Hiking in Kyushu with Walk Japan

When most travelers think of Japan, they picture the dazzle of Tokyo, the temples of Kyoto, or perhaps the tragic legacy of Hiroshima. But there’s another Japan, a quieter place where centuries-old temples rest in cedar forests, where stone Buddhas gaze serenely from weathered cliffs, and where nature and tradition still shape the rhythm of life.

I experienced that Japan on a five-day walking tour through the Kunisaki Peninsula and Yufuin. The Kunisaki Peninsula was formed by a large extinct stratovolcano, Mt. Futago. Erosion has carved the volcanic cone into a series of radial valleys (like spokes on a wheel) separated by long ridges.
This trip, hosted by Walk Japan, took me along these forested ridges, past ancient shrines, and into quiet onsen towns.

The tour I joined—the Kunisaki & Yufuin Walk—is considered one of their more moderate options in terms of difficulty, but one of the richest in historical and spiritual insight. Each day offered not just scenic hikes but new perspectives on Japanese history, religion, food, and community. It wasn’t just a tour—it was a walk through the heart of Japan.

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Day 1 – Meeting the Group

Our Walk Japan adventure began in Nakatsu, a quiet city on the northeastern edge of Kyushu’s Kunisaki Peninsula. We gathered at the Nakatsu train station, and it was surprisingly easy to identify fellow hikers even before the guide arrived. Backpacks, trekking shoes, and a kind of eager resilience gave us away. Most of the group had already spent weeks traveling across Japan.

Our guide, Jon — an Australian living in Japan with his wife and three kids — met us at the station and we hopped in our van to take us to our first accommodation.

The group itself was an international mix:

• A couple from the Bay Area, the husband told me his mission in life was “to make his wife laugh every day.” It seemed like he had had some success with this.
• A couple from Massachusetts, she was celebrating her 82nd birthday during the tour, still dancing to the Rolling Stones with enviable energy.
• A woman from New South Wales, Australia taking four trips to Japan this year. She took diligent notes, as if she were expecting a final exam. As a travel journalist, she put me to shame.
• Two lively couples from Sweden, friends for 40 years, and once rebellious enough to sleep on the Great Wall of China in a very unofficial tour.

First Ryokan & Onsen Introduction

Our first night was spent at a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn) in Nakatsu, complete with a mineral-rich onsen (hot spring bath). For many of us, this was the first taste of onsen etiquette — stripping down, scrubbing clean before entering the shared baths, and then relaxing in steaming outdoor pools in a drizzling rain.

Afterward, we changed into yukata (casual cotton kimonos) and gathered for our first dinner together. Dinners on this trip were an impressive and, at times, seemingly unending array of small dishes.

We sat down at a table set with several dishes, but this was only an inkling of what was to come. We were also served miso soup, egg custard, tempura, another fish dish, rice with unagi (optional), and dessert. It was way too much food.

Day 2: Temples, Clifftop Buddhas, and the Landscape of Kunisaki

Our first full day of walking unfolded in the rural heart of Kunisaki, blending religious history, rugged hiking, and myth-soaked landscapes into an immersive experience that set the tone for the entire journey.

Morning: Oita Prefectural Museum of History

We began with a visit to the Oita Prefectural Museum of History, located near Usa City. This well-curated but Japanese-language museum served as an orientation. With help from our guide Jon, we began to understand the twin threads that define Kunisaki’s spiritual identity:

• The rise of Hachiman worship, with Usa Jingu as its birthplace.
• The syncretic fusion of Buddhism and Shintoism, known as Shinbutsu Shūgō, is a blending of religious practices that defined the region for over a millennium.

A video presentation revealed how a historic pilgrimage of 5 Buddhist monks and 5 Shinto priests between shrines and temples across the peninsula is echoed in our tour route.

We also saw a replica of the Kumano Magaibutsu carvings of Buddha that we would see later in the day.

Visit to Usa Jingu

From the museum, we made our way to Usa Jingu, a shrine surrounded by mossy paths, towering trees, and graceful bridges.
This elegant shrine turned 1,300 years  old in 2025 and is significant for 3 different reasons:

1. Birthplace of Hachiman Worship

Usa Shrine is the original and principal shrine dedicated to Hachiman, the Shinto god of war, agriculture, and the divine protector of Japan. Hachiman became one of the most widely venerated deities in Japanese history, especially revered by the samurai class. From Usa, the Hachiman faith spread throughout the country, resulting in over 40,000 Hachiman shrines—including the famous Tsurugaoka Hachimangū in Kamakura.

2. Pioneer of Shinbutsu Shūgō (Shinto-Buddhist Syncretism)
Usa Shrine played a central role in the historical blending of Shinto and Buddhism, a tradition known as Shinbutsu Shūgō. For centuries, the shrine hosted a Buddhist temple on the grounds, which was later destroyed in the Meiji-era crackdown on Buddhism. The deity Hachiman was regarded not just as a kami (Shinto spirit) but also as a Buddhist bodhisattva. This merging of belief systems shaped Japanese religious culture for over 1,000 years.

3. Imperial and Political Importance

During the Nara period (8th century), Usa Shrine gained national prominence when Hachiman was declared a protector of the imperial family and the state. The shrine’s oracles were consulted on major political decisions, including constructing the Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji in Nara.

When the Great Buddha in Nara was completed, the priests from the Usa Shrine participated in its dedication, even inventing the first portable Shinto shrine to bring the presence of Hachiman to the occasion.

Lunch in a Local Village

After the shrine visit, we enjoyed lunch at a village restaurant where some travelers were amused to see beer labeled “Made in USA” — until they realized it was brewed in Usa, Japan. A clever play on words, the town doesn’t hesitate to embrace.

Afternoon: The Steep Climb to Kumano Magaibutsu

Our first real hike of the day led us up a steep and ancient staircase toward Kumano Magaibutsu, home to Japan’s largest Buddha reliefs carved into natural stone.

These 1,000-year-old figures, a seated Dainichi Nyorai (Cosmic Buddha) and a fierce Fudō Myōō (Wisdom King), are carved into a vertical cliff face, standing 22 feet (6.8 meters) and 26 feet (8 meters) tall. The history of who carved these and why has been lost.

To reach them, we climbed the infamous Ogre Steps — a treacherous set of mismatched stones supposedly built overnight by a mythical oni (ogre) to win his freedom. John told the legend in full as we scrambled up, and though the steps were uneven and ankle-twisting, the reward at the top — a direct face-to-face encounter with centuries-old stone Buddhas — was worth the climb.

Legend of The Ogre Steps

According to the tale, a Buddhist monk named Gogan-sama once lived in the shrine at the top of this hill. Under his spiritual protection, the villagers below flourished with good harvests and peaceful lives.

But one day, a hungry oni—a Japanese ogre—came across the village. Seeing how well-fed and content the villagers were, he began to salivate. The problem? He feared Gogan-sama’s power and knew he couldn’t act freely. Eventually, driven by hunger, the oni begged Gogan-sama to let him eat just one or two villagers.

Unsurprisingly, the monk was outraged. But rather than destroy the oni on the spot, he gave him a challenge:

“If you can build a staircase of 100 steps leading to my shrine by sunrise, I will spare your life.”

The oni, desperate to survive, got to work as the sun set. He ran back and forth through the forest, hauling massive stones and laying them into a crude staircase. As the hours passed, he crept ever closer to the top.

Gogan-sama, waking in the early morning darkness, heard the sounds of construction nearing his shrine. Realizing the oni might succeed, he devised a trick. He imitated the call of a rooster, signaling dawn.

The oni, hearing what he thought was the sunrise, panicked. Thinking he’d failed, he dropped the final stone he had on his back and fled into the forest, never to be seen again. That last stone supposedly landed in a nearby village called Tateishi (meaning “Standing Stone”).

And so, the villagers were saved—and we were left with a crooked, legendary staircase said to be built by the hands of a desperate demon.

Late Afternoon: Cave Statues

After our descent, we visited Matama, a small town where we stopped at a small museum preserving old Buddhist statues rescued from crumbling temples.

The museum also introduced us to gorintō. These are five-ring stone towers symbolizing the elements, from the bottom: earth, fire, water, air, and ether. They sometimes hold the ashes of the dead and sometimes act as a cenotaph or memorial.

From there, we hiked once more up the hill and into a rock cave temple where monks once came to meditate among hand-carved wooden Buddhas.

As the day faded, we climbed again to a viewpoint high on the ridge, which offered views of rice terraces and a village in one of the many valleys surrounding the ancient volcano.

Evening

We ended our day at a ryokan near the historic Fuki-ji (Temple) — one of Kyushu’s oldest surviving wooden structures. Our chef, Junyu-san, for the night was the temple’s apprentice monk and son of the head monk at the temple. He served us a lovingly prepared meal after we soaked our sore muscles in the hot mineral baths.

Day 3: Hidden Temples, Cedar Forests, and a Mountain Pilgrimage

Morning: Meditation

We started our day by visiting the Fuki-ji (Temple) next door. We observed as Junyu-san went through morning prayers with a combination of intense bells and chants. Then, we had an opportunity to do a silent 15-minute meditation.

Morning: Hike and Chōan-ji

We began our day’s hike beside a small dam reservoir, one of many in this valley region, built to support the irrigation needs of the rice terraces below. We hiked through old tea fields replanted as forests of tall cedar and cypress trees after WWII to provide the lumber needed to rebuild Japan.

Our climb brought us to the beautiful Chōan-ji, once the most significant Buddhist temple on the peninsula. Though no longer as prominent, it still attracts visitors. The temple has views down into yet another of the peninsula’s green valleys.

Lunch near Tennen-ji

Nearby, we paused for lunch to rest and watch a short documentary about a fiery local festival at the adjacent Tennen-ji. In the video, monks use torches and flaming sticks to ritually purify people, and Jon, our guide, couldn’t help but wonder why the wooden temple hadn’t yet burned down. Across the road from the temple was this smaller Buddha carved into a rock on an island in the stream.

