Mount Takasaki houses over 1500 wild monkeys and they live in a colony. The monkeys are fed regularly by park wardens so that they would not disrupt the local farmers nearby by wrecking their crops. But these quirky creatures are very entertaining to see especially when they live together in the park. A visit to Mount Takasaki is best combined with visiting the nearby aquarium, Umitamago Aquarium.

Check out this clip of a feeding time with the monkeys

Takasakiyama Monkey Park can be reached in a 10 minute bus ride from central Beppu (Beppu Station or Beppu Kitahama). Get off at “Takasakiyama” bus stop.

The “Monkey Marine Ticket” for 2200 Yen consists of a round trip from Beppu to the monkey park and admission to the monkey park and nearby Umitamago Aquarium.

Sado Island consists of two parallel mountain ranges running roughly Southwest-Northeast, enclosing a central plain. The Ōsado (大佐渡) range, in the North, is slightly higher, with peaks of Mt. Kinpoku　(金北山), the highest point of the island at 1172m, Mt. Myōken and Mt. Donden. Kosado (小佐渡) range in the South faces the Honshū coast. The highest point in Kosado is Ōjiyama (大地山) at 645m. Sado Island is in the Niigata prefecture.

The plain in between is called Kuninaka (国中) and is the most populated area. The Kuninaka plain opens on the Eastern side on the Ryōtsu Bay (両津湾), and on the Western side on Mano Bay (真野湾), where the longest river, Kokufugawa (国府川, also read Konogawa) goes to the sea.

The island has a global symmetrical shape. Lake Kamo (加茂湖), on the Eastern side of Kuninaka, is filled with salt water, and is a growing place for oysters.

While Sado Island used to be a place of exile for criminals or incumbent people a long time ago, a view of it now makes one forgets that this island is suppose to be a place of dread. If anything at all, it is a sanctuary.

Due to both its rich history and its relaxed rural atmosphere, Sado is one of the major tourist destinations in Niigata Prefecture. The island has several temples and ruins remnant of its past, and offers possibilities for various outdoor activities, as well as fresh local food.

Sado is famous as the major breeding area for the Japanese Crested Ibis. The last known Japan-born Japanese Crested Ibis died in captivity in 2003 on the island. Currently, birds from China are being bred in a captive programme in a facility in Niibo area. The Ibis, Toki in Japanese, is a major symbol of the Island and can be found on several tourist items. There are plans to release Ibis in the wild at the end of 2008.

There are many small local traditional festivals, and since 1988 there is a major yearly arts festival run by the taiko group Kodō. The group lives on the island year-round, reportedly in spartan conditions, preparing for the annual show. Attendance is restricted and the tickets are highly sought.

Sado tourism industry suffered direct (though limited) as well as indirect damage from the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake, as access routes inside the Niigata prefecture were cut.

Beautiful.

Official website: Sado Island

That is the most magnificent view anyone could ask for on a Friday morning. :) This is the Saga International Balloon Fiesta 2007.

Saga (佐賀市, Saga-shi?) is the capital of Saga Prefecture, located on the island of Kyūshū, Japan.

Every fall Saga holds the “Saga International Balloon Fiesta” in the dry riverbed of the Kase River. A quarter of the visitors are from Saga. The number of all visitors was about 15 million in 2005. Balloonists from many countries enter this event.

On October 1, 2005, the city merged with the towns of Morodomi, Yamato and Fuji (all from Saga District) and the village of Mitsuse from Kanzaki District to form the new city of Saga. With this creation, the city became neighbors with the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture. On October 1, 2007 the towns of Higashiyoka, Kawasoe, and Kubota were incorporated into Saga, further expanding its borders. Although it is the capital of Saga Prefecture, it can be said to be within the Fukuoka metropolitan

Some interesting points to note while visiting the city would be the Saga Castle. A rare ancient architecture where the castle was built on plains instead of a hilltop and is surrounded by walls instead.

Also, the Saga International Balloon festival is an internationally garnered event where balloonist from all over the world gathered to showcase various caricatures and creative hot air floaters to grace the sky. It is one of the most interesting events in the world. It is usually held between Oct 30 to Nov 5 every year.

Saga City’s website (Japanese)

Komyozenji Temple is a Japanese zen temple that is famous for it’s Japanese stone garden. In fact, this is the birth place for Japanese stone gardens around the world. The swirling design on the sand stone paths have been the inspiration for many interior designers. This temple was build during the time of the Kamakura period.

How to get there?

From Tenjin Station in central Fukuoka (also known as Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station), take a Nishitetsu limited express to Futsukaichi Station (12 minutes) and transfer to the Dazaifu Line to Dazaifu Station (5 minutes). Limited express trains leave Tenjin Station every 30 minutes. The one way trip costs 390 Yen.

Komyozenji is just a few steps from the entrance of Dazaifu Tenmangu, a 5 minute walk from Dazaifu Station.

Japan-Guide.

Shinchi Chinatown in Nagasaki is the oldest Chinatown in the world. It started during the 17th century when it was the only port open to China during the era of isolation. Needless to say, this part of Nagasaki feels like China. Everything is in Chinese and not a hint of Japanese can be traced here, which makes it really cool. Like a world within another world.

You can find lots of Asian ingredients in Chinatown. Like all Chinatowns in the world, everything stocked are not only from china but from various other asian countries as well. This is why, going to Shinchi Chinatown would be a great experience for those of you who wants to experience true Chinese culture without forking out a fortune to go to China.

Nagasaki Chinatown

How to get there?

