The 鈥淟ittle Kyoto鈥� of Kumamoto, Hitoyoshi, Japan

鈥淧lease visit Miyazaki again,鈥� a sign reads at the entrance to the prefecture鈥檚 last tunnel burrowing through the Kyushu Mountain Range on Route 219. When you emerge on the other side, another one is waiting to greet you: 鈥淲elcome to Kumamoto!鈥� It鈥檚 as if the passageway is a portal, transporting you to another world. And that鈥檚 exactly what Hitoyoshi feels like: a dreamy hidden town that鈥檚 come to life from the pages of a storybook.

Just a two hour鈥檚聽drive from Miyazaki City, Hitoyoshi is located in southernmost Kumamoto, in a basin that鈥檚 enveloped in fogs from late autumn to early spring. Once a lake, the town is also an聽onsen聽resort, fed by the alkaline and carbonated hot spring waters that flow from rock layers containing fossilized trees.

More than 25 public baths are scattered around town and dotted along the banks of the Kumagawa.聽Flowing from its source in the Kyushu Mountains down to the Yashiro Sea, the 115 km-long (71 mi) river turns to powerful white water once it reaches Hitoyoshi, making it an ideal location for canoeing and an abundant source of聽ayu, or聽sweetfish. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).

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Guide Name: The 鈥淟ittle Kyoto鈥� of Kumamoto
Guide Location: Japan » Hitoyoshi
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Simone Armer
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