Parcly Taxel: You can't explore all of Japan in one go – it always changes, both by the seasons and by the years. Indeed, since our last trip there a new emperor has taken the Chrysanthemum Throne, thereby starting the Reiwa (令和) era. Even the interior mountains are full of secrets.
Spindle: In our three previous trips to Japan we've visited Hokkaido and most of the sprawling Taiheiyō Belt (太平洋ベルト) that stretches from Hiroshima to Tokyo. The Tohoku region and Shikoku are both interesting in its own right, but they have comparatively fewer transportation options/hidden gems, so now we are going farther south on the Belt, down to the southernmost "home island" of Kyushu.
In a change from our previous trips, we'll not be explicitly stating a list of places we'll visit in Kyushu beforehand, because there are so many interesting ones. These include Fukuoka (the largest city on the island), Nagasaki (port city), Kumamoto and Kagoshima (famed for its beef – windigos are drawn to the smell of beef and other meats), and after we're done there we'll spend some time in Osaka.
Parcly: The lower latitude means it doesn't snow that much in Kyushu and temperatures there are hotter. Still, it's just outside the tropics, so I shouldn't sweat that much physically. Hopefully I won't have to work my magic to decide between choices.
Like all my trips since South Korea four years ago, I'll make a sketch for every day I'm abroad. The background here shows Funai Castle (府内城) in Ōita (大分市); the picture of just ourselves can be found here.
