Fall 2024 Within 15 minutes from Michi-no-Eki! 20 Autumn Foliage Spots in Kyushu! (First half)

Fall 2024 Within 15 minutes from Michi-no-Eki! 20 Autumn Foliage Spots in Kyushu!
Part 1 = Fukuoka, Saga and Kumamoto Prefectures

　After the heat wave, we are finally starting to feel the autumn season. Now, autumn is the time to go out and enjoy the autumn leaves. Autumn leaves turning red and yellow in the mountains make us feel festive. This first part of the series will show you 20 autumn foliage viewing spots in Fukuoka, Saga, and Kumamoto prefectures that can be reached within 15 minutes from a roadside station!

Roadside Station Munakata
(1) Jinkokuji Temple

　It is known as the first temple founded in Japan by Kukai (Kobo Ambassador) after his return from Tang Dynasty China, where he practiced asceticism after visiting Munakata Taisha Shrine. The temple is also famous for its beautiful flowers throughout the year, so much so that it is called the "temple of flowers and prayers. In late autumn, the temple is decorated with autumn leaves, starting with the yellowing of the ginkgo trees around mid-November, followed by the autumn colors of the maple trees and maples in late November. The temple is home to a standing statue of Fudo Myoo (designated as a national important cultural property), which is said to have been made by Ambassador Kobo, as well as Gobutsudo (designated as a prefectural cultural property) and Gomado (a gomado hall).

Roadside Station Kaharu
(2) Manyo Park

Zero minutes from Michi no Eki Kaharu! That's no wonder, for just behind the Roadside Station is this Manyo Park. Just park your car in the station parking lot and walk up the gentle slope beside the parking lot. The park is small, with only a small pavilion, but it is planted with plants that are mentioned in the Manyoshu anthology. It might be a good idea to buy a box lunch at the station and eat it while viewing the autumn leaves at the pavilion. The Kamitakano Kannonji Temple and Kaharu Shrine are within 15 minutes of the park.

Roadside Station Miyama
(3) Kiyomizu Temple on Mt.

　Motoyoshiyama Kiyomizu-dera Temple is an ancient temple with a history of more than 1,200 years, founded by Dengyo Daishi, the founder of the Tendai sect of Buddhism. The Honbo Garden, a nationally designated place of scenic beauty, is said to have been created in the Muromachi period (1336-1573) by the painter-monk Sesshu (1420-1506). The garden is a beautiful place to visit in spring, summer, fall, and winter, but it is especially beautiful in autumn, when the fresh green leaves and vivid colors of the trees are in full bloom. In front of the main temple is a large gingko tree, which becomes a carpet of golden leaves in the fall when the leaves turn yellow. Nearby stands a monument in the handwriting of Kitahara Hakushu. Other highlights include a three-story pagoda built in the Edo period, a 1,000-story Buddha hall, and 500 arhats.

Roadside Station Harazuru, Roadside Station Ukiha
(4) Row of sumac trees at Enjuji Sone

　About 150 sumac trees are planted along the banks of Enjuji River for about 800 meters. From the middle of the Edo period to the beginning of the Showa period, wax was produced, and merchant houses with white walls and earthen storehouses were built with the proceeds. The rows of sumac trees along the Enju-ji Sone are the remnants of those days. During the season of vivid autumn leaves, the promenade attracts many visitors. At night during the autumn foliage season, the trees are lit up and visitors can enjoy viewing the beautiful autumn foliage of the Japanese sumac trees, which is different from that in the daytime, and various events are held on Saturday nights.

Roadside Station Yamato
(5) Oubuchi Hibuchi Park

It is located halfway between Koyu Onsen and Kumanokawa Onsen along the Tenkawa River. The canyon is covered with large and small strange rocks and boulders, and the autumn leaves add color to the scenery. Oyubuchi was once feared as a difficult place for rafting, and the cave under the water is an unexplored region that no one has ever entered. The sand deposits at Hyofuchi have created a sandbar. There are walking trails and bridges, so please take your time to enjoy the beautiful autumn leaves and the beauty of the valley.

Roadside Station Itsuki
6) Forest of Environmental Art

　The "Forest of Environmental Art" is open to the public every year from mid-April to mid-June when the trees are fresh green and in November when the leaves turn red. (Closed irregularly during other seasons.) The "Forest of Maples" was created by Masaaki Tsuruta, an environmental artist, over a period of 40 years in a private forest of about 30 hectares on the southwestern slope of Mt. Under the slogan "Autumn leaves save the earth," about 10,000 maple trees and maples have been planted, and the view of the autumn leaves from "Fuyu Sanso," a villa made from the scrap wood of an old house built 100 years ago, is like a painting! It is the most popular tree during the period when it is open to the public. There are many spots for strolling, including a large maple tree 8 meters high with a trunk circumference of 3 meters.

Roadside Station Yamauchi
(7) Kurogashiyama Nyumataibo Park

Kuroga at 516 meters above sea level, is said to be the most scenic spot on Mt. In the past, this area was a training site for Shugendo (mountain asceticism), and the name "Nyumataibo" comes from the name of a lodging house for Shugendo practitioners. The park is surrounded by dense forests and majestic rocks. From the observatory, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Mt. Kuroga, with cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves around the end of November. Kurokaja, and there are playground equipment and a campground run by the town within the park.

Roadside Station Yoshinokaseri
(viii) Ninen-an

　Designated by the national government as a place of scenic beauty, "Kyunen-an" is the site of a villa built in 1892 by Yataro Itami, a member of a local conglomerate, on the site of Nibisan Jizoin, a pagoda and fudoin temple of Nibisan Gokokuji. The garden of approximately 6,800 m2 was created over a period of nine years by the monk Hori of Seigyo-ji Temple. The former tea ceremony house was named "Kyunen-an" (Nine Year Hermitage) in honor of the years spent in its construction. The villa and garden, built in the sukiya style, are planted mainly with maple and azalea trees, and are open to the public only during the season of fresh greenery in spring and autumn leaves in fall. The garden is open to the public only during the season of fresh green leaves in spring and the season of autumn leaves in fall, each lasting only nine days. Therefore, the public viewing period from November 15 to 23 attracts a large number of visitors. The approach to the Nibiyama Shrine and the autumn foliage in the grounds of the shrine, located behind the Kugen-an, are also not to be missed.

Roadside Station Toyo
(ix) Tategami Gorge

　It is located in Hikawa Town adjacent to Toyo Town, just before Michi no Eki Toyo from National Route 3. A nationally designated scenic beauty, also known as "Higo no Kukataki," a large rock wall 75 meters high and 250 meters wide, provides a breathtaking view along the Hikawa River. This was formed by the erosion of Paleozoic limestone by the Hikawa River. In autumn, the area offers a spectacular view of the changing leaves. Tategamikyo Satochi Park has been established and includes a campground, a walking trail, and "Satochi Yashiki," a lodging facility modeled after a farmhouse in the 1950s. The maple trees are located along the promenade, and visitors can enjoy the autumn scenery along with the view of the large rocks on the precipitous cliffs. If you are not afraid of heights, cross the suspension bridges "Hinokuni Bridge" and "Ryujin Bridge" to view the large rock walls.

Roadside Station Hitoyoshi
⑩Ruins of Hitoyoshi Castle

　Hitoyoshi Castle was the residence of the Sagara clan, which ruled this region for about 700 years, and is said to have been fully developed as a castle around the 15th century. Only the stonewalls remained after the great fire at the end of the Edo period and the Meiji Restoration, but the turrets and walls were restored in the Heisei period. The castle is a designated national historic site and one of the 100 best castles in Japan. The scenery of the Kuma River, the old castle, and the autumn leaves are all very picturesque.

Roadside Station Oguni
(11) Yusuikyo

A campground and park located along the riverside of the Udotani River, one of the headwaters of the Chikugo River. Volunteers from the local community have spent 30 years developing the park. The riverside area, with its beautiful autumn foliage, is one of Oguni Town's most famous spots, attracting many holidaymakers. The clear stream, waterfall, and the autumn leaves of zelkova and maple trees will refresh you to the fullest!　The best time to view the leaves is usually from late October (depending on the weather and temperature that year).

Roadside Station Lullaby Village Itsuki
⑫Shirataki Park

The park is located along Prefectural Route 25 heading toward Yatsushiro from the roadside station. It is not a waterfall, but rather a sheer limestone cliff 70 m high and 200 m wide that looks like Shirataki Falls, hence the name. A beautiful emerald-green clear stream flows beneath the rocks, and the scenery changes from season to season, with autumn being the best time to view the autumn leaves. There is also a 30-meter-long stalactite cave, which, upon inserting 100 yen into the fee box, will light up in seven different colors for 20 minutes.

　How was it? Some of them are famous for their autumn foliage, while others are a bit off the beaten path. Be sure to check out the second part of the tour in Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima Prefectures!