Hirado and Sasebo driving guide: Kujukushima, Hirado Bridge and Ikitsuki Sunset Way

The Hirado and Sasebo area stretches across north-western Nagasaki Prefecture, linking the 208 islands of Sasebo's Kujukushima coast with Hirado Island via the vermilion Hirado Bridge and Ikitsuki Island via the light-blue truss spans of Ikitsuki Bridge. Along one continuous coastal drive sit the Kujukushima viewpoints at Tenkaiho and Yumiharidake, cruise boats at Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort, Hirado Castle and the View of Temples and Churches, the sweeping grasslands of Kawachi Pass, and the cliffside Ikitsuki Sunset Way ending at Obae Lighthouse.

This guide follows a full-day drive from south Kujukushima (Tenkaiho) through central Hirado and Kawachi Pass to Obae Lighthouse at the northern tip of Ikitsuki Island, with every main road and stop listed below.

Map of the Hirado and Sasebo area

The line follows the full-day route below, "First visit: one day from Kujukushima via Hirado Bridge and the Ikitsuki Sunset Way to Obae Lighthouse". Numbers mark the stops: green for scenery and nature, blue for roadside stations. Tap a marker to see its name.

Recommended drives

First visit: one day from Kujukushima via Hirado Bridge and the Ikitsuki Sunset Way to Obae Lighthouse

Start at Tenkaiho (free parking for 88 cars), which looks across a 180-degree panorama of Southern Kujukushima, then visit low-lying Funakoshi Observatory, Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort (for the Pearl Queen cruise ship and Umikirara Aquarium) and the 364 m Yumiharidake Observatory. Take Prefectural Route 11 to Michi-no-Eki Sasebox 99 beside Ainoura-Nakazato IC on the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway, then head north on Route 204 (or use the free Ainoura-Nakazato IC–Saza IC expressway section plus Route 204) to Michi-no-Eki Konchu-no-Sato Tabira and the red-brick Tabira Tenshudo Church, a National Important Cultural Property.

Cross the 665 m Hirado Bridge (toll-free) into Hirado Island for Hirado Castle and Hirado Port Exchange Square—walking to the Hirado Dutch Trading Post and the View of Temples and Churches—before climbing Prefectural Route 19 to the open grassland of Kawachi Pass. Continue west on Prefectural Routes 19 and 42 across the 960 m Ikitsuki Bridge (toll-free) to Michi-no-Eki Ikitsuki Ohashi, follow the west-coast Ikitsuki Sunset Way past the columnar basalt of Shiodawara Cliffs, and finish at Obae Lighthouse at the island's northern tip. Arriving from Fukuoka Airport or Imari via the Matsuura IC–Hirado IC free section, you can drive the same route in reverse from Ikitsuki and Hirado south to Sasebo.

The route is about 90 km, with around 2 hours 10 minutes of driving. Distance and time are calculated from map data and exclude traffic. Every road and bridge on the route is toll-free. To watch the sun sink into the East China Sea along the Ikitsuki Sunset Way or at Obae Lighthouse, cover Kujukushima and Hirado Town in the morning and cross to Ikitsuki Island in the afternoon.

Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort parking and sat-nav setup for viewpoints

Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort's car parks (668 ordinary cars and 18 large buses) have different free windows depending on the lot number. Car Parks No. 1 and No. 2 closest to the aquarium and pier are free for the first 30 minutes and cost ¥200 up to 4 hours (+¥100 per additional hour; No. 1 closes from 23:00 to 6:00), whereas Car Parks No. 3–5 slightly further away are free for the first 3 hours (¥200 up to 4 hours). Facility tickets and shops do not validate parking. On the water, the white sailing-style cruiser Pearl Queen runs ~50-minute cruises (¥2,200 for high-school age and over, ¥1,100 for ages 4 to junior high), while the pirate cruise ship Mirai is suspended until further notice.

Tenkaiho, Funakoshi Observatory, Ishidake Observatory and Yumiharidake Observatory have no on-site office telephone. The phone number shown on tourism listings (0956-22-6630) belongs to the Sasebo Tourist Information Center inside JR Sasebo Station, so entering it into a car sat-nav routes you to the station instead of the hills. Always set your destination by spot name or street address.

Central Hirado parking and high-wind bridge rules

Neither the "View of Temples and Churches" nor the Hirado Dutch Trading Post has general visitor parking on site. Park at the waterfront Hirado Port Exchange Square Car Park—about 5 minutes by car from Hirado Bridge, free for the first 2 hours and ¥100 per 30 minutes thereafter—to reach the Dutch Trading Post in about 5 minutes on foot and the View of Temples and Churches (and Hirado Xavier Memorial Church) in about 10 minutes. If you visit Hirado Castle first, Kameoka Park offers three free car parks (P1: 100 cars, P2: 20 cars, P3: 7 cars).

Both Hirado Bridge (Route 383) and Ikitsuki Bridge (Prefectural Route 42) have been toll-free since 1 April 2010, but both cross exposed straits with strict high-wind thresholds. Bridges close to two-wheelers at average wind speeds of 15 m/s or more, to pedestrians at 20 m/s or more, and to all four-wheeled ordinary and large vehicles at 25 m/s or more (as well as when snow or ice creates a skidding hazard). Check Hirado City's bridge traffic page before setting out on stormy or blustery days.

Roads you can drive

Places to stop

Views and nature

Numbers match the map.

Roadside stations

Best seasons and crowds

Sunrise is at 6:49 and sunset at 17:20 on 14 November 2026, and sunrise is at 7:03 and sunset at 17:14 on 30 November (Nagasaki).

