Indulge in Kitakyushu’s Crowned Nightscape

A Luxurious Drive Through Japan’s No.1 New Night View City

In 2024, Kitakyushu was officially recognized as the top city among Japan’s “New Three Major Night View Cities.”
This refined driving course invites you to explore the very best of Kitakyushu’s night views—paired with visits to a famed novelist’s former residence and an exclusive hidden kaiseki restaurant. A perfect route for cultured travelers seeking unique, scenic, and deeply local experiences.

Duration: Half a day

Transportation: Car

📍Places to visit on this course

  1. Wakato Bridge

  2. Former Residence of Ashihei Hino “Kahakudo”

  3. Takatoyama Park
    ※ The observatory will be closed due to construction from October 21, 2024 to February 10, 2025 (scheduled).

  4. Mount Sarakura

  5. Kaiseki Yasuda

🚩START!

Wakato IC, Kitakyushu Urban Expressway

Immediately

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Beautiful both day and night, the large suspension bridge that symbolizes Kitakyushu

1. Wakato Bridge

Completed in 1962, this was Japan’s first large-scale suspension bridge and once hailed as the finest in the East. In 2022, it was designated as an Important Cultural Property and registered as a Japan Night View Heritage site. Its striking red structure spans the Dokai Bay and is beautifully illuminated after dark. For the most dynamic views, we recommend the retro-style Wakamatsu South Seaside promenade or the ferry between Wakamatsu and Tobata.

📍 Basic Info

  • Address : Kawashiro 1, Tobata-ku (starting point) – Honmachi 3, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu City (ending point)

  • Phone : 093-582-2274 (Road Maintenance Division, Kitakyushu City Construction Bureau)

  • Wakato Bridge relevant page

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By car (5 minutes)

2. Former Residence of Ashihei Hino“Kahakudo”

Space to trace the life and literature of Akutagawa Prize-winning author Ashihei Hino

This is the building where Ashihei Hino, an Akutagawa Prize-winning author from Kitakyushu, lived from 1940 to 1960, the year he ended his life. He named it “Kahakudo,” meaning “House of the River Spirit,” reflecting his love of mythical kappa creatures. It’s where he penned his seminal novel “Flowers and Dragons.” Photographs and documents from that period are also displayed throughout the museum. On the first floor, there is an exhibit on the late Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, a nephew of Ashihei, who worked in Afghanistan as a humanitarian aid worker.

📍 Basic Info

Pick Up!

Maybe Ashihei ate it, too ? Local Sweets from “Toraya”

"Toraya" was established in front of Wakamatsu Station, within walking distance from Kahakudo, in 1923 (the year Ashihei was 16 years old). Still beloved today, it offers wallet-friendly snacks like takoyaki and “Mohei Manju”, a large sweet cake named after the founder. Be sure to try the soul food that Ashihei may have eaten.

📍 Basic Info

  • Address :3-8-18 Honmachi, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu City

  • Phone : 093-771-9990

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By car (5 minutes)

3. Takatoyama Park

A scenic spot overlooking Dokai Bay and the city of Kitakyushu

Takatoyama, 124 meters above sea level, is a historic place where a mountain castle was built in the Middle Ages. Today, it is a peaceful park surrounded by seasonal flowers. The summit observatory provides sweeping views over the Wakato Bridge, industrial skylines stretching from Yahata to Kokura, and the glittering nightscapes that earned it a Japan Night View Heritage designation.

📍 Basic Info

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By car (30 minutes)

4. Sarakurayama

Kitakyushu’s crown jewel – a spectacular, immersive nightscape

From the base station, take a scenic 10-minute ride up the mountain via cable car and slope car (round-trip ticket: 1,230 yen). Large windows let you enjoy shifting views as you ascend. The mountaintop provides a broad, close-range panorama of twinkling lights—an unforgettable experience and the city’s premier night view.

📍 Basic Info

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By car (1 minutes)

5. Kaiseki Yasuda

An exquisite moment to savor the seasons in a house surrounded by nature.

This kaiseki restaurant was opened in 2010 by the owner, who honed his skills at a long-established ryotei restaurant in Kyoto, as a kind of hideout. It is an atmospheric house that was renovated from his parents' home, and is limited to one couple per day for both lunch and dinner by reservation only. The cuisine is based on ichiban-dashi, a broth made from high-quality kombu (kelp) and hana-katsuo (dried bonito), and also uses local ingredients. From the window, you can see the night view toward Wakato Ohashi Bridge.

Dinner course: from 12,000 yen (tax not included)

📍 Basic Info

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By car (7 minutes)

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Ootani IC, Kitakyushu Urban Expressway

🏁GOAL!