My recent Japan trip felt short, but it already included a lot of activities and touched three cities of Kyushu. As mentioned several times, this is my first time traveling to the south side of Japan, and through this trip, I was able to appreciate it for the mild weather, unique foreign influences, and rich history. 

Sharing our 4 days - 3 nights Kyushu Island itinerary, covering Fukuoka - Nagasaki - Saga - then back to Fukuoka for our flight to Manila. All pictures used in this post are taken from our short detour at the Yutoku Inari Shrine in Saga--a unanimous favorite stop of the group.

I remember how my high school commemorated the Hiroshima-Nagasaki nuclear attack every August, with a mass in our campus field and extensive history classes. St. Scho has always been like that, a bit too revolutionary for youngsters with no idea of the world at that time. I think this was my very first encounter of these two cities in Japan, made known by a tragic incident in 1945. My early exposure lead to a long-term thirst for knowledge and understanding.

Ever since then, I've been drawn to these places for its stories, just like visiting the 9/11 Memorial of New York, the Killing Fields of Cambodia, and the Topography of Terror of Berlin. They'll call it "depressing", but there is also a lot to learn from the world's dark past ("never forget").

And like in any place, there is more to Nagasaki than being the last city in the world to experience a nuclear attack. After two nights in Fukuoka, we were on the road for 2 hours to get to our next stop: Nagasaki. Here are some of the places that you can visit when you find yourself on this non-touristy side of Japan.

Have you ever thought of traveling to Fukuoka?

I've only read about this southern city from travellers who've already done the usual Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto Japan tour. To Filipinos, Fukuoka is one of the alternative Japan destinations when you want to go back to the land of the rising sun, but without the inconvenience of connecting flights (since we have a direct, 4-hour flight from Manila to Fukuoka Airport via Cebu Pacific Air). I also know of Fukuoka for its Wisteria Tunnel (purple flowers) during April to May.

Since it is located in the south, Fukuoka is Japan's sunny side. It is the gateway of the Kyushu Island, its largest city, and was once a prosperous port town where foreign merchants come and go.