Amakusa in a day: A Family-friendly Kyushu escape

The Amakusa Islands are one of those magical regions in Japan which don't seem to garner that much attention from visiting foreign tourists. Kyushu is already off the beaten path for what I would wager is 90% of western visitors, whom tread the overly worn path of Tokyo, Kyoto and maybe Osaka. For those who do make it as far as Kyushu, the likes of  Aso, Beppu, Nagasaki or Kagoshima are the most likely destinations of interest.

Take a look at Google Maps and you will see why; it's just a little bit out of the way. The chain of 120 islands is itself essentially an extension of the Uto Peninsula on the outskirts of Kumamoto. The Train line runs only to the end of the peninsula so a car is mandatory. For a sense of scale, travelling from Kumamoto City to Ushibuka, a town at the very bottom of the island chain is a 2.5 hour drive taking the most direct (and less scenic) route. Take a scenic route around the cost, making stops along the way and it becomes quite a lengthy excursion that deserves more time and planning to explore.

The Amakusa Islands are known for their Beaches and crystal clear waters

The chain of islands separates the Ariake Sea to the North and the Yatsushiro Sea to the South, with the Eastern Coast of the largest and mostly southerly Island, Shimoshima Island, facing out to the East China Sea. There are 3 main islands, Shimoshima as mentioned, and then moving North, Ueshima and Oyano. There are 120 islands in total, many of them tiny and uninhabited. In just about the geographical centre of the island chain is Amakusa City, a sizeable settlement of around 70,000 people with everything you may need, and a great base of operations for an extended stay to explore the area.

The Islands are green, rugged and hilly. There is beauty and mystery in the hills but the region is all about the coastline, of which there is an abundance of, with stunning views, crystal clear water and natural beaches. There is plenty to explore and really only people who live in the surrounding prefectures are likely to explore it fully, and it is a very popular summer holiday destination! It is actually one of the areas I would like us to consider moving to, however by doing so we would be limiting ourselves in both business opportunities and our daughters upbringing by virtue of being so out of the way. 

Our suggested Daytrip for Visitors

So you have made it to Kyushu and Kumamoto prefecture, you have heard about the Amakusa Islands but don't have the time to really explore so you consider giving it a miss until 'next time'

Well let me tell you about a little day trip you can do that will give you just enough of a taste! 

From a previous post you may know we were travelling with a Baby this year which meant we had to limit our daytrips somewhat and plan them around driving, nap times and food stops. And of course to be family friendly and entertaining for the little one as well as ourselves. For our recommended Daytrip to the Amakusa Islands, we head to the area around the top of the middle island, Ueshima.

How to get there

From Kumamoto City, you will need a car. It is possible to get to the area by public transport, however you won't have the mobility needed when you are actually in the area. From Kumamoto City, the drive is around 60km and will take around 1hr 20 minutes. 

From the central city take Route 3 south to Uto, then Route 57 west to Misumi followed by Route 266 South to Matsushima.

The route from Misumi, taking in the 5 bridges (marked in purple)

Misumi and the 5 Bridges

Once you clear the City of Kumamoto it is a rather nice drive. You follow the coastline along the Uto Peninsula which ends at the port town of Misumi, whereby I recommend stopping at Misumi West Port for a stroll and nosey around. For more information on this area, please see this post.

After Misumi you depart the Kyushu mainland over the first of 5 Bridges between Misumi and Ueshima. The gap between bridge 1 and 2 is rather lengthy - you need to drive through Kamiamakusa town and the length of Oyano Island first, and then they come thick and fast, surrounding you with fantastic views of islands and the sea. It's simply stunning. After the 5th bridge the Island hopping is complete and you will have reached Ueshima Island and can now head toward the first destination of the day.

Mt Unzen viewed from Mt Sengan

Mt Sengan

There are a number of viewpoints that exhibit the stunning vistas of the Islands. Mt Sengan is the most accessible, and as such is our recommendation to see the spectacular views of the journey you have just taken. Incidentally the best view point in the entire region is the least accessible, being much further away and requires travelling up a never-ending winding mountain road to get there; Mt Ryugatake if you are interested.

As far as Carparks go, the Mt Sengan Carpark is rather picturesque during Sakura.

At only 162m above sea level, Mt Sengan is hardly a large hill, but it has a prominent position at the top of the island and faces North to provide the views. From the main road, take a turn up a narrow mountain road for a few minutes and you will arrive at a generous carpark complete with toilets. I should mention that parking and the entrance are free.

The path up to the viewpoint of Mt Sengan

The walk to the top from the carpark is short and relatively easy. There are a lot of steps, though not steep and handrails are in places for safety. I seem to recall years ago it was not so, and that I had to climb and scramble up boulders but perhaps my memory is fuzzy or I took an alternative route. Either way, it is very accessible now for all ages, with views along the way. The walk ends in an open observatory area with a wide view across the sea to Mt Unzen.

