Kyushu Kyushu

Japan is made up mainly of 4 islands and among those, the one located farthest to the west as well as to the south is the Kyushu region.
The Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean surround this region where 8 prefectures are located: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Okinawa.

Although the weather is mild throughout the year, the Kyushu region including Okinawa is an area most hit by typhoons where flood disasters are not uncommon.
The Nansei Islands and Okinawa Prefecture belong to the subtropical climate type with an average annual temperature around 22℃. Therefore, temperature difference is very slight throughout the year.

Because the Kyushu region is close to the Chinese continent, it had flourished in ancient times and was a place where many foreigners came and went.
The method of rice cultivation spread from early on and this fact can be proven by the ancient large-size sites such as the Yoshinogari Site. The Christian culture took root in Nagasaki, the only acknowledged trading port during the national isolation period in the Edo period. Today, we can still find many Christian architectural structures such as the Oura Catholic Church. Meanwhile, Okinawa Prefecture has history and culture of its own that date back to the days of the Ryukyu Dynasty and we can see that the Shuri Castle designated as a World Heritage site has been heavily influenced by the culture of the Chinese continent.
While its unique history remains, there also are major representative cities of Japan such as Fukuoka and Nagasaki in this region. Additionally, there are many hot spring resorts such as the Kurokawa and Yufuin Hot Springs that are gathering attention in recent years.
Furthermore, breathtaking nature can also be found such as Sakurajima, an active volcano emitting fumes even today, as well as Mt. Aso and its caldera considered as one of the greatest in the world and Yakushima (island), a World Heritage site.
As for food, you will be able to taste dishes that are a bit different from those of Kanto and Kinki regions including alcoholic beverages such as Shochu (distilled alcoholic beverage) made from potatoes and Awamori (Okinawan liquor) as well as Tonkotsu Ramen (noodles in broth made from pork bone) and Nagasaki Chanpon (noodle dish of Nagasaki).