Kyushu - a region blessed with a warm climate and abundant nature. As with the changing of the seasons, a different "face" of Kyushu can be seen, impressing visitors.
On Yakushima Island, the only area in Kyushu designated a UNESCO World Heritage, more than 1,900 varieties of living organisms live in nature, including Japanese cedars over 1,000 years old.
Yakushima Island is said to have inspired the forest setting in Princess Mononoke, the world famous anime from Studio Ghibli. Furthermore, the Aso caldera -a depression made by ancient volcanic activity- is located at center of Kyushu.
The dimensions of the Aso caldera are first-class in the world measuring 25 km north to south and 18 km east to west, and where rare nature can be encountered at each location.
In addition, at a "Geopark" on Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture, the first designated Geopark in Japan, visitors can properly learn about the peninsula and the structure of the earth using the beautiful natural landscapes and geological formations, which possess academic value.
One of the highlights is that visitors can take a field trip to where the local people coexist in harmony with the natural environment. Nature found in Kyushu cannot be seen anywhere else in Japan. On one's school excursion, why not make many memories engulfed in the nature of Kyushu?
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Aso Caldera and KusasenriKumamoto
- Plumes of smoke rising skyward, the jade green color of the volcanic pond, the dynamic landscape...I was overwhelmed by the living Earth, no matter how many times I looked at it. While walking around the caIdera, I made new discoveries walking with a guide amongst Aso's wilderness.
Aoshima IslandMiyazaki
- Aoshima Island is a sightseeing spot where subtropical plants grow wild and is one of the top sightseeing spots in Miyazaki, a prefecture boasting beautiful scenery surrounded by wave like rocks that are called the "Ogre's Washboard". At the nearby beaches of Aoshima, there are many marine sports that are offered, including surfing.