Roads and restrictions checked on 14 November 2026

• On the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway (Matsuura-Saza Road), the 7.5 km free section between Matsuura IC and Hirado IC opened on 14 December 2025, while Saza IC–Hirado IC remains under construction (use Route 204).
• Daytime weekday closures (9:00–16:00, excluding weekends) are scheduled on the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway from Yamashiro-Kubara IC to Imafuku IC on 30 November–4 December 2026 (reserve days 7–9 December) and from Imafuku IC to Hirado IC on 7–11 December 2026 (reserve days 14–18 December), with signed detours on Route 204.
• Both Hirado Bridge and Ikitsuki Bridge are open normally as of 14 November 2026. In strong winds they close at 15 m/s+ for two-wheelers, 20 m/s+ for pedestrians and 25 m/s+ for four-wheeled vehicles; the 0.6 km Shiraishi cliff section on Prefectural Route 42 closes preemptively in heavy rain.
• At Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort, the pirate cruise ship Mirai is suspended until further notice; cruises operate aboard the Pearl Queen.

Getting there and fuel

There are no service areas or petrol stations on the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway between Saza IC and Sasebo-Daito IC or between Matsuura IC and Hirado IC, and none of the 3 roadside stations has a fuel pump. Because there are no stations along the Ikitsuki Sunset Way or up at Kawachi Pass either, top up in central Sasebo, along Route 204 (Saza to Tabira) or in central Hirado near Hirado Bridge before crossing to Ikitsuki Island. EVs can charge at Michi-no-Eki Sasebox 99 (2 chargers) and Michi-no-Eki Ikitsuki Ohashi (1 charger).

If you don't have a car

Drivers enter Hirado and Sasebo easily from Nagasaki Airport, Nagasaki Station, Fukuoka Airport or Saga Airport. For pickups inside Nagasaki Prefecture, compare branches in the Nagasaki Airport car rental comparison, the Nagasaki Station car rental comparison and the Nagasaki car rental guide. Coming from northern Kyushu, check the Fukuoka Airport car rental comparison, the Hakata Station car rental comparison and the Saga Airport car rental comparison. To save on the tolled Sasebo-Daito IC–Sasebo-Chuo IC expressway link, read how to rent an ETC card, and if you plan to fly into Fukuoka and out of Nagasaki, check one-way car rental fees and rules.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I drive with one day in Hirado, Sasebo and Ikitsuki?

Start at Tenkaiho and work north through Funakoshi Observatory, Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort and Yumiharidake Observatory, stop at Michi-no-Eki Sasebox 99, Michi-no-Eki Konchu-no-Sato Tabira and Tabira Tenshudo Church, cross Hirado Bridge for Hirado Castle, Hirado Port Exchange Square (the Dutch Trading Post and View of Temples and Churches) and Kawachi Pass, then cross Ikitsuki Bridge for the Ikitsuki Sunset Way, Shiodawara Cliffs and Obae Lighthouse. The drive is about 90 km and around 2 hours 10 minutes before stops. From Fukuoka Airport or Imari, follow the same route in reverse from Ikitsuki and Hirado.

Are Hirado Bridge, Ikitsuki Bridge and the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway free?

Both Hirado Bridge (Route 383) and Ikitsuki Bridge (Prefectural Route 42) have been toll-free since 1 April 2010. On the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway, driving strictly within Saza IC–Ainoura-Nakazato IC–Sasebo-Chuo IC (9.9 km) and on the northern Matsuura IC–Hirado IC section (7.5 km) is free. Tolls apply only when driving south through Sasebo-Chuo IC to or from Sasebo-Daito IC: ordinary cars pay ETC ¥160 (cash ¥370) from Sasebo-Chuo or Sasebo-Minato IC, ETC ¥270 (cash ¥370) from Ainoura-Nakazato IC, and ¥370 from Saza IC.

Where is the best place to park at Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort and in central Hirado?

At Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort (668 ordinary spaces), Car Parks No. 1–2 give 30 minutes free whereas Car Parks No. 3–5 give 3 hours free (all ¥200 up to 4 hours), making No. 3–5 better value if you combine a cruise and the aquarium. In central Hirado, neither the View of Temples and Churches nor the Dutch Trading Post has general parking, so use Hirado Port Exchange Square Car Park (first 2 hours free, then ¥100 per 30 minutes) or the free Hirado Castle car parks (100 spaces in P1).

What should I watch out for when entering Kujukushima viewpoints into a car sat-nav?

Tenkaiho, Funakoshi Observatory, Ishidake Observatory and Yumiharidake Observatory do not have on-site telephone numbers; the listed contact number (0956-22-6630) is for the Sasebo Tourist Information Center inside JR Sasebo Station. Do not search by phone number on your sat-nav—enter the viewpoint name or street address instead.

Can I cross Hirado Bridge and Ikitsuki Bridge in strong winds or winter?

Both bridges stay open year-round under normal weather, but they close at average wind speeds of 15 m/s or more for two-wheelers, 20 m/s or more for pedestrians, and 25 m/s or more for all four-wheeled cars and buses (and whenever snow or ice risks skidding). Check Hirado City's bridge traffic page before driving on days with strong winter monsoons or approaching typhoons.

Nearby areas and guides

• Unzen and Shimabara driving guide: Unzen Hell, Nita Pass, Shimabara Castle and Hara Castle Ruins
• Nagasaki Prefecture driving and travel guide
• Nagasaki car rental guide: Nagasaki Airport, Nagasaki Station and Sasebo