All You Need to Know about JR Kyūshū Regional Rail Passes

JR Kyūshū passes cover rail travel in — you guessed it — Kyūshū. If you’re keen to explore this fascinating, onsen-y island, these rail passes — covering all of Kyūshū or just the northern or southern half — can save you money. Read on to find out how, and how much.

Overview of JR Kyūshū passes

JR Kyūshū offers three different rail passes: one for all of Kyūshū, one for the northern half of the island, and another for the southern half of the island.

JR Kyūshū passes at a glance:

What is covered by JR Kyūshū passes?

JR Kyūshū passes give you unlimited travel on the Kyūshū Shinkansen, limited express trains, and regular JR trains within the scope of the pass. So with the All Kyūshū Pass you can ride the length of the Kyūshū Shinkansen, from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kagoshima. With the Northern Kyūshū Pass you can ride the Shinkansen between Hakata and Kumamoto and with the Southern Kyūshū Pass you can ride it between Kumamoto and Kagoshima. The All Kyūshū and Northern Kyūshū passes also cover the West Kyūshū Shinkansen between Takeo-Onsen and Nagasaki.

Pro tip: Consider sending your suitcases on ahead with a luggage delivery service. On the Kyūshū and West Kyūshū Shinkansen, bags with total dimensions over 160 cm need a reserved “seat with oversized baggage area” (at no extra cost), and if you board without one, you’ll pay a ¥1,000 baggage fee. Rail pass holders can’t book these seats on JR Kyūshū’s rail pass website, so book them at a station ticket office. Our guide to the Shinkansen luggage rules has more.

What is NOT covered by JR Kyūshū passes?

Unlike some other regional rail passes, JR Kyūshū’s passes don’t cover any private railway lines, buses (JR or otherwise), or ferries. But you do get some discounts at some places here and there with the pass.

You also can’t ride the little bit of Shinkansen north of Hakata because that is technically the San’yō Shinkansen, not the Kyūshū Shinkansen. Also off-limits are the fancy Aru Ressha excursion train, the Kanpachi/Ichiroku sightseeing train, and the stupidly expensive Seven Stars resort sleeper train.

Riding the limited express train 36+3 with a JR Kyūshū rail pass

36+3 (pronounced “san-ju-roku plus san”) is a sightseeing train that does a week-long loop of the island. It runs a different section of the loop each day of the week, and you book a seat for a section. It’s a very nice train, with Japanese-y interior design (the window shades look like shōji, for example), a lounge car, and a bar car. It’s Green Car (first class) only, so pass holders can ride but need to buy a Green limited express ticket on top.

Where can I travel with a JR Kyūshū pass?

Fortunately, you can do a lot by rail in Kyūshū. Sure, there are hiking trails, remote religious sites, and onsen that you really need your own wheels to reach (especially in Ōita and Miyazaki Prefectures). But trains can take you many places, while the Shinkansen and limited express trains make fast work of traversing Japan’s third largest island.

Kyūshū highlights include:

• Fukuoka, Kyūshū’s biggest city is compact and has a cosmopolitan vibe.
• The port city of Nagasaki, which has made history twice: as a site for international trade during Japan’s era of seclusion and as the site of the second atomic bomb during WWII.
• Kumamoto a castle town that’s still recovering from a devastating earthquake. Don’t miss nearby Mt. Aso, Japan’s largest active volcano (which is sometimes closed off for, well, being active).
• Ōita Prefecture onsen resorts Beppu and Yufuin.
• The southern city of Kagoshima with its smoking volcano, Sakurajima.
• The hot sand “baths” of Ibusuki, at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula.

Where can I buy a JR Kyūshū Pass?

You can buy the pass from JR Kyūshū’s own online booking site, from travel agencies (including online), or at designated JR Kyūshū stations after you arrive. JR Kyūshū’s own site is the cheapest: ¥1,000 less per adult pass (half that for children) than stations and agencies, so a 3-day All Kyūshū Pass costs ¥21,000 instead of ¥22,000.

Buying from JR Kyūshū’s site (or from certain agencies, such as JTB, Klook, and KKday) also lets you reserve seats before you arrive, for ¥1,000 per section on the Shinkansen and regular limited express trains, or ¥1,500 on sightseeing trains (half price for children). Once you’re in Kyūshū, seat reservations are free at JR Kyūshū ticket offices and reserved-seat ticket machines.

If you purchase online, you’ll need to pick up the actual pass from a designated JR Kyūshū ticket office (not at the airport). Everyone on the booking needs to be there with their passport, along with the credit card used to pay.

Making seat reservations with a JR Kyūshū Pass

JR Kyūshū’s passes cover reserved seats. All Kyūshū Pass holders can make unlimited seat reservations at no extra charge, while Northern Kyūshū Pass and Southern Kyūshū Pass holders can make up to six free seat reservations (after that, you’ll need to buy a regular limited express ticket). Seats booked in advance on JR Kyūshū’s rail pass website don’t count toward the six.

This is important because many of JR Kyūshū’s limited express trains only have reserved seating. You can make seat reservations at any JR Kyūshū ticket office or from reserved seat ticket vending machines at select stations. Major stations should have the reserved seat ticket vending machines, but you can check here. JR Kyūshū has a handy (and very detailed) tutorial on working the ticket machines. Seat reservations can be made up to one month in advance.

