Rail Pass, Train Timetable Search & Reservations

The Complete Kyushu Rail Pass Guide

1) Coverage Area

The Kyushu Rail Pass is divided into three regional passes: Northern Kyushu, All Kyushu, and Southern Kyushu. The Northern Kyushu and All Kyushu Rail Passes can be used as far as Shimonoseki Station, which is administratively part of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

2) Eligible Lines

Within the pass area, you can use JR trains in both reserved and non-reserved seating.

3) Ineligible Lines

4) Pass Types

• Northern Kyushu Rail Pass: 3-day ¥15,000 / 5-day ¥17,000
• All Kyushu Rail Pass: 3-day ¥22,000 / 5-day ¥24,000 / 7-day ¥26,000
• Southern Kyushu Rail Pass: 3-day ¥12,000
• Children aged 6–11 pay 50% of the adult fare

5) Key Features

• Some Shinkansen sections are included, such as Fukuoka–Kumamoto (about 33 min) and Takeo-Onsen–Nagasaki (about 30 min)
• You can choose a start date, and the pass is intended for consecutive use
• Reserved seats can be issued in advance, but in busy periods it may be limited to same-day trains only
• For Shinkansen and limited express non-reserved seats, you can board without a reservation
• Stations and routes are clear, so it is often easier to use than buses

6) Important Notes

• Pass exchange is available only during business hours at JR station Midori no Madoguchi (みどりの窓口)

• Voucher exchange is not available at Shimonoseki Station; exchange at JR Kokura or Mojiko
• For sightseeing within Fukuoka or Beppu, bus rides cost extra
• Kurokawa has no train station, so you cannot get there with the rail pass alone
• Online reserved-seat booking is available, but a per-seat fee applies (¥1,000–¥1,500)
  • Design & Story trains like Yufuin no Mori: ¥1,500 per person per segment
  • Other limited express trains: ¥1,000 per person per segment
• There is a limit on the number of reserved-seat bookings
  • All Kyushu: unlimited / Northern & Southern Kyushu: up to 6 times
  • If you exceed the limit, you must buy limited express tickets separately
• Green Car (first class) requires an extra fee
• At Hakata Station, exchange is available only at the Central Ticket Office opposite the central concourse tourist information center
  • Check that the sign says Rail Pass Counter

7) Buying & Picking Up the Rail Pass

Easy Train Timetable Search in English

If you travel with a rail pass, it is important to check train timetables in advance.

This helps you plan your itinerary, reserve seats online in advance, or note the times and book reserved seats on-site.

The method below shows results based only on regular fares (Regular ticket), so it is hard to judge whether buying a rail pass is better or choosing an online discount ticket is better.

If you travel to only one area outside Fukuoka, you should also reference the “Japanese original” search below.

As an example, let’s check the Fukuoka–Beppu route.

• Limited Express Sonic regular fare (reserved seat) for Fukuoka–Beppu: one-way ¥6,910
• Kyushu Net Kippu (online discount ticket): reserved seat one-way ¥3,500
• Kyushu Net Hayatoku 3 (book 3 days ahead, no changes): reserved seat one-way ¥2,950

Based on these fares, paying ¥15,000 for a Beppu round trip can make the Northern Kyushu Rail Pass look better, but with online discount tickets, you may pay less than half.

You can find details in the “Japanese original” section below.

1) Train Timetable Search Results (Example)

• The image below shows search results for HAKATA → BEPPU (OITA).
• If you search with the “Use Shinkansen” option checked, Shinkansen results may appear that include the Hakata–Kokura section, which is not covered by the rail pass. For rail pass travel, it is best to turn off the “Use Shinkansen” option.

• Departure time: 14:20
• Arrival time: 16:29
• Train name: Sonic 31
• Travel time: about 2 hr 9 min
• Regular ticket: fare based on the standard (regular) ticket
• Green Car, reserved seat, and non-reserved seat are shown
• ○: seats available (e.g., non-reserved)
• △: limited availability (e.g., reserved)
• ✕: sold out (e.g., Green Car)

3 Ways to Reserve Seats with a Rail Pass

1) Ask Staff at Midori no Madoguchi (Ticket Office)

みどりの窓口

• Print the Reserved Seat Application Form.pdf and fill it in advance, or fill it in on-site.
  • You can write the departure station, arrival station, and train name in English (not Japanese).
• The image below is an example filled in using the search above.
• After you exchange your voucher for a physical pass, you can reserve seats in advance within your pass validity period.
  However, if the line is long, it may be limited to same-day reservations only.