Nagasaki’s Chinatown is a short walk from the “Tsukimachi” tram stop on the tram lines number 1 and 5. Check out the map at Japan-Guide.

Kagoshima (鹿児島市, Kagoshima-shi?) is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwest tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the prefrecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the ‘Naples of Eastern world’, for its bay location (Aira Caldera), hot climate and impressive stratovolcano, Sakurajima.

The nickname Naples was used because the scenery and climate in Kagoshima is similar to Naples in Italy. There is also another reason why Kagoshima is liked to Naples, the fact that its inhabitants are as relatively hot tempered as the Italians. LOL. Actually, Italians are not hot tempered people, they’re just very passionate. So i think I might like Kagoshima as I LOVE passionate people…people who will tell you if they think you’re full of sh*t. Yes, I like that.

Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport, and the city features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has many restaurants featuring Satsuma regional cuisine: kibi (a kind of tiny fish), tonkatsu (caramelised pork, as opposed to the breaded version encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made from steamed sweet potatoes and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium has been installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Senganen (Isoteien) Japanese garden is just outside the city.

The St. Xavier church is a reminder of the first Christian who came to Japan.

One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the bay),Sakurajima, is from the ferris wheel on top of ‘Amu Plaza’ – the new shopping centre attached to Kagoshima Central Train Station. The wheel has two completely transparent gondola which give a 360 degree view from 91m above the ground.

After the mercury poisoning disaster in Minamata, Kumamoto between 50’s and 60’s, the region has cleaned up it’s region and building it into an environmentally friendly region. The mercury poisoning devastation costs so many lives and those who were poisoned suffered from horrible effects, which coined the term the Minamata Disease.

Today however, Minamata accepts its negative past and is currently working on providing a model town for the world by being the most environmentally friendly one. The city is home to 30,000 people, small in comparison to other cities in Japan but that’s because after the mercury disaster people are generally afraid to live there for the fear of succumbing to the Minamata Disease. Baseless fear because the city has cleaned itself up.

Anyway, a choice visit to the place is the Minamata Museum which documents the times and history of the Minamata Disease since the mercury poisoning. You should also visit the Eco city, to see the Eco friendly city, Minamata is building. You can also visit their onsen at Yunotsuru and Yunoko. Picturesque and a minimalist modern city. Something different from the shrouded, bustling city you get in Tokyo, Kyoto and the likes.

I don’t think that hot spring is good for baths.

Mount Aso (阿蘇山, Aso-san?) is the largest active volcano in Japan, and is among the largest in the world. It stands in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyūshū. Its peak is 1592 m above sea level. Its caldera is 25 km across north to south and 18 km across east to west. The caldera has a circumference of around 120 km (75 miles), although sources vary on the exact distance.

The central cone group of Aso consists of five peaks: Mt. Neko, Mt. Taka, Mt. Naka, Mt. Eboshi, and Mt. Kishima. The highest point is the 1592 m of Mt. Taka. The crater of Mt. Naka, the west side of which is accessible by road, contains an active volcano which continuously emits smoke and has occasional eruptions.

The present Aso caldera formed as a result of four huge caldera eruptions occurring over a range of 90,000–300,000 years ago. The caldera, one of the largest in the world, contains the city of Aso as well as Aso Takamori-cho and South Aso-mura. The somma enclosing the caldera extends about 18 km east to west and about 25 km north to south. Viewpoints from the somma overlooking the caldera are perched upon lava formed before the volcanic activity which created the present caldera.

Ejecta from the huge caldera eruption 90,000 years ago covers more than 600 km³ and roughly equals the volume of Mt. Fuji; it is presumed that the pyroclastic flow plateau covered half of Kyūshū.

If you want to see a REAL volcano that is still active and may erupt at any day, this is the place to go. A little excitement and false adrenalin that your life is in danger from a near erupting volcano can be quite fun :)

Kumamoto (熊本市, Kumamoto-shi?) is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū, Japan. Kato Kiyomasa, a powerful feudal lord at the time, was made daimyo of half of the (old) administrative region of Higo in 1588. After that, Kiyomasa built Kumamoto Castle. Due to its many innovative defensive designs, Kumamoto Castle was considered impregnable, and Kiyomasa enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest castle-builders in Japanese history. After Kiyomasa died in 1611, his son, Tadahiro, succeeded him, but Tadahiro was removed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1633, replacing him with the Hosokawa clan. Former Prime Minister of Japan Hosokawa Morihiro is a direct descendant of the Hosokawa clan of Kumamoto. Another famous politician, former president of Peru Alberto Fujimori, also has roots in Kumamoto; Fujimori’s ancestors emigrated from Kumamoto early in the 20th century.

The city’s most famous landmark is Kumamoto Castle, a large and, in its day, extremely well-fortified Japanese castle. The donjon (castle central keep) is a concrete reconstruction built in the 1970s, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle, which was assaulted during the Satsuma Rebellion and sacked and burned after a 53-day siege. It was during this time that the tradition of eating basashi (raw horse meat) originated. Basashi remains popular in Kumamoto and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Japan, though these days it is usually considered a delicacy.

Within the outer walls of Kumamoto Castle is the Hosokawa Gyobu-tei, the former residence of the Higo daimyo. This traditional wooden mansion has a fine Japanese garden located on its grounds.

Miyamoto Musashi lived the last part of his life in Kumamoto.

Kumamoto is also home to Suizenji-Jōjuen, a formal garden neighboring Suizenji Temple approximately 3 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto Castle. Suizenji Park is considered to be one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan, together with Kenroku-en in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, and the gardens Kairaku-en and Koraku-en.

How to get there?
Check out this page.