Japan’s Kyushu island top destination for honeymooners

From mesmerizing sunsets to hypnotic immersive art, and from aerial adventures to a castle you can call your own, Japan’s southern island of Kyushu is a great option for those looking to add a little more to their romantic escape.

Tokyo-based visual art collective TeamLab has long been known for creating awe-inspiring backdrops through immersive, light-based art installations. And there’s a sense of magic and romance in the current experience that takes place in the 500,000-sq-m Mifuneyama Rakuen park in Saga Prefecture.

 The park’s traditional Japanese gardens are brought to life at night through TeamLab’s mesmerizing light installations that draw inspiration from the ancient trees, forests and Buddha statues carved into the rocks. TeamLab chose this place, where the boundaries between manmade gardens and natural forest are blurred, to immerse visitors in a borderless space between nature and humanity, and between the exhibition and the backdrop of nature.

Practically everything becomes a canvas for the light art, with flowers, fish, falling water and more projected onto everything from the surface of the water in Mifuneyama Rakuen’s ponds to rocks, caves, and even azalea bushes. Wandering the space is hypnotic, mesmerizing, and even better when shared with a loved one. And the photographs you capture here are sure to bring back memories for a lifetime to come.

As an island nation, Japan has a coastline stretching almost 30,000 kilometres, but many visitors ignore it in favour of urban adventures in the country’s cities. But for a romantic sunset, there are few better places to explore than Okoshiki Beach in Kumamoto Prefecture.

By day, the sea stretches far out in front of you, perfect for long walks along the sands. But by evening, it’s something really special. At the magic hour, when the tide goes out and the sun starts to set, the sea leaves behind beautiful wave-like patterns on the flats, traces of water and crescent-like ripples that, when lit up by the sun’s setting rays, are illuminated in golden light. It’s a fleeting moment of beauty, but one worth capturing, and it’s no wonder it’s been included on both the list of Japan’s 100 Best Sunsets and 100 Best Seashores.

Huis Ten Bosch, Japan’s largest theme park and the same size as the Principality of Monaco, is an “only in Japan” experience, a theme park made up of life-sized replicas of Dutch buildings, along with windmills, cobbled streets, canals, and in springtime, gardens bursting with one million tulips. It may feel unexpected to find such architecture here, but there’s a long connection and rich history of trade between the Netherlands and Japan, centered on Nagasaki Prefecture, where Huis Ten Bosch is located.

There’s a huge sense of fun throughout the park, and a big helping of romance, too. 13 million colourful lights illuminate Huis Ten Bosch at night, and taking a boat ride along the park’s canals, with the houses lit up on either side, is a great way for couples to enjoy the glow together. Or head for the White Ferris Wheel and take a ride above the park to see the extraordinary lay-out below. It’s one of the best ways to see all of the Dutch-style architecture and appreciate the full scale – and to snap a few selfies on the way round.

But for the ultimate experience, and for a memory that the two of you will cherish forever, charter your own helicopter to see Huis Ten Bosch and the surrounding islands and seascapes from up in the air. Three options are available – the Sasebo Port Sky View Course, taking in aerial views of the boats in the historical port, the Kujukushima Sky View Cruise with vistas over the spectacular tree-covered islands and deep inlets of the Saikai National Park, or have your helicopter drop you back at the airport, enjoying the views on the way as you look forward to the next stop on your Japan honeymoon.

Perched atop a tree-covered hill, the white walls, sweeping rooftops and stone fortifications that greet visitors at the Kaiju Yagura turret of Hirado Castle give a sense of visiting a museum rather than arriving at a hotel. But the clue is in the name, and what could be more romantic than having a castle all to yourself?

Hirado Island has a long history of invasion and resistance, of trade and exchange, and a castle has been standing proud in this location since 1559. The current iteration was rebuilt in the 1960s, adopting the traditional architectural style of the original, and since 2021, the Kaiju Yagura turret of Hirado Castle has been welcoming one group of guests per night to one of its yagura, or towers, in what must be one of Japan’s most exclusive accommodations.

Interiors are a blend of traditional and contemporary, combining aesthetics from the historical Momoyama and Edo periods with wall art by local Kyushu artist Takahide Komatsu and furniture, lighting and materials that complement the space perfectly.

But aside from having this incredible space to yourself, the experience of staying here offers a true introduction to Japanese culture, with opportunities to try everything from traditional tea ceremony to kimono-wearing and samurai sword skills. – TradeArabia News Service