2) Reserved Seat Ticket Machine

• If you have exchanged to a physical rail pass, you can reserve seats using a green reserved seat ticket machine.
• You can set the language to Korean.
• The “Reserved seat ticket” and “Non-reserved seat ticket” buttons are for paying fares, so do not press them when reserving with a rail pass.
• Make sure to select “Reserve seats using a coupon/ticket”.
• Insert the rail pass into the machine; up to 4 passes at once are supported.
• Enter departure station, arrival station, date, time, number of passengers, and conditions.
• Select a standard seat with ○ mark.
• For Shinkansen with oversized luggage, choose the luggage storage seat; otherwise choose a regular seat.
• Choose your seat position and press confirm.
• Always keep the issued reserved-seat ticket together with your rail pass.

• For a step-by-step guide, see the video below.

3) Online Reserved Seat Booking

JR KYUSHU RAIL PASS Online Booking

The two methods above are for reserving after you exchange to a physical pass in Japan.

However, popular trains like Yufuin no Mori may sell out if you book after arriving in Japan, so be careful.

If you want to secure seats early, online booking is a good option.

Seats open from 10:00 a.m. one month before the travel date, and an extra fee of ¥1,000–¥1,500 per seat applies (children from ¥500).

• You cannot book reserved seats online without buying a rail pass.
• Booking hours: 05:30–23:00
• On the online booking page, click “Seat Reservation”
• For first-time use, click “Register,” enter your email, and agree to the terms
• Click the link in the email and enter your member details
• Enter your KRP number or MCO number
• Change the temporary password
• Search trains and select your train
• Choose seats manually or auto assignment
• Enter your rail pass start date
• Enter credit card details for the booking fee (must be in your name)
• Print the reservation confirmation or keep it by email
• Online reserved-seat bookings do not count toward the reservation limit.

4) Change or Cancel a Reserved Seat

Except for the All Kyushu Rail Pass, you can reserve up to 6 reserved seats.

To change a reservation, check a new seat first, then ask staff at Midori no Madoguchi, or change it online if you booked online.

If you will not use it, you must cancel. Online bookings have a cancellation fee.

Rail Pass vs Online Discount Tickets: Which Is Better?

If you take trains in Northern Kyushu, you do not always need to buy a rail pass.

For example, if you travel only one route like Hakata ↔ Beppu, it may be cheaper to use Kyushu Net Kippu (online discount tickets) than to buy a rail pass.

Also, if you buy this discount ticket with a reserved seat included, you do not need to make a separate seat reservation, and no extra reservation fee is charged.

Now let’s look at another popular route: Hakata ↔ Yufuin.

• The image below is a translated screen from the Japanese original page.

For example, on a 2-night, 3-day trip, if you plan to visit Yufuin on Day 2, you can take the sightseeing train Yufuin no Mori (translated as “Limited Express Yufuin no Mori”).

The regular reserved-seat fare is ¥5,690, but with Kyushu Net Kippu, you can book at a discounted price of ¥5,160.

• Second image below

Round trip is ¥10,320, which is cheaper than the 3-day Northern Kyushu Rail Pass (¥15,000). There is no separate reserved-seat fee, so in this case an online discount ticket is better.

For reference, the Limited Express “Yufu” is a bit cheaper at Kyushu Net Kippu reserved seat ¥5,100 one-way.

• First image below

• JQ Card / Jipang members only: JQ Card is a Japanese credit card, and Jipang Club is a senior membership with an annual fee. This does not apply to most Korean travelers.
• With QR ticketless, you can board with only a QR code, without exchanging tickets in Japan.

Prices vary by route, so if you travel only one or two areas, discount tickets are often better. If you travel three or more areas, a rail pass may be more efficient.

