Women's Traveler's Edition] Heal yourself with fantastic light particles! 5 selected "Superb Illumination" and "Warm Secret Hot Springs" for a winter trip in Kyushu
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In winter, when the cold tends to make us depressed, why don't you refresh your mind and body to the fullest?
It's the season when our breath turns white. I suddenly miss the illumination of sparkling light falling on me. And after being wrapped in the magic of light, I want to be immersed in the happy afterglow a little longer.... I want to be away from reality a little longer. I want to detox if I want....
This is a must-see for such selfish girls!
How about a luxurious plan to relax and unwind in a ”hot spring” that warms your body to the core after enjoying the cold winter illumination?
In Kyushu, a hot spring powerhouse, such selfishness can be fulfilled!
Kyushu is a hot spring powerhouse, boasting the largest number and volume of hot springs in Japan. Without letting the excitement of the dynamic illumination cool you down, you can relax in the hot spring water and feel your body and soul healed. In this article, we will introduce the best five courses in Kyushu that are the best combination of "illumination and hot spring" that you should definitely experience during your winter trip to Kyushu!
Enjoying both hot springs and illuminations to the fullest, and eating Kyushu's winter delicacies, you are sure to have a satisfying trip. Please enjoy a "dusty luxury trip" that combines the impressive and spectacular illumination with the best hot spring baths.
Amakusa Romantic Fantasy
A romantic experience where history and fantasy meet
Popular winter illumination in Amakusa connected by 8 lights
Photo courtesy of Amakusa Treasure Island Tourism Association
This popular winter event was created by the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train line in 2011, which brought together illuminations from all over Japan in a coordinated effort.
The combination of history and fantasy is unique to Amakusa, with churches in Sakitsu and Oe, the home of the Hidden Christians, as well as the Ushibuka Haya Bridge and the Japanese garden in Ushibuka Park on Mt.
Eight venues will gently welcome visitors with ”light effects” that make the most of regional colors.
The Christmas market, stamp rally, and other fun plus-alpha activities are perfect for making memories with family and friends.
For a complete tour, we recommend visiting Ushibuka, Sakiatsu, Oe, Takahama, and Shimoda via the mainland, resting in a hot spring, and taking a ferry to the Goshoura site the next day.
Lighting ceremonies and lighting times vary by venue, so check before you go.
Please check our website for details.
| Date & Time | Each location is different as there are eight separate venues. Mainly held from the end of November. For details, please visit the official website. |
|---|---|
| address (e.g. of house) | Entire area |
| admission fee | free |
| Lighting time | Depends on each area |
| Inquiries and phone numbers |
Amakusa Treasure Island Tourism Association 0969-22-2243 ▼For more information, please visit the official website. https://www.t-island.jp/romantic-fantasy/ |
| Nearby Roadside Stations |
Roadside Station Ariake (Rippleland) Roadside Station Ushibuka Kaisaikan Roadside Station Sakiatsu Roadside Station Amakusa Dolphin Center |
◆Nearby Hot Spring：Amakusa Onsen
Amakusa has a long history of living together with the sea, and its hot springs are also rich with the blessings of the deep sea. The most distinctive feature of the hot springs is that you can enjoy a magnificent ocean view no matter which hot spring you choose, and the source is rich in minerals derived from seawater. The slightly salty water has a high heat-retaining effect and keeps your skin moist. It is sure to satisfy the cravings of women who want to have beautiful, warm skin. It is recommended to visit the two major hot springs, "Matsushima Onsen" in Kamitamakusa, the gateway to Amakusa, and "Shimoda Onsen" in Shimotamakusa, located in the south, and enjoy the unique hot springs scattered along the way as you drive around.
Amakusa Onsen (Amakusa Travel Guide, Kumamoto Prefecture)
https://www.t-island.jp/shimoda
Yoshinogari Illumination Hibiki of Light
You can go back in time to the mysteries of the Yayoi period!
Collaboration illumination of ancient buildings and lights
The Yoshinogari Ruins have appeared in textbooks. The Yoshinogari Ruins Park, which has been redeveloped to preserve the Yoshinogari Ruins, is a popular winter event that is bathed in light.
Visitors can experience the mystery and romance of a time slip back to ancient times, as if they were transported back in time to a far-off land of the past. The terrestrial painting created by about 6,000 flickering candles is a spectacular sight to behold.
Restaurants and special gourmet corners in the park will also offer dishes using local and seasonal ingredients. Enjoying a meal while strolling through the spacious park is also a fun activity, and is recommended for those with small children. Accessible from Yoshinogari Park Station in about 15 minutes on foot, it is also a great place for those who wish to enjoy alcohol at the venue.