Looking North toward Misumi from Mt Sengan

We came here on my first ever trip to Japan nearly 10 years ago and I had fond recollections of the stunning views on a warm spring day. The day we visited this year not so much. Single digit temperatures, an ice cold wind, and grey skies weren't ideal, though on the plus side it was Sakura and no-one else was around on a weekday. The conditions though meant I could not quite get the photos I wanted, nothing worse than dreary skies to rob the scene of colours and contrast!

Below are some photos of the information boards at Mt Sengan Park if you would like to learn more.

Sea Donut Aquarium

From Mt Sengan we now head back the way we came. Cross over one bridge to Maejima Island - a small island home to a few hotels, our favourite secret Onsen (that I'm not yet ready to share and it's not marked on google maps) and notably a large and slightly odd tourist shopping complex. This complex happens to be the entrance to the Sea Donut Aquarium, with ample parking, souvenir shops and places to eat nearby. You will walk through and past all of that, as the Aquarium is a short 5 minute walk alongside the sea. 

Getting close to the Dolphins at the Sea Donut Aquarium

The Aquarium was original built in 1982 and is essentially a 3200T moored boat, shaped like Donut, anchored to the ocean floor in four places to keep it in place. It is the only floating aquarium in western Japan. Underneath the Aquarium is cordoned off with nets to create a large and natural undersea aquarium with a depth of 18m.

Since the last time we visited they had increased the prices and done some renovations, though those renovations appeared to just be the new ticketing office on the land side of the Aquarium rather than anything done to the aquarium itself. 

Speaking of which, the costs are as follows: 1400 yen per adult, 900 for school age children, 500 yen for children over 4, and under 4s are free.

Inside the Sea Donut Aquarium

Moving on, once you have paid for your tickets at the nice new ticketing building you cross the bridge to the Aquarium proper. There are multiple levels inside and outside that you can freely explore. Outside has 360 degree views along with access to some outdoor enclosures where you can get close to Dolphins, and it is not often you can get this close and maybe even able to touch them! In the centre of the Donut there is a platform where you can feed the fish that reside underneath. Topside there is even a touching pool where the kids can freely touch some sea critters.

Head indoors and below decks to where the 'Aquarium' parts are. It's a nice design as you make your way right around. There is a lot of variety here given its relatively small size with many tanks to look into, and a number of areas with a child education focus making it great for kids. Portholes to the outside are present as you walk around and you can often see fish swimming in the surrounding sea. 

The Sea Donut aquarium is old and rather small. Yet, it is relatively unique and has charm. And for that alone I think it is worth a visit.

Below are some photos taken at the Sea Donut Aquarium. 

Pearl Sun Beach

Heading back North we made a little side excursion from the main road. In this area there are a number of inhabited islands in different directions, and a study of google maps discovered what looked like a nice looking beach. I wanted to check it out despite it being a freezing cold day not conducive to beach activities.

From the Main road as it crosses Nagaura Island you take a turn across that Island and then cross over to another Island, called Hiai Island. Then around the back of this island, is Hiai Pearl Sun beach.

Hiai Island (midground) seen from Mt Sengan

What a strange and interesting place this beach was. The Island itself is quite out of the way though plenty of people live there, no doubt working from the nearby fishing port. It's also host to a few expensive Air BnB's. Google lists the Beach as 'Temporarily closed' which added to the allure.

When we arrived our Baby was napping, and with it being absolutely freezing outside I ventured out alone from the empty carpark. Rounding the corner I was greeting by a large curved sandy beach with nice coastal views but immediately I could tell that the place was derelict. Large areas of the beach above the waterline were overgrown with grass, and as I kept walking I came across a number of structures that appeared unkept and unmaintained. For such a beautiful setting with no-one around it felt like a secret place long forgotten and I admittedly enjoyed that. I felt like I was the first person to visit in a long time. Of course it is entirely possible that the businesses usually operating from the buildings are seasonal, with no likely visitors for half the year perhaps it is just easier to close up shop and just do a big clean up in preparation of warmer temperatures every year.

Takamoku Island at Hiai Beach

There is more to Hiai beach than just the sand, clear water and some debatably abandoned buildings though. Head to the right side of the beach at low tide and you can walk across to Takamoku Island, which is rather picturesque with its Torii gate appearing like it's guarding the entrance to the island and the Shrine within. I will most definitely be coming back to this beach one day at the height of summer. I'm intrigued as to whether the place is actually derelict and forgotten. There will certainly be no complaints from us if that turns out to be the case, as we will quite happily enjoy an empty beach to ourselves on a hot day!

Looking toward Yushima and Mt Unzen from Hiai Beach

In closing

I hope you enjoyed reading about our little Daytrip to the Amakusa area, and hope you consider visiting on your travels. The region has so much more to offer and explore, and in future I hope to share more of it with you!