Are JR Kyūshū passes a good deal?

A single round trip on the full length of the Kyūshū Shinkansen, from Hakata to Kagoshima-Chūō and back, costs more than a 3-day All Kyūshū Pass.

Sample Kyūshū Shinkansen fares:

Unreserved seats cost a little less (for example, ¥5,310 from Hakata to Kumamoto), and fares vary slightly by season.

Limited express trains — which you’ll want to ride to visit some popular destinations like Nagasaki, Yufuin, and Beppu — can also add up.

Sample limited express train fares:

These are regular reserved-seat fares. JR Kyūshū raised fares in April 2025, so check other routes before you budget.

Getting to Kyūshū

The other thing you need to take into account is the cost of getting to Kyūshū. Fukuoka is the main entry point and Fukuoka Airport is serviced by LCCs like Skymark (for Tokyo) and Peach (for Kansai), as well as international flights.

A flight from either Narita or Kansai airports to Fukuoka on a low cost carrier starts at around ¥6,000 each way. Of course, you also need to factor in the time and cost of getting to the airport. For reference, a one-way Nozomi Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Hakata costs ¥23,610 (reserved seat, regular season, booked through the smartEX app) and takes just over 5 hours.

Some JR West regional rail passes cover rail travel along the full extent of the Sanyō Shinkansen — all the way to Hakata (Fukuoka). So there is the possibility of stacking passes. You might also want to consider the San’yō-San’in Northern Kyūshū Pass, which covers travel from Kansai west to Kyūshū and, in Kyūshū, as far as Kumamoto.

The Southern Kyūshū Pass does not include Fukuoka, so you’re looking possibly at a flight to a minor regional airport like Kumamoto, Kagoshima, or Miyazaki. You can combine the northern and southern passes (their dates can overlap by one day at most), but a 3-day Northern Kyūshū Pass plus a 3-day Southern Kyūshū Pass now costs ¥27,000 together, more than even the 7-day All Kyūshū Pass (¥26,000). The All Kyūshū Pass is usually the better buy.

New for fall 2026: the Kyūshū de Aō pass

JR Kyūshū is selling a new pass to help the island recover from the Kumamoto earthquake of July 28, 2026. The Kyūshū de Aō (“Let’s meet in Kyūshū”) pass gives three consecutive days of unlimited rides on every JR Kyūshū line, including the Kyūshū and West Kyūshū Shinkansen and limited express trains. It costs ¥23,000 for adults and ¥3,000 for children, and JR Kyūshū donates ¥1,000 from each adult pass to Kumamoto Prefecture.

It covers unreserved seats only, so all-reserved trains like the Yufuin no Mori are out unless you pay for a reserved seat. You can use it from October 1 to December 24, 2026, and you have to book between one month and one day before your first day of travel. Adult passes come with two ¥500 vouchers for station shops in Kumamoto, Kagoshima-Chūō, Nagasaki, and Miyazaki.

The catch for visitors: it’s sold only on JR Kyūshū’s Japanese-language booking site, to registered JR Kyūshū Web members, and people who live outside Japan can’t register. Members can buy passes for other people, though. Child passes have to be bought with, and used alongside, an adult pass, and you collect the tickets from a ticket office or machine at a major JR Kyūshū station before you board.

If you qualify for the All Kyūshū Pass, it’s the better deal for adults: it’s cheaper and includes reserved seats. With kids in tow, the Kyūshū de Aō pass comes out well ahead, as long as someone who lives in Japan can book it for you. And if you live in Japan, you can’t buy the Rail Pass anyway, so this is the one to look at.

JR Kyūshū Pass FAQs

Who can buy JR Kyūshū passes?

You need a non-Japanese passport, you must live outside Japan, and you must be visiting as a temporary visitor. Make sure your passport has a temporary-visitor stamp or sticker; if you use the automated gates on arrival, ask airport staff for one. Carry your passport whenever you ride.

Can I ride the Shinkansen with a JR Kyūshū Pass?

Yes. JR Kyūshū pass holders can ride the Kyūshū Shinkansen, which runs from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kagoshima-Chūō (Kagoshima), within their pass area. All Kyūshū and Northern Kyūshū pass holders can also ride the West Kyūshū Shinkansen between Takeo-Onsen and Nagasaki.

Can I ride the subway with a JR Kyūshū Pass?

No. In Kyūshū, only Fukuoka has a subway network. It’s operated by the city, not JR Kyūshū, so pass holders will have to buy tickets to ride the subway in Fukuoka. No municipal travel (including local buses) is covered by the passes.

Can I travel from Tokyo to Kyūshū with a JR Kyūshū Pass?

Nope! The only rail pass that covers travel from Tokyo to Kyūshū is the classic, countrywide Japan Rail Pass.

Can I travel from Osaka to Kyūshū with a JR Kyūshū Pass?

Nope. In addition to the national Japan Rail Pass, some JR West regional rail passes cover rail travel between Osaka and Hakata (Fukuoka).

Can I use JR Kyūshū passes to travel to or from Fukuoka Airport?

No — Fukuoka Airport is best accessed via the subway (it’s only a couple of stops away from downtown) and the subway is not covered by JR Kyūshū passes.

While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change. Last updated in September 2026.