Japan Higominkamura

If you visit Nagomimachi town at the border of Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures, be sure to put Higominkamura on your “must-see” list. The unique feature of this quaint museum-village is that many of its cafes, outlets and craft factories are housed in traditional Japanese homes, some of which are more than 300 years old. Take time to soak up the area’s old-world ambience even as you wander through its chic eateries and studios turning out classy pottery, wood and glass handicrafts

During the fall the colors are particularly beautiful.

To get here you can take a shinkansen train to Kumamoto town, hire a car and then follow the roads 31, 208, 309. It takes about 50minutes to get there through countryside roads and small towns.

The village opens from 9 am to 5 pm every day except Monday or the day after if Monday is a public holiday. It is also closed from 26 December to 31 December. Entrance is free.