A good way to explore the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita, Japan is to go on a walking tour. Walk Japan offers such tours, focusing on lesser-known regions in the country.

Nestled on the island of Kyushu, the Kunisaki Peninsula is relatively undiscovered. This quiet haven is largely untouched by the modern world. For many centuries, it was an important centre of Shugendo – an amalgamation of the indigenous, animistic Shinto religion and Buddhism, which came from China and Korea. Although Kunisaki’s once powerful religious institutions are gone, the region is still dotted with temples and wayside shrines.