First-time visitors of Japan often flock to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the megacities so well-travelled they’ve earned the nickname the Golden Route. The country’s booming tourism industry has triggered tension over overcrowded transit routes and ‘tourist pollution,’ amid other woes. But writer Adrian Lee’s visit to Kyushu, the southernmost and second-smallest of Japan’s major islands, uncovered something quite different. Here, he found an island that happily engages with foreigners and, in fact, richly rewards travellers who are willing to stray from the well-beaten path. Read more.

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