Get Special Photos of “Kujukushima Islands; 3 Hidden Must-visit Spots Accessible by Bus from Sasebo Sta.

“Kujukushima” (九十九島, ‘ninety-nine islands’ in Japanese) is one of Sasebo’s popular tourist destinations. FYI, ninety-nine used to mean ‘countless’ in ancient Japan. The previous feature issued in May focused on the area, the resort park ‘Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort’ (九十九島パールリゾート) where you can fully experience the nature of Kujukushima was introduced. In this issue, let’s look at the spots where you can take photos of the spectacular sceneries of Kujukushima. Though they’re not well-known, they’re definitely visiting-worthy if you want something unique for your Insta-posts or you seek for the one and only views.

All the places introduced in this article are accessible by a public bus without any transfers from Sasebo Station.

“Kengyusaki”, a hidden and mysterious land whose info is really limited

First of all, try searching for “Kengyusaki” (牽牛崎) on a search engine or social media. Some results are retrieved but those do not give you any details, do they? As that shows, Kengyusaki is not quite a famous spot with almost no human intervention, that features a cliff with an altitude of 70m, and the exposed rock surface makes you feel the rugged beauty of nature. Besides, the outlook is so good that the old army battery was installed in the Meiji era, and it is perfect for viewing Kujukushima and pleasure boats cursing in the sea. Kengyusaki brings its full potential also at dusk. When visiting, avoid shoes with high heels and wear comfortable shoes such as sneakers since the trails are not well maintained.

Address	Hinocho, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Access	A 15-minute walk from Kengyusaki Iriguchi Bus stop which is a 25-minute bus ride away from Sasebo Ekimae Bus stop

“Yumiharidake Observatory” where you can meet the breathtaking panoramic view of Kujukushima, the cityscape of Sasebo and Sasebo Port, and boat lights illuminating the sea surface

The eight spots where you can see the beautiful scenery of Kujukushima are called ‘Kujukushima Eight Views’ (九十九島八景). Although the most famous one among them is ‘Tenkaiho’ (展海峰), “Yumiharidake Observatory” (弓張岳展望台) is THE one to visit for those who want the view filled with all the charms Sasebo has to offer! At the observatory deck with a bow-shaped roof located at an altitude of 364m, a large panorama of the Goto Islands (五島列島) and Kujukushima in the west, Sasebo Port in the south, and the cityscape in the east awaits. Moreover, it’ll give you a totally different view once the sun has set. Light leaking from windows of buildings in the city and headlights of moving cars glitter as if stars do so on the ground, and ship lights color the surface of the sea, transforming the world surrounding you into a fantastic landscape.

Address	Ono-cho, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Access	Close to Yumiharigatake Tenbodai Bus stop which is a 25-minute bus ride away from Sasebo Ekimae Bus stop
URL	https://www.discover-nagasaki.com/en/sightseeing/265

“Nagushi-yama Park” where you get to take photos of the northern Kujukushima together with the blue sea in the background

Unlike the abovementioned two, though “Nagushi-yama Park” (長串山公園) is a bit further from Sasebo Station, you already feel like you can’t miss it because you’ve seen the photo above, can you? The park belongs to ‘Saikai National Park’ (西海国立公園) including Kujukushima. In April and May, 100,000 azaleas dyeing the slopes of the mountain in vermilion fascinate its visitors. In the summer, the scenery overlooking the northern Kujukushima and the blue sea makes you feel cool visually. If you stand on the top of the slope and take a photo overlooking it, you can have an impressive one with the scenery around the coast and the distant islands clearly reflected in the background. By the way, it’s also perfect for traveling with kids since there is plenty of playground equipment including a roller slide that has a length of 100m.

Opening Hours	All year round
Address	174-12 Shikamachi-cho Nagushi, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Access	A 9-minute walk from Nagushiyama Tsutsujikoen Iriguchi Bus stop which is an 80-minute bus ride away from Sasebo Ekimae Bus stop
URL	https://travel.sasebo99.com/en/todo/todo_1492