Worth a DetourNatureCanyonsShinto shrines

Takachiho

A mountain town of Japan's founding myths, with rowboats on the basalt gorge below a waterfall and night kagura dances at its shrine.

Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY 2.0
Best Time to Go
Apr–May, Oct–Nov
Our full guide to Takachiho is being written. It's on the Kyushu and Okinawa list as Worth a Detour.

Go Next

1–3 of 18
Must-See
Heritage · UNESCO

Hiroshima

About 134 miles away

The Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Dome, with the floating torii of Miyajima a short ferry ride away.

2 Sights
Worth a Detour
Mountains · Volcanoes

Mount Aso

Kumamoto
About 17 miles away

An active volcano inside one of the world's largest calderas, with grassy highlands.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Heritage · Castles

Kumamoto

About 35 miles away

One of Japan's three great castles, being rebuilt after the 2016 earthquake.

Guide Coming Soon

The Full Short List

Kyushu and Okinawa

Volcanoes, cedar forest and subtropical islands.

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