Kujukushima Islands
九十九島
An archipelago of 208 small islands off Sasebo, explored by sightseeing boat or from viewpoints such as Tenkai-hō. It is part of Saikai National Park.
The Kujukushima Islands are 208 islands scattered along about 25 km of coastline north of Sasebo, with one of the highest island densities in Japan. They form the core of Saikai National Park and were a filming location for the opening scene of The Last Samurai. The main base, the Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort, offers the sightseeing boat Pearl Queen (about 50 minutes), a pirate ship, and the aquarium Umi Kirara, where you can see jellyfish and other marine life from Kujukushima waters. For views, Tenkai-hō and Ishidake Observation Deck are recommended, with panoramas of the island chain and sunsets. From JR Sasebo Station, take a bus for about 25 minutes to the resort. It can be combined with Huis Ten Bosch on the same Sasebo trip.
Opening hours
Resort approx. 09:00–17:00 (cruises by schedule)
Nearby sights
- Huis Ten Bosch
- Sotome (Shitsu Village & Shusaku Endo Literary Museum)
- Nagasaki Peace Park
- Urakami Cathedral
- Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
- Sanno Shrine One-Legged Torii
- Mount Inasa Night View
- Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum