The Non-Stop Travel group and Team Doko Ga TV head to Fukuoka, the largest city in Kyushu, southern Japan. We learn more about the history’s true “Last Samurai” Saigo Takamori and start our Kyushu journey with a visit to Kagoshima.

The 808 group visits the volcanic island of Sakurajima, for some Kagoshima special steak, outdoor foot onsen and then visit Meijigura shochu brewery (free samples!) and end the day with a warm, tasty bowl of dashi-chazuke!

Our day starts off with a visit to Saigo Takamori’s statue and continues with some of the most beautiful views I’ve experienced in Japan: Sangan-en gardens, Kirishima Shrine and Udo Shrine.

Throughout this series, Kyushu has so many special, serene and striking landscapes and this continued in the city of Miyazaki. Visiting the Ogre’s washboard rock formation, which was formed over 7 million years, was an amazing experience. We then made our way to Kumamoto and visited Kumamoto Castle and learned about Saigo Takamori’s siege of the castle.

Continuing our Kumamoto adventure, we (meaning a very small handful of us) tried Kumamoto food favorites, horse curry and uni croquette! Our adventures in Kyushu would come to an end via the Kumagawa river ride and a delicious lunch at Nabeya Honkan, which has been around since 1829, and is where Saigo Takamori’s forces visited and stayed.

From Kyushu to Kansai! We went from Japan’s southern to the middle, Kansai area, with a visit to Kyoto. Our historic journey learning about Saigo Takamori, Japan’s Edo and Meiji eras had the best finale visiting Kyoto city, which is well known for having over seventeen UNSESCO World Heritage Sites! We continued our education of Saigo Takamori’s satsuma warriors and other key pioneers that helped issue in Japan’s modernization, Meiji period.