Day 4
27.03.2025
Staying in a Guesthouse in Mine, Akiyoshidō Cave, Beppu Benten Pond, and Sugao no Taki Waterfall.
A guesthouse in Mine
We had breakfast today at a guesthouse before checking out. The owner had left waffles packed for each guest in a box in the kitchen—the dining room—and we took them out and ate them with some jam served on the table. Milana couldn’t wake up again and had no breakfast. Well, it’s not easy to coordinate everyone with different sleeping schedules…
The weather was lovely today; it felt like spring. White and yellow daffodils were scattered along the way, along with other tiny spring flowers. More and more trees are starting to bloom. I think it will take a few more days until the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
Our first stop was Akiyoshidō Cave, which had been on my list for a while, and this guesthouse’s location was the reason I chose to stay nearby. This cave is one of Japan’s largest and most impressive limestone caves. It stretches over 9 kilometers, with about 1 kilometer open to the public.
It took us 18 minutes to drive there, and we arrived after 9 AM. The cave opens at 8:30, so our timing was perfect—almost nobody was at the entrance.
We paid 1,600 yen (about 11 dollars). The location and the cave were astonishing! I had seen pictures online, but no photos or videos can capture the excitement you feel upon entering. The walking path inside was 1 km long, with various stops where we could listen to information at stations placed in each cave hall.
There were many interesting and funny names for the rock formations—one of them was “Jellyfish Climbing the Waterfall,” a whimsical name for a stalactite formation that really did look like jellyfish swimming upward!
We originally planned to exit from the far end of the cave and walk back to the car.
However, on our way to the exit, we ran into the same lady who had stayed in the guesthouse that night. She told us that it was raining heavily outside, and we’d either need umbrellas or a taxi. Since we had forgotten our umbrellas in the car, we decided to go back through the cave and exit from the same entrance.
I’m glad we did! It gave me another chance to admire the bridge and the narrow yet massive entrance to the cave.
Beppu Benten Pond in Mine
After that, we visited a small pond with clear, blue water. The place was very quiet and not busy. The kids were already very hungry, so they didn’t enjoy it as much as I did. We decided to set our next destination in the navigator—our stop for the night.
On the way, we stopped for lunch just before crossing the bridge to the island we were heading to—Kyushu Island.
Lunch with a view of the bridge to Kyushu Island.
Just a usual stop to grab a lunch with seafood with this amazing view!
Location of this place is HERE.
Sugao no Taki Waterfall – a peaceful escape into nature
I found a waterfall with an abandoned temple nearby, so we decided to stop by. It was on our way, and we still had some time. Location of the parking lot is HERE.
By the way, the rain had stopped before we left the cave and didn’t start again until late at night, so we were able to enjoy the walk to the waterfall.
It was an amazing experience. The place itself was so unique, and sitting by the waterfall, just listening to the sound of the water, made it even better. I had read on Google Maps that the temple was abandoned, but someone is definitely taking care of it. There was even a toilet—with lights on! In such a remote place.
Asakura town – a place to stay
Our next stop for the night was in a town called Asakura, in a renovated traditional house—but this time with proper beds and amenities since the owner is from New Zealand.
Day 5
28.03.2025
Sugi no Baba, Akizuki Castle Ruins, Hita town, and Bungo Mori Roundhouse
Today was the first day we woke up late. By late, I mean everyone woke up around 9 AM—I woke up a bit earlier, at 7:30 AM.
Yesterday, I felt so tired and realized that we finally needed a longer rest. The distance to our next destination was only about 1 hour and 30 minutes, so we could take it easy and not be in a hurry. To be honest, I was expecting to be exhausted because the plan was quite intense—three to four hours of driving each day after two flights and jet lag… too much. That’s why the next few days won’t be about long distances but more about resting and exploring.
The house we stayed in today was really nice—all to ourselves. The owner even left eggs, milk, bread, cereal, and fruit. It was a very nice surprise.
I loved that three rooms had big glass sliding doors. You could just open them, and fresh air would rush into the room. From there, you could enjoy the Japanese garden in front of you. I even had green tea on the wooden terrace under the roof while the rain was falling. Everyone else was still sleeping, so I had my own quiet time. When we have our own house I would like to have such sliding doors for sure🙂
After breakfast, we packed up and drove to a nearby parking lot. I had read that there was a sakura alley and the remnants of an old castle in the city. The area is protected, with many old houses and well-preserved architecture.
Sugi no Baba + Akizuki Castle Ruins
It was raining heavily in the morning, so I believe that’s why the area wasn’t very busy. Mostly Japanese visitors and some Chinese tourists. We don’t see many tourists in the areas we’re exploring this time.
Sugi no Baba is a well-known road with seasonal cheery blossoms & fall leaves.
The alley turned out to be very charming. Even though cars could drive through it (which was an unpleasant surprise for me), it was still a lovely walk. We climbed the steep stone stairs to the Akizuki castle ruins. Nobody was there, and it felt like stepping into another reality. As we were descending, we saw a few people starting to go up.
Hita town
Our next stop was the town of Hita. We walked through the town, followed a narrow canal, admired the cherry blossoms, and found a nice local shop with souvenirs, including pottery. I finally saw something I wanted to buy. Lately, I’ve been trying to bring back only things I truly love and feel will bring me joy.
The rain stopped, and the sun came out. The girls had ice cream in a café we found after a short search. Amelia chose strawberry-milk ice cream in a cone, while Milana went for a yuzu-pepper flavor—both were delicious. I ordered pear and peach tea. Alex isn’t a big fan of sweets, so later he bought a cup of fried chicken wings in sauce from a tiny meat shop. It didn’t look promising to me, but according to him and Amelia, it was actually really good. 😅
Our next stop was Bungo Mori Roundhouse, a rail museum. I found it by accident while checking if any anime had used scenes from Kyushu. It turns out that the Japanese anime Suzume (available on Netflix) featured many locations from the places we’re planning to visit. This was one of them. There’s even a door from the movie—well, they put it there as proof that this location really inspired the film.
It was just us and one other couple—nobody else. I love that the places we’re visiting now are so quiet. Yes, it’s not always easy because many places have no English translations, and people don’t speak English. But at least I can understand a little and ask simple questions, which is very convenient.
Beppu hotel
Our final destination today is a hotel in Beppu, famous for its onsens (hot springs). It has the highest volume of hot spring water in Japan. On our way, we saw steam rising in the distance—it looked like Iceland and also reminded me of Spirited Away, where the main location was a big onsen.
Our hotel room had a private hot bath for one or two people, but we decided to use the family onsen instead. There were three private onsens and one public onsen. We were lucky to get the best option—a big private onsen.
You don’t need to reserve or pay extra for it; if you stay at this hotel, you can use it for free on a first-come, first-served basis.
Then we went to a nearby sushi place, where you order from a screen, and your food arrives either on a conveyor belt or on a robot tray. It was so much fun!
Happy little things 