Top choice in Kyūshū
These thousand-year-old stone Buddhas lie just outside Usuki. Four clusters comprising 60-plus images (59 are designated National Treasures) lie in a series of niches in a ravine. They're largely made of lava rock from Aso-san. Some are complete statues, whereas others have only the heads remaining. It's truly a spiritual place if it's uncrowded, although some of the magic can be lost in the touristy ambience just outside.
Nearby is a lovely lotus pond (free).
Beppu Traditional Bamboo Crafts Centre
21.53 MILES
You may be blown away by the versatility of bamboo, which grows copiously in the Beppu region. In the ground-floor gallery, intricate, refined pieces span…
25.84 MILES
On the eastern side of town, the small 'Lake of Golden Fish Scales' was named by a Meiji-era philosopher and is a local landmark. Shops, cafes and…
22.93 MILES
Yama is not included in the onsen meguri ticket and must be visited separately. A variety of animals are kept here in enclosures that look uncomfortably…
22.88 MILES
Oni-yama is especially known for the 80-plus crocodiles that have been bred here since the Taishō period (1912–26). It's one of the Kannawa group's jigoku…
22.86 MILES
One of the Kannawa group's hells, Shira-ike has blue-white water and a Japanese garden. It tends to be the quietest of the neighbourhood's jigoku (hells;…
22.95 MILES
Umi is a steamy blue due to iron oxide in its 98°C water. It's said to be about 200m down to the source. One of the Kannawa group's jigoku (hells; boiling…
22.87 MILES
So named because it was once used for cooking (kamado means stove in Japanese). One of the Kannawa group's jigoku (hells; boiling hot springs).
22.93 MILES
One of the Kannawa group's jigoku (hells; boiling hot springs), Oniishibōzu has bubbling grey mud that looks like a monk's shaved head.
19.88 MILES
Built in 1957, this erector-set-style tower near the bay has an observation deck with 360-degree views. It's a popular visit for couples.
2. Beppu Traditional Bamboo Crafts Centre
21.53 MILES
You may be blown away by the versatility of bamboo, which grows copiously in the Beppu region. In the ground-floor gallery, intricate, refined pieces span…
22.86 MILES
One of the Kannawa group's hells, Shira-ike has blue-white water and a Japanese garden. It tends to be the quietest of the neighbourhood's jigoku (hells;…
22.87 MILES
So named because it was once used for cooking (kamado means stove in Japanese). One of the Kannawa group's jigoku (hells; boiling hot springs).
22.88 MILES
Oni-yama is especially known for the 80-plus crocodiles that have been bred here since the Taishō period (1912–26). It's one of the Kannawa group's jigoku…
22.93 MILES
One of the Kannawa group's jigoku (hells; boiling hot springs), Oniishibōzu has bubbling grey mud that looks like a monk's shaved head.
22.93 MILES
Yama is not included in the onsen meguri ticket and must be visited separately. A variety of animals are kept here in enclosures that look uncomfortably…
22.95 MILES
Umi is a steamy blue due to iron oxide in its 98°C water. It's said to be about 200m down to the source. One of the Kannawa group's jigoku (hells; boiling…