Shooting The Kumagawa Rapids

If you've had enough of shrines, castles, and gardens, consider shooting the Kumagawa Rapids. Compared to wild rivers in the United States, the Kumagawa seems pretty tame; people do the trip not so much for the thrill of the ride but for the scenery of a narrow river valley bordered by wooded hills and for the camaraderie afforded by sitting on tatami in a traditional wooden boat steered by boatmen fore and aft. You can also ride a modern raft guided by a staff of young professionals that goes through slightly rougher water. Reservations are a must for all rides.

The Kumagawa Kudari Kabushiki Company, Shimoshin-machi 333-1 (a 20-min. walk from Hitoyoshi Station; walk straight ahead to the third stoplight and turn left), Hitoyoshi City (tel. 0966/22-5555), offers two different 90-minute routes in its wooden boats. The Seiryu Course (Calm Course) covers 8km (5 miles) of a gentle stretch of the river beginning in Hitoyoshi and ending in Watari. It's offered year-round; December through February, the boats have kotatsu (heated blankets). The cost is ¥2,835 ($27) for adults and ¥1,890 ($18) for children; winter trips with kotatsu cost ¥3,675 ($35) and ¥2,835 ($27) respectively.

The Kyuryu Course (Rapids Course) covers 10km (6 1/4 miles), beginning downriver in Watari (a 5-minute walk from Watari Station; turn left out of the station and left again over the tracks) and ending in Kyusendo, and is more exciting and required more skillful maneuvering, though the river is still only a grade 2. It's offered April through October and costs ¥3,675 ($35) for adults and ¥2,100 ($20) for children. During rainy season (mid-June to mid-July), this trip is sometimes canceled due to swollen rivers or high winds.

Kumagawa Kudari Kabushiki also offers rafting. The Fighting Course (90 min.) for ¥6,300 ($60) begins at Watari Station; from there you'll be taken to Ishochi, where you will put in and raft to Kyusendo. The All Around rafting course (3 hr.) runs from Watari to Kyusendo and costs ¥7,875 ($75). Both of these run April through October, include a post-trip soak in an onsen in Kunagawa, and conclude with a return trip via minibus to Watari. Note, however, that children under 11 and adults over 60 are not allowed on these trips.

You can reach Hitoyoshi by bus from Kumamoto Kotsu Center in about 1 1/2 hours, with fares costing ¥2,300 ($22) one-way. There are also six trains a day from Kumamoto Station to Hitoyoshi; the express train takes 1 1/2 hours and costs ¥1,774 ($17). Trains and buses connect Watari and Kyusendo with Kumamoto. If you're going onward to Kagoshima, you can return to Hitoyoshi by local train for a bus that will deliver you to Kagoshima Chuo Station in 2 hours for ¥2,050 ($20). There is also a retro-fitted scenic sightseeing train, the Isaburo-Shinpei, which travels between Hitoyoshi and Yoshimatsu twice a day in a little over an hour, including switchbacks along the way and stops at scenic overlooks. The fare is ¥720 ($6.85), with surcharges of ¥300 to ¥500 ($2.85-$4.75) added during peak season (free for holders of Japan Rail Pass). From Yoshimatsu, it then takes 100 minutes by train onward to Kagoshima (fare: ¥1,430/$14). For timetables, contact the JR information office in Kumamoto Station.