Afternoon: Ancient Paths and a Tough Climb

After lunch, we had our longest climb up and passed the abandoned temple grounds of the Kyū-Sentō-ji, which are now little more than mossy stone foundations.

As we ascended, we passed an entire cemetery of gorintō (five-tiered Buddhist stone towers), many marking the graves of or memorials to the monks who had once served at the temples.

The final climb to Itsutsu-ji Fudō was the most physically demanding of the trip: steep, narrow paths and at the end, a scramble up rocks using a fixed chain to reach a temple perched precariously on a cliff edge.

But the effort was rewarded. From that rocky outcrop, we had a panoramic view across the northern valleys of Kunisaki — and on a clear day, one could see all the way to the Inland Sea.

We returned to the same ryokan near Fuki-ji. After a soak in the onsen, we gathered for another traditional kaiseki-style meal in our yukata robes.

Day 4: Rural Revitalization and the Road to Yufuin

Morning: The Walk Japan Community Project in Ota

We began the day in the village of Ota, the heart of Walk Japan’s rural revitalization initiative. Like many areas of Japan, Kunisaki faces an aging population and abandoned farmland. 75% of Japanese farmers are 75 years old or older. Under CEO Paul Christie, Walk Japan has been working here to reclaim neglected fields, regrow native forests, and create sustainable jobs tied to tourism and traditional farming.

Our guide Jon led us up trails on land once overgrown and now being restored. These forest paths, some of which Walk Japan helped restore during the COVID shutdown, offered shaded climbs through peaceful cedar groves and past old kitchen gardens and rice fields.

Shiitake Mushrooms and an 82-Year-Old Inspiration

Our walk ended at a shiitake mushroom farm, where logs leaned neatly under forest shade, each drilled with spores to coax mushrooms from the sawtooth oak. Each log continues to produce mushrooms throughout the season, which is some in the spring but mainly in the fall.

There, we met an 82-year-old woman who once ran the operation with her late husband. Now, she tends the farm and serves as a beloved “godmother” figure to the Walk Japan team.

Her home featured family shrines and photos. We sat on tatami mats in her home, sipping tea, sharing snacks, and hearing her story, which included surviving a chainsaw accident. One of our tour group commented that he now knew he was less flexible than an 82-year-old Japanese woman who had been in a chainsaw accident.

Lunch in Kitsuki: A Town of Samurai and Seafood

From there, we took the bus into Kitsuki, a small city known for its well-preserved samurai district.

Lunch was our only Western-style option on the tour — and a bit of a choose-your-own adventure. Some dove into grilled squid and shrimp at table-side seafood grills, while others (I included) welcomed a break with pizza.

Our afternoon stroll took us to a sake brewery, Nakano Shuzo, where we learned about rice polishing, where they grind off the protein husk of the rice to get to the starch-laden center. The more the rice is polished, the less rice you have; therefore, the more expensive the saki. We also learned that the local production happens only in the cooler winter weather. Cold tastings replaced the hot sake some of us had previously tasted—and for many, this was a revelation.

We also visited a historic samurai residence, with an uncharacteristic thatched roof, tatami rooms, and even a raised ceiling for practicing archery from the house on rainy days. The house and garden were a charming, living museum of Edo-era life.

Evening Arrival in Yufuin

As the sun lowered, we made our way to Yufuin, a picturesque onsen town nestled at the foot of Mount Yufu. Known for its boutique art galleries, cozy cafes, and tourist-filled streets, Yufuin was a sharp contrast to the remote trails we’d walked earlier in the trip.

Our final night’s stay was at a modern ryokan, where the onsen experience had a twist: instead of communal baths, there were private onsen rooms, allowing couples to enjoy the tradition together—a rarity on this tour.

We soaked. We exhaled. And we reflected.

If You Go

Tour: Walk Japan – Kunisaki & Yufuin Walk
• Duration: 5 days (4 nights)
• Difficulty: Moderate (up to 7 km/day or about 13,000 steps; some steep climbs)
• Best seasons: Spring and fall
• Pack: Layers, ankle-support shoes, rain gear, and a good attitude
• Language: English is more rare in rural areas; having a guide is quite helpful

Accomodations

• Kogane, Sansou, Nakatsu
• Ryokan Fukinoto
• Enokiya Ryokan, Yufuin

Related Podcast & Resources

• 📖 A Day Trip from Fukuoka – Takachiho Gorge
• 📖 A Ryokan Experience – Staying in a Traditional Japanese Hotel
• 📖 Japanese Etiquette for your Trip to Japan
• 🎧 Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage in Japan – Amateur Traveler #739
• 🎧 Travel to Kyushu Japan – Amateur Traveler #887

This tour was sponsored (paid for) by Walk Japan, but the opinions are my own. My thanks to Walk Japan for the opportunity.