Please check our website for details.
| Date & Time | November 29 - December 14, 2025 17:00 - 21:00 (last admission 20:30) |
|---|---|
| address (e.g. of house) | 1843 Tate, Yoshinogari-cho, Kanzaki-gun, Saga 842-0035 |
| admission fee | Admission after 5:00 p.m.: Adults (15 years and older) 280 yen, Silver (65 years and older) 200 yen, Free for junior high school students and younger |
| Lighting time | 17:00-21:00 |
| Inquiries and phone numbers |
Yoshinogari Park Management Center 0952-55-9333 ▼For more information, please visit the official website. https://www.yoshinogari.jp/ |
| Nearby Roadside Stations |
Roadside Station Yoshinogari "Sazanka Senboukan Roadside Station Kamimine |
Hot springs nearby: Yoshinogari Onsen Himikonoyu, Higashi Sefuri Onsen Yamachahana no Yu
We introduce two one-day hot springs where you can easily refresh yourself. Yoshinogari Onsen Himikonoyu," a 5-minute drive from Yoshinogari Ruins Park, offers 15 types of baths and 3 types of saunas, while "Higashi Sefuri Onsen Yamachabana no Yu" is equipped with ground golf and barbecue facilities in addition to hot springs and bedrock bath. Both bathhouses are recommended for people with sensitive skin, as the mildly alkaline spring water, also known as "hot water for beautiful skin," is hypoallergenic. The soft and mild water will make your skin smooth and smooth. This is the perfect place to unwind after a day of touring the illumination and relaxing your body.
Yoshinogari Onsen Himikonoyu
https://yutokuonsen.com/yoshinogari.html
Higashi Sefuri Onsen Yamachahana no Yu
http://sazanka-yu.com/wp/
Kurokawa Onsen Yuakari
A leisurely stroll in the hot spring, where the murmuring of the river and the light heal you.
Light up the hot spring resort in winter with starlit sky and bamboo
Photo courtesy of Kumamoto Prefectural Tourism Federation
A lighting event that began in the winter of 2012 to illuminate small hot spring towns with warm lights.
The 2-meter-high "tube lanterns" and spherical "ball lanterns" made of woven bamboo strips are decorated to blend in with the streetscape, enveloping the hot spring resort with a gentle and tranquil light.
The "Yuakari" event was created as part of environmental maintenance efforts to thin out and regenerate abandoned bamboo forests, and these lanterns are individually woven by the hands of people involved in Kurokawa Onsen. The recommended spot is under a star-filled sky, with the lights of the lanterns flickering in the hot water and reflecting on the surface of the water as the river murmurs gently, like a scene out of a fairy tale.
After a hearty day of walking around town, we recommend taking the golden route to fill your stomach at an inn and relax in a hot spring to rest your body and soul.
Please check our website for details.
| Date & Time | December 20, 2025 through March 31, 2026 |
|---|---|
| address (e.g. of house) | Manganji, Minami-Oguni Town, Aso County, Kumamoto Prefecture, 869-2402, Japan (*Address of the entire hot spring) |
| admission fee | Free (*A separate bill is required for bathing) |
| Lighting time | 17:30-21:30 |
| Inquiries and phone numbers |
Kurokawa Onsen Tourism Ryokan Cooperative Association 0967-44-0076 ▼For more information, please visit the official website. https://www.kurokawaonsen.or.jp/event/yuakari/ |
| Nearby Roadside Stations |
Roadside Station Oguni Yu Station Roadside Station Hano Kaguraen Roadside Station Aso |
◆Nearby Hot Spring：Kurokawa Hot Spring
Kurokawa Onsen, one of the most popular hot springs in Japan, is a quiet hot spring resort surrounded by deep green mountains.
The entire onsen town is based on the concept of "one ryokan" (Japanese inn), and can be considered a teppan of Kyushu travel.
Retro ryokan (Japanese-style inns) and stores stand side by side in this cozy town, and a bath coupon allows you to visit three open-air baths of your choice. The variety of spring qualities is abundant, and one can enjoy “hopping” from a bicarbonate spring to a sulfate spring for beautiful skin, from a wild cave bath to an open-air bath in a peaceful bamboo grove... and so on. After taking a bath, enjoy strolling around while chatting with like-minded friends.
Kurokawa Hot Spring
https://www.kurokawaonsen.or.jp
Oita Light Fantasy
Walking along the path of twinkling lights, the heart beats
Illumination in front of the station where you can easily stop by during your trip.
