KYŪSHŪ 九州

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan, it's mountainous and Japan's most active volcano, Mount Aso, can be found in it. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The springs are the site of certain extremophile microorganisms (an organism with optimal growth in environmental conditions considered extreme for a carbon-based life form to survive), which are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.

The island is separated from Honshu by the Kanmon Straits and is the nearest to the Asian continent, which made it the gateway to Japan. It is linked to the larger island of Honshu by the Kanmon Tunnels and The Kanmon Bridge.

Parts of Kyūshū have a subtropical climate, particularly Miyazaki prefecture and Kagoshima prefecture.

The prefecture of Okinawa (沖縄) is the place were karate was born, created by the merging of Chinese martial arts and Okinawa-te. Okinawa is also a blue zone (regions of the world where it is claimed that people live much longer than average) and the home of Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (at one time the world's largest aquarium).

In the prefecture there are various historical buildings and monuments, such as the Shuri Castle, the most famous castle in Okinawa and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Shuri Castle tragically caught fire on October 30, 2019.