Kyushu Island in Japan: description, nature, attractions

The island of Kyushu is the third largest after Honshu and Hokkaido in the Japanese archipelago. Its area is more than forty thousand square kilometers. The island is located in the south and lies in the subtropical climatic zone. Mountainous terrain with active volcanoes attracts trekking fans. And hot springs - wishing to soak up, and at the same time and to be cured. There is an opinion that the entire Japanese civilization originated in Kyushu. So it or not, it is difficult to say, but it was from this island that the contacts of the Land of the Rising Sun with the outside world began. On ancient Russian maps, Kyushu was designated as Kiu-Siu or Kiu-Shiu. From the main Japanese island of Honshu it is separated by the Simonek strait. A bridge and numerous tunnels of Cammon (railway, road and pedestrian) are laid across this water obstacle. In this article we will tell you about the nature and sights of the island of Kyushu. It is rightly considered a famous tourist region.

Where is the island of Kyushu

This land is located closer to the coast of South Korea. Therefore Kyushu became the flagship of contact with Western civilizations after so many years of isolation. Most likely, ancient people from the mainland also arrived here. Therefore Kyushu is considered the cradle of Japanese culture. From the west the island is washed by the East China Sea. On the other hand, the Pacific Ocean approaches it. And in the northeast the Inner Sea of Japan is splashing. The island of Kyushu relief is mountainous. Only in the north-west there are plains and low hills. The highest point is the extinct paleo volcano Kuju (1,788 meters above sea level) - located almost in the center of the island. The western coast of Kyushu is heavily indented and abounds in picturesque bays. There are coal deposits (Hizen, Miike, Chikugo) on the island, although the mountains are composed of volcanic rocks, slates and granites.

Climate of Kyushu

Monsoon plays an important role in the formation of weather conditions. Although the island of Kyushu in Japan is characterized by a subtropical climate, most precipitation falls in the summer. The average annual rainfall is three thousand millimeters. Kyushu climate is characterized by pronounced altitudinal zonality. So, in January, on average, the air temperature in the mountains drops to zero, while on the coast the thermometer's column does not fall below +10 ° C. In the hottest month of the year, July, at altitude +15 ° C, while at the sea - whole +26 ° C. Winter monsoon often brings typhoons. In forming Kyushu climate, especially coastal zones, warm currents play a big role - Tsushima and Kuroshio. In the south of the island, tropical rainforests are prevalent, with ferns and palms prevailing. In the rest of Kyushu, vegetation is subject to high altitude zones. In the lower tier magnolia and camellia grow, above - pines, azaleas, cryptomeria, which are replaced by alpine meadows.

Seismological situation

In addition to the extinct Kudzu volcano, there is no shortage on the island in the active ones. The most active Aso, the height of 1592 meters. From him, the capricious and unpredictable Sakuradzima and Kirishima are not far behind. The whole island is considered a seismic zone. Not so long ago, Kyushu was in the first news line. In mid-April this year, there was a major earthquake in Japan on the island of Kyushu. Epicenter of it with a magnitude of eight points was near the city of Kumamoto. A series of aftershocks, which lasted a whole week, claimed forty-four human lives. More than a thousand people were injured. Due to landslides and destruction more than one hundred thousand people had to be evacuated. But such a dangerous seismological situation has another, attractive side. The non-cooling subsoil of the earth generates thermal springs. Aso, the most active volcano on the island of Kyushu, gives a steady income to the balneal resort of Beppu.

How to get to Kyushu

If you arrive to the island by air, you will most likely be met by Fukuoka International Airport. This hub connects many flights with Europe, Asia and the rest of Japan. The airports of the other Kyushu cities offer a smaller range of destinations. Most of them can fly to Shanghai and Seoul. In Fukuoka you can get from South Korea by ferry. The Sanyo-shinkansen high-speed railway starts in Osaka and leads to Kagoshima via Fukuoka. Trains also stop in Kokur and Hakata. The trip in such super-fast formations is equated to a tourist attraction: from Tokyo to Fukuoka all the way will take only an incomplete six hours. You can come to the island through the tunnel by bus. Willer Express sends its cars daily to Kyushu from Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

Things to do in Nagasaki

This port on the island of Kyushu is also one of the main cities of Japan. It is located in the west, on the shore of the Bay of Nagasaki. There are so many sights in this city that we can only list them. The World Park with the Museum of the Atomic Bomb and the memorial hall of the victims of the American bombing are indispensable for visiting. Puccini created the opera "Madame Butterfly", based on the real love story of Thomas Glover to the daughter of a samurai Tsuru Yamamura. In Nagasaki, there is a garden where a novel was played out. Other attractions of the city include Suva and Sanno-jinja temples, Urokami Cathedral, a monument to 26 Christian martyrs, Chinatown, Historical Museum, Ghost Island, Fukusai Monastery complexes, Sofuku and Kofuku-ji, Oura Church.

What to do in Kyushu

A mountainous landscape with active volcanoes is one of the attractive attractions of the island. In the list of "mast do" one of the items is a trip on an old train with three trailers "Hitooshi-go", which runs from the above-mentioned point to Kumamoto along the picturesque places of the Kuma river valley . An interesting excursion to the peninsula of Simabara. Here in the seventeenth century there was an uprising, as a result of which all of Japan for two centuries became isolated from the rest of the world. Simabar was allowed to come only to Dutch and Chinese merchants, and even then on a very limited quota. The country of the rising sun opened its ports for foreigners only in 1854. A trip to the island of Kyushu will be incomplete without visiting the surroundings of Aso. This volcano has the world's largest caldera. Several pedestrian safety routes with observation platforms have been developed, from which a stunning view of the "lunar landscape" of lava fields of Aso opens. More extreme will be a trip to Kagoshima. Volcanic ash from Sakuradzim falls on the roofs of this city as often as rain.

Kyushu Island: attractions

Fukuoka is an eternally young and boisterous city. Night clubs, museums of highly scientific technologies and traditional Japanese culture coexist side by side here. Here you can go to a performance in the theaters of Kabuki and No, as well as communicate with robots of the newest design in Robosquare. It's also good to see Fukuoka from a bird's eye view, climbing a 234-meter tower. In Kumamoto, the Fujisaki temple, the castle and the garden of Suidziji are compulsory. Kyushu is famous throughout Japan for its thermal springs. To soak in them, you should go to the resort of Beppu. The most famous is the complex of hot springs under the sinister name "Nine Hells". If you like mountain tracking, go to Kirishima's southern volcanic chain. Well, if you are a fan of surfing, go to the beaches of Miyazaki.

What to try and buy for memory

Kyushu Island is famous for its cuisine. In Kumamoto you need to try the crown dish karashirenkon. This is a lotus stalk stuffed with mustard seeds, fried in wheat and soy bread. On the island of Kyushu, as in Catalonia, black pigs are grown. Therefore, the local specialty is the Japanese analogue of the hamon - thin-boned ramen. The sausage dish is a raw horsemeat under soy sauce, which is eaten with ginger. On the southern island of Kyushu, various tropical fruits and sugar cane are grown. From drinks, you should try a shochu. This region is famous for its pottery. The dishes should be bought in Arita and Karatsu.