood pond hell", "white pond hell" and "tornado hell". There are also plenty of sand baths and bedrock baths.
A castle built in 1601 by Todo Takatora. In 1615, the castle ownership was taken over by the eldest son of Date Masamune, known as Hidemune, who carried out various reservations, to produce the castle that is seen today. At the time of being built, the northern side was said to be impenetrable due to facing the sea. The castle has an unusual pentagon shaped castle tower tiers. On the roof, there is a decorative tile which is said to have been included to wish for luck and longevity.
This is a 1583m high active volcano in Yufu city. Due to its resemblance to Mount Fuji, it is sometimes called the "Bungo Fuji". It has been historically known as a site of worship and object of reverence, and also appears as a holy mountain in the "Kojiki" anthology. It is ideal for those who don't wish to climb the mountain as well as the railway is also popular with train enthusiasts, with the route having amazing scenery of Mount Yufu in its backdrop.
This is an island on the Setouchi coast, in Ehime prefecture. It is also known as the cat island due to the approximately 100 wild cats that live on the island, which has made the area popular in recent years, and of course, particularly so for cat lovers! However, it is important to be aware that there are no lodging or food facilities at all - even vending machines!
This is an Onsen close to Kinrin Pond, which is at the foot of Mount Yufu. The volume of hot spring water is the second largest in Japan. It has the distinct characteristic of having numerous luxury traditional Japanese lodgings which are integrated into the natural surroundings with the minimum of disturbance. The central Yufu street in this area has many fashionable miscellaneous goods shops, and restaurants, making it popular with visitors young and old.
This is a valley in the northern part of Oita Prefecture, one of the three most famous in Japan. It is an extremely old value which has stellar views of the rock formations made by the volcanic activity from around 2.6 million years ago and has views of numerous unusual rock formations. There are countless spectacular scenes along the way, and they are collectively referred to as the sixty-six landscapes of the Yabakei Gorge.
This is an onsen in the northern part of Mount Aso. It is one of the most well recognized Onsen areas, with 2 stars from the Michelin tourism guide. It was built with the concept of the town roads being a "corridor" with each guest inn as a "room", and was built whilst maintaining integration with the natural surroundings. It is popular for those visiting several different Onsen.
This is the longest river in Shikoku, at 196 kilometers, that flows through the western part of Kochi prefecture. It is known as one of Japan's last pure river flows, by the fact that the river's water path is not established by a man made dam. It is ideal for experiencing the natural local areas due to the various rafting, canoeing and other boating experiences available.
A castle built in 1603 by Kato Yoshiakira, it is one of Japan's 12 remaining castle towers, and was awarded 2 stars in the Michelin tourist guide. It was Japan's last complete castle tower to be built, and symbolizes the Momoyama era(1568-1600) culture in which it was built. In the morning of the weekends, one can see the traditional "castle drumming" which was originally used to escort people quickly into the castle.
This is Japan's oldest onsen hot spring town with 3000 years of history, situated in Matsuyama city. It has been cherished by many emperors over the years, including nobles such as Prince Shotoku, as well as cultural influencers such as Kobayashi Issa and Natsume Soseki. There are plentiful food and drink establishments, including the Dogo Onsen center at the center. ※Credit:旅と温泉の無料写真素材 おんふぉと http://on-photo.com/
This is a temple of the Shingon Buzan sect, and built in 729 AD. The main object of worship is known as Yakushi Nyorai, and is said to be built based on the legend of the second coming of Emonzaburo. There is also a famous area where visitors walk along a long tunnel, where the buddhist ideas of the Taizo-kai (fertility and life giving) and Kongo-kai strength as hard as the toughest diamond, representing unwavering strength). It has also be awarded one star in the Michelin tourist guide.
This is a hot spring in Unzen city, built in 701 AD. From the Edo era(1603-1868) up until the Meiji era(1868-1912), it developed as a resort area for many foreigners who visited Nagasaki, with Sea Bolt being one of the first. The 30 Onsen have the smell of the naturally occurring sulphur and smoke, known as the "Unzen hell". It also has a sad history of being witness to Christian martyrdom.
This is a shrine with an unknown date of construction, with the shrine deities being the Izanagi no Kami (Male God) and Izanami no Kami (Goddess), and the Iwagimi Shogunate. There is a mysterious path up to the shrine of 260 steps, at the top of which is situated the shrine. It is said that the sacred Nageia tree brings fortune in love with the, Ugeto rock bringing fortune for success. Because it became the stage of animation "It is also the setting for the anime "Hotarubi no Mori e", and many fans make the trip here to see the original setting in the flesh.
This is a canyon of the Gokase River, located at the prefectural border of Miyazaki and Kumamoto. A cliff that reaches 80-100 meters high continues over into the distance for 7 km. It is a mystery of nature formed by the large eruption of Mount Aso. It is the land of "Tenson Korin" (who is believed to be a descendent of the grandson of the great God Amaterasu, Ninigi). Boat trips are also popular in this area.