What this area is like
Unzen Onsen has steaming hell vents and a ropeway on Mount Unzen. Shimabara has a rebuilt castle and carp swimming in clear spring-water channels.
Plan your visit
Buses run from Isahaya Station to Unzen; ferries link Shimabara with Kumamoto.
Choose your next step
Places to see in this area
Unzen Jigoku (Unzen Hells)
Steaming, sulphurous vents in the middle of Unzen Onsen village, crossed by walking paths.
- Access
- From JR Isahaya Station, bus to Unzen about 1 hour 20 minutes; get off at the Unzen Visitor Center and walk 3 minutes.
- Hours
- Open daily.
- Fee
- Free.
- Address
- 320 Obama-machi Unzen, Unzen, Nagasaki
The loop takes about 30 minutes. Try hot-spring eggs (¥200 for two) at the café near Oito Jigoku.
How to plan your time here
- Stay a night in Unzen Onsen, then continue to Shimabara Castle and its carp-filled streams.
- A car makes the peninsula much easier; the Shimabara–Kumamoto ferry links on to Kumamoto.
Information checked 26 October 2026. Plans are JapaLens editorial suggestions, not on-site reviews. Hours and fees can change; check the official page before you go.