How to spend 2026! Three recommended spots that touched the author's heart during their actual experience in Kumamoto, Kyushu

This year, I want to face the scenery while avoiding crowds! This is recommended for those who want to spend such time. A travel guide inviting you to fly to Kumamoto, Kyushu, selecting three spots based on actual visits, suggesting a way of spending time that brings peace to the heart just by gazing.

This year, I want to enjoy some leisure! Recommended spots in Kumamoto to immerse yourself in the scenery

During the year-end and New Year holidays, it was crowded no matter where you went. Therefore, since it's a slightly calmer time, I want to choose "time to just face the scenery."

I have visited Kumamoto several times, and among those visits, there are places I want to create leisure time to go to. Just standing there can shift your mindset, so I recommend them.

Reflecting on my experiences in Kumamoto so far, I have picked three recommended places to spend a relaxing time. Each of these places leaves a "resonance beyond just looking" in your heart.

Recommendation 1: Facing the majestic scale of Daikanbo

Across the country, there are roads known as "Milk Roads," and Kumamoto has its own Milk Road as well. Its official name is "Kumamoto Prefectural Road 339 Kitauiriyama Otsu Line." This road, which leads from Aso City to Otsu Town in Kikuchi County, is a driving route that allows you to enjoy the scenery of Mount Aso, which houses one of the world's largest calderas, with almost no obstructions.

As you drive along the gently stretching road through the grasslands, you can discover cows in every direction of your view. The sight of human life and nature lined up without boundaries already eases your spirit.

The Daikanpo, located on the way of the milk road, is about 935m above sea level. Below, the Aso Valley spreads out, and the elevation difference from the city is approximately 400m, offering a 360-degree panoramic view from the observation deck. You can see the townscape of Aso and the mountains extending in the background all at once.

Although it’s a view I must have seen in photographs, standing here in reality leaves me speechless at its vastness.

What you see in front of you are the five peaks of Aso. Known collectively as the five peaks: Nekodake, Takadake, Nakadake, Eboshidake, and Kinshimidake, the view from here is said to resemble the Buddha lying on his back, which is why it is likened to the "Nehanzō" (Nirvana statue). From the left, Nekodake represents the head, Takadake the chest, and Nakadake the abdomen. Once you hear this, the landscape begins to look a little different.

The beauty of Daikanpo is that you can enjoy it without trying to understand anything. Just standing and gazing at the view naturally organizes your thoughts.

Even when I visited in summer, the air at Daikanpo had a strange power to partition my feelings. Standing in the clear air at the beginning of the year might feel just right for the beginning of 2026.

Location / Yamada, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Access / By car: about 90 minutes from Kumamoto city, about 60 minutes from Kumamoto Airport, about 30 minutes from JR Aso Station and Aso Roadside Station, about 30 minutes from Kurokawa Onsen

Recommended② Feel the expanse and tranquility of Kusasenrigahama

Kusasenrigahama is one of the representative landscapes of Aso. The vast grassland and the Aso Nakadake crater towering in the back. There is almost nothing to obstruct your view, and you can feel your breathing deepen the moment you stand here. This place also offers an enjoyable way of spending time where "you don’t have to do anything to make it worthwhile."

When you slow down your walking speed a bit, the sound of the wind and the movement of the clouds naturally catch your eye. I found myself spending more time just standing and gazing, forgetting to take photos.

At Kusasenrigahama, from early March to the end of November, you can experience guided horseback riding in a horse-drawn style while enjoying the view of Mount Aso. I visited in summer, and the slow horseback ride through the vast scenery remains a wonderful memory.

Unfortunately, horseback riding experiences are not available in January, but the charm of Kusasenrigahama lies in the vastness of the landscape and the ambiance of the air. Therefore, even the time spent simply facing the scenery can become profound.

The vastness of the grasslands, the height of the sky, the sound of the wind. Even without doing anything, the heart becomes settled. Kusasenrigahama is a place that evokes those sensations.

Location: Kusasenrigahama, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Access: By car: About 80 minutes from Kumamoto City, about 50 minutes from Kumamoto Airport

Recommendation ③ See the changing scenery at Nagabeta Seabed Road.

The "Nagabeta Kaishōro," facing the Ariake Sea, offers completely different scenery depending on the time of visit. The concrete path that leads straight into the sea and the utility poles lined up next to it. This combination will leave a strong impression upon first sight.

This path was originally built in 1979 for fishermen engaged in seaweed farming and shellfish gathering. Because the Ariake Sea has the highest tidal range in Japan, the path appears from underwater at low tide, and at high tide, it quietly sinks beneath the sea, transforming into a mysterious landscape where only the utility poles protrude from the water's surface.

What is striking is the sensation of "the scenery slowly rewriting itself" rather than just "viewing the scenery." Just watching the sea and the path change their expressions according to the ebb and flow of the tide quietly settles the mind.

The two hours before and after high and low tide are the most noticeable times for change. The great appeal lies in witnessing the process of this path beginning to appear or quietly sinking into the sea.

The morning hours are particularly memorable. With few signs of people, only the sea breeze quietly passes through. When facing the emerging path, there is a feeling of being able to welcome the day ahead and a new phase with a positive mindset.

It is highly recommended to spend time like this, surrendering to the natural rhythms when you are not pressed for time. The Nagabeta Kaishōro is a place to savor the very essence of changing time. Even now, the aftertaste lingers quietly in my heart.

Location: Suwa-cho, Uto City, Kumamoto Prefecture (Sumiyoshi Coastal Park)
Access: By car: about 45 minutes from Kumamoto City

Let’s avoid crowds and enjoy some space in 2026

Looking back on the time I spent in Kumamoto, what remains in my heart was "how I spent it" rather than "what I did." Accepting moments of standing still and doing nothing, simply waiting for the changing scenery.

These three recommended spots can stand on their own without packing the schedule, so why not see them as a turning point to regain your own pace?

Reporting and text by SYURI

Search Backpack on Amazon