HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Kunisaki Peninsula Adventure Travel
Experience nature and lifestyles from the ancient past in Kyushu
Toyonokuni Millennium Heritage Tourism Zone
The Kunisaki Peninsula is on the northeastern coast of Kyushu in Oita Prefecture. Surrounded by Beppu Bay and the Suonada Sea (part of the Seto Inland Sea), the peninsula is home to a rich cultural and religious history dating back more than a thousand years.
The rocky peaks of the Kunisaki Peninsula were formed by volcanic activity. Shugendo, the mountain religious practice of the Rokugo Manzan culture, flourished among these mountains, which it deemed sacred. The castle towns of the area retain a strong flavor of the Edo period (1603–1867), and the nearby resort town of Beppu is renowned for its therapeutic hot springs. Visitors can experience firsthand the breadth and depth of the area’s history and its unique spiritual culture, created through the blending of indigenous Japanese and imported religions many centuries ago.
This tour enables visitors to relive over a thousand years of Japanese history. Through trekking, city walking, cycling, participating in marine activities, and tasting the local cuisine, participants can time-travel from ancient Japan to the present day. The active cultural component of the program allows visitors to experience nature-inspired ways of life that still thrive today.
Take a journey through a millennium of memories passed down through the generations in this unique region.
How to get there
From Haneda Airport, take a plane to Oita Airport (about 1 hour 40 minutes). The tour begins in Nada, Kitsuki City, about 15 minutes from the airport by car.
231-10 Nada, Kitsuki-shi, Oita-ken
