Amakusa

Top Things to do

• Oe Catholic Church

  Kumamoto Pref. Amakusashi Amakusamachioe 1782

  Approximately a five-minute walk from the Tenshudo Iriguchi bus stop, this church was the first built in Amakusa after the ban on Christianity was lifted. The current building was built in 1933 with the private funds of the French missionary Father Garnier who dedicated his life to spreading Christianity in Amakusa. A building with Romanesque architecture, the church with beautiful white walls is a symbol of Christianity in Amakusa to this day. There are statues of Father Garnier and the Virgin Mary on the premises. It is also known for being visited by five poets such as Yosano Tekkan.

• AINO AMAKUSA MURA

  4.0

  98 Reviews

  Kumamoto Pref. Kamiamakusashi Oyanomachinoboritate 910

  This specialty shop in Kamiamakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture is well known for its roughly 15-meter statue of Amakusa Shiro, the tallest of its kind in Japan. Their Amakusa Umakamon Market sells local specialties and their Shima Café where you can enjoy the feeling of being in a tropical country serves various Asian sweets such as drinks with tapioca pearls. You can tour a chikuwa fish cake factory there too. Lots of visitors drop in here while sightseeing in Amakusa.

• Ebino Miyagawa (Shikaki Shop)

  4.0

  13 Reviews

  Kumamoto Pref. Amakusashi Shikakimachi Takagaki 2698-1

  This seafood restaurant in Amakusa City serves fresh Japanese tiger prawns they farm themselves in the waters off Amakusa. The reasonably priced menu includes their popular Prawn Kaiseki banquet cuisine and their Miyagawa Gozen Japanese meal sets featuring prawn and other local marine bounty. These sets are limited to 10 meals per day.

• Tomioka Visitor Center

  3.5

  15 Reviews

  Kumamoto Pref. Amakusagunreihokumachi Tomioka 2245-15

  This museum is located on the ruins of the Tomioka Castle's keep in Amakusa County's Reihoku Town. Tomioka Castle was built by Terazawa Hirotaka, who became the feudal lord of Amakusa in 1601. The turret and the Korai-mon Gate have been restored. The facility also distributes tourist information, including on the history and natural environment of the Amakusa region.

• Takabutoyama Lookouts

  Kumamoto Pref. Kamiamakusashi Matsushimamachiamura

  This observation platform is in Kamiamakusa City. The nationally designated scenic spot overlooks Unzen-Amakusa National Park and the islands of Amakusa Matsushima. You can also see the first to the fifth bridges that connect the Amakusa Islands. There are 30 cherry trees on the hilltop around the lookout, so there are lots of visitors in spring when the flowers are in bloom.

• Mt. Senganzan Lookout

  Kumamoto Pref. Kamiamakusashi Matsushimamachiaitsu

  This observatory is in Kamiamakusa City. Designated a National Cultural Property and Place of Scenic Beauty, it has a view of the Amakusa Islands and the five bridges that connect them. You can see the Ariake Sea to the west, the Yastsushiro Sea to the east, and even out to Mt. Aso on clear days. Around the lookout are both wild mountain cherry trees and ones that have been planted. It's a popular spot when they're in bloom.

• Koyoji Temple

  Kumamoto Pref. Kamiamakusashi Matsushimamachiaitsu 2856

  This temple is in Unzen-Amakusa National Park, part of Kamiamakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture. It's the twenty first temple on the Kyushu pilgrimage to 33 sites sacred to the bodhisattva Kannon. It's well known for its Matsushima-Jiko Kannon image that's said to help believers maintain a clear mind as they age. The head priest plays guitar while delivering his sermons. These have become quite popular and even draw tours from beyond Kyushu.

• Matsushima Kanko Hotel Misakitei

  3.5

  10 Reviews

  Kumamoto Pref. Kamiamakusashi Matsushimamachiaitsu 4710

  This hot spring hotel in Kamiamakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture is popular with tourists who've come to see the city. It has an open-air bath where you can view the seasonal scenery of their Japanese garden, as well as four open-air reservable private baths, each with its own ambiance. The sodium chloride hot spring water is said to ease rheumatism and movement disorders. They welcome visitors who stop by just to use the baths.

• Amakusa Matsushima Observation Deck

  Kumamoto Pref. Kamiamakusashi Matsushimamachiaitsu 5986

  This 20-meter high lookout is near Matsushima Bridge, one of the five bridges connecting the Amakusa Islands. It has a view of the five bridges, seasonal island scenery, and even the Shimabara Peninsula and Mt. Unzen on clear days. It's also a great spot to catch the sunset and has been chosen as one of Japan’s 100 best sunset destinations. Since there's a parking lot, it's easy to stop off while you're driving by.