(2026.5.12.) Across Kyushu, a variety of unique transportation experiences—ropeways, cable cars, and slope cars—allow visitors to comfortably enjoy dramatic natural scenery, including mountains, seas, volcanoes, and city night views.
As of 2026, there are seven representative facilities in Kyushu that are open to the general public. Each offers a distinct landscape and cultural background, inviting travelers into moments that feel far removed from everyday life.
【Fukuoka Prefecture】
Enjoy Urban and Sacred Landscapes from the Sky
Mt. Sarakura Cable Car & Slope Car
(Kitakyushu City)
From the observation deck at the summit, visitors can enjoy a sweeping view of Kitakyushu, a city of one million people. The night view here has been selected as one of the New Three Greatest Night Views of Japan and is often called the “100 Billion Dollar Night View.”
The journey begins aboard the Mt. Sarakura Cable Car, one of the longest in western Japan with fully glass-enclosed cars. From the upper station, travelers transfer to a compact monorail-style slope car that leads to the summit observatory.
By day, the scenery stretches all the way to the Kanmon Straits; by night, the city sparkles like a field of jewels, making this spot especially popular among photography enthusiasts.
Official website:https://www.sarakurayama-cablecar.co.jp/
Mt. Hiko Slope Car (Soeeda Town)
Mt. Hiko is a sacred peak long revered as a center of Shugendō mountain asceticism. The Mt. Hiko Slope Car is a barrier-free transport system that slowly ascends the steep approach to Hikosan Shrine.
Opened in 2005, the slope car allows visitors to reach the shrine without climbing more than 300 demanding stone steps, enabling a wider range of travelers to experience the historic shrine and its spiritual atmosphere.
Below, the Hikosan Flower Garden spreads out, and during the seven-minute ride, passengers can enjoy seasonal flowers and natural scenery in a peaceful aerial journey.
Official website: http://hikosan-slopecar.net/
【Nagasaki Prefecture】A Dramatic Sky Journey Shaped by Port City and Volcano
Nagasaki Ropeway (Mt. Inasa)
This large-capacity ropeway ascends Mt. Inasa, a symbol of the port city of Nagasaki. From the gondola, panoramic views of Nagasaki Harbor and the city unfold, changing dramatically between daytime and night.The night view has been selected as one of the World’s New Three Greatest Night Views and is frequently featured in international media.
Official website: https://www.nagasaki-ropeway.jp/
Unzen Ropeway (Unzen City)
Located within Unzen–Amakusa National Park, the Unzen Ropeway offers a rare chance to experience the powerful scenery of an active volcanic region up close.
As the gondola gently sways, passengers can enjoy spring azaleas, lush summer greenery, autumn foliage, and winter frost-covered trees. From the highest observation point in Nagasaki Prefecture, visitors can look out over the Shimabara Peninsula, the Amakusa Islands across the sea, and on clear days, even distant sights such as Goto Islands, Mt. Aso, Kirishima, and Sakurajima.
Official website: https://unzen-ropeway.com/facility.html
【Oita Prefecture】 From Hot Springs to the Sky
Beppu Ropeway
One of Beppu’s most iconic attractions, this ropeway carries visitors by large gondola to the summit of Mt. Tsurumi. The panoramic views extend over Beppu Bay and the Kuju mountain range.
Because visitors can reach elevations of over 1,300 meters in a short time, the ropeway is especially popular with those who do not wish to hike. The scenery from Beppu Ropeway was selected by CNN as one of Japan’s 31 Most Beautiful Landscapes.
Official website: https://www.beppu-ropeway.co.jp/
Beppu Rakutenchi Cable Car
Beppu Rakutenchi, a nostalgic amusement park founded in 1929, is the oldest amusement park in Kyushu.
In addition to its cable car—one of the steepest in Japan with a 30-degree incline—the park features Japan’s only double-style Ferris wheel, the “Flower Ferris Wheel.” Visitors can also enjoy sweeping views of Beppu Bay from the 160-meter-long Rainbow Suspension Bridge. The park is known as a cherry blossom viewing spot in spring and offers seasonal scenery throughout the year.
Official website: https://rakutenchi.jp/
[Conclusion]
Kyushu’s “Upward Travel Experiences”
as Landscapes × Culture × Movement
Cable cars, ropeways, and slope cars in Kyushu are far more than simple means of transportation.
They condense the stories of each region—urban nightscapes, volcanoes, sacred mountains, and hot spring resorts—into a few unforgettable minutes of upward travel.
We hope you find many personal, unforgettable views and stories along the way.