Photo courtesy of Oita Machinaka Club Co.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of this light event, and the illumination that greets you as soon as you exit the ticket gates of JR Oita Station is the climax of the event!
As you leisurely stroll along the path of lights that runs almost in a straight line from the Fuchai Central Exit Plaza to the shopping street and arcades, the hectic pace of everyday life will seem to slip away before you know it. The highlight of the festival is the "Funai Aqua Park," where the greenery of the park is dyed champagne gold, and Wakakusa Park, where the fountain is illuminated in seven different colors, adding to the romantic mood of the park. During the festival period, there will also be digital stamp rally, photo contests, and other exciting events.
As Oita is a hot spring powerhouse, there is a full range of hot spring facilities that can be casually dropped in just around the station, making it easy to incorporate them into an illumination trip.
Please check our website for details.
| Date & Time |
Friday, November 7, 2025 - Saturday, February 14, 2026 17:00 - 24:00 Lighting Ceremony: Friday, November 7, 17:00~. |
|---|---|
| address (e.g. of house) | Entire area |
| admission fee | free |
| Lighting time | 17:00 - 24:00 |
| Inquiries and phone numbers |
Oita City Center Machizukuri Committee (Secretariat: Oita Machinaka Club Co., Ltd.) 097-573-7377 ▼For more information, please visit the official website. https://hikarioita.net/ |
| Nearby Roadside Stations | Roadside Station Tanoura |
◆Nearby hot springs: Deep geothermal hot springs
Oita is a hot spring powerhouse. The city boasts an astonishing hot spring power, with hot springs bubbling up in almost every city, town, and village, and famous places such as Beppu and Yufuin are definitely not to be missed.
In Oita City, the center of the hot spring prefecture, "deep geothermal hot springs" pumped up from 2,000 meters below the ground are hot! The spring water, heated slowly deep in the earth, contains a well-balanced blend of salt, calcium, and other ingredients, making it rich and mild. It is soft to the touch and makes your skin smooth and beautiful.
The special feeling of being able to take a relaxing soak in a natural hot spring in the bustling city of Oita and the familiarity of being able to drop by as an extension of one's daily routine are also appealing.
Deep Geothermal Hot Springs (Oita City Tourism Navigator)
https://www.oishiimati-oita.jp/onsen
Honjo Illumination Night
You can relax your mind and soul in a quiet mountain hot spring.
Warming illumination that also serves to revitalize the local community
Photo courtesy of the Community Development Council "Team Honjo
This is the eighth winter event held by local volunteers gathered under the name of "Team Honjo," a community development council, to enliven the community. About 80,000 illumination lights will be colorfully decorated on the premises of "Kushima Onsen Iko-inosato". The illumination spot is full of value for money, as visitors can warm up their cold bodies in the hot spring and eat local cuisine at the restaurant when they get hungry. Lodging is also available, making it a great place for families with children.
On Saturday, November 29, a lighting ceremony will be held as the opening ceremony of the festival, and the quiet winter night in the town will suddenly twinkle. On the day of the opening ceremony, Christmas live performances and other events are scheduled, and food and beverage booths are planned with the cooperation of local stores.
Please check our website for details.
| Date & Time |
Saturday, November 29, 2025 - Saturday, January 31, 2026, 18:00-22:00 Lighting ceremony: Saturday, November 29, 18:00 |
|---|---|
| address (e.g. of house) | 987 Honjo, Kushima City, Miyazaki Prefecture, 888-0008 Japan |
| admission fee | free |
| Lighting time | 18:00-22:00 |
| Inquiries and phone numbers |
Kushima City Hall Honjo Branch Office 0987-71-3011 ▼For more information, please visit the official website. https://www.city.kushima.lg.jp/main/now/2018/12/post-35.html |
| Nearby Roadside Stations | Roadside Station Kushima |
◆Nearby Hot Spring: Kushima Onsen Ikoi-no-Sato
Kushima Onsen is known by many as a "hot spring for beautiful women. The hot spring is said to have more than three times the national average of hydrogen carbonate ions, making it one of the three best in Japan, and your skin will feel smooth after bathing! The large bathhouse made of natural stone is brightly lit through large windows and is equipped with a far-infrared sauna and a bath for the handicapped (reservations required), making it a good place for those who want to go to a hot spring but have difficulty. This is a facility where you can enjoy watching the illumination, warm your cold body in the hot spring without worry, and relax.
Cottages are also available for group trips among friends.
Kushima Hot Spring Ikoi-no-Sato
http://kushima-spa.net/
