Kyushu is the southernmost of the four main Japanese islands. Beppu in the north is famous for its hot springs, Fukuoka in the west is a fairly hip city also known for its outdoor food-stalls or yatai. The Atomic Bomb Museum at Nagasaki is a sobering experience, time for some quiet contemplation. Nagasaki has always been a national trading port, as evidenced by the former traders houses overlooking the harbour. The self-contained island of Dejima has now been recreated as a place of historical interest: from the 1640s-1850s the Portuguese and later the Dutch operated solely within its perimeter.