So it is important to check fares by route in advance and compare rail passes and online discount tickets to choose what works best for your itinerary.

Search in Japanese and Book with Discounts

If you want to book local trains with online discount tickets without buying a rail pass, you must book directly on the Japanese website.

This is because the English page does not show online discount tickets like Kyushu Net Kippu (九州ネットきっぷ), and you need to complete sign-up, card registration, and payment on the Japanese site.

However, with your browser’s auto-translate feature, you can book without much difficulty. Even if you do not make a booking, you can still check train times, fares, and seat availability without creating an account.

1) Sign Up

According to JR Kyushu’s Japanese membership terms, it includes wording like this:

If it is found that the applicant lives outside Japan or similar, the registration may not be approved or may be cancelled.

Most travelers sign up using their hotel address. Usually there is no issue, but you are responsible for the information you register.

If possible, we recommend picking up tickets at a ticket machine instead of the Midori no Madoguchi counter.

• Go to the train booking page and use your browser’s auto-translate to Korean.
• Click “New member registration,” enter your email, then click “Submit after agreeing to the terms.”
• Click the link in the email without translating it. (Links may error if clicked in a translated view.)
• Enter your name in Kanji and Katakana, date of birth, hotel address, Korean phone number, password, and password confirmation.

2) Register a Credit Card

• To make payment smoother after searching trains, it is best to register your credit card in advance.
• After logging in, click “Register/Change Credit Card.”
• Enter the card number, expiry date, and nickname (English) for a card in your name, then review the terms, agree, and click “Go to confirmation.”
• Confirm that the card was registered successfully.

3) Search Trains

• The image above is a screenshot of an auto-translated screen.
• For departure/arrival stations, you must turn off auto-translation and enter the station name in Japanese to search.
• Use “Select from history / major stations” and enter the departure and arrival stations.
  • Example: Hakata (博多) → Nagasaki (長崎)
• If the station is not listed, enter the station name in Kanji or Hiragana. (Example: Hakata is 博多 or はかた)
• Set the travel date and time.
• Search criteria: by departure / by arrival / first train / last train
• Passengers: age 12+ is adult, age 6–11 is child, under 6 is free with an accompanying adult
  • However, if you want a separate seat, the infant fare applies.
• Use Limited Express/Rapid (特急・急行を使う): check if you will use a limited express train
• Use Shinkansen (新幹線を使う): choose whether to include Shinkansen on the route
• No transfers (乗換えなし): search only direct trains without transfers
• Do not use Nozomi/Mizuho (のぞみ・みずほを使わない): exclude higher-priced services
• For Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, no transfer at Shin-Tosu (西九州新幹線利用の場合、新鳥栖乗換なし): show only direct trains Hakata ↔ Takeo-Onsen with no transfer at Shin-Tosu
• Exclude Shinkansen between Kokura and Hakata (小倉⇔博多間の新幹線や、九州外の発着を含める): uncheck, because this section is not covered by the rail pass

4) Results

The image above shows results for Hakata → Nagasaki, and the online discount ticket name varies by route.

• 🉐 Examples of tickets you can buy

  • Regular ticket (通常のきっぷ): the standard fare with no discount
  • Kamome Net Ticket (かもめネットきっぷ): if seats are available, you can buy online at a lower price even on the departure day
  • Kamome Net Early Deal 3 (かもめネット早得3): available until 3 days before departure
  • We’re also Kamome. Early Deal 7 (私たちも、かもめ。早特７): available until 7 days before, and no changes allowed
  • To the World with Kamome!? Nagasaki Ticket: book until 3 days before, no changes allowed, includes a Nagasaki sightseeing ticket (choose 1 from Dejima / Nagasaki Confucius Shrine / Glover Garden)

• ⛔ Tickets you cannot buy

  • JQ Card exclusive deals (not for overseas travelers)

• Routes like Yufuin and Beppu can use Kyushu Net Kippu (九州ネットきっぷ), with discounts of up to about 50–60%.

5) Booking Steps

• If you do not need schedule changes and you do not need a sightseeing ticket, “We’re also Kamome. Early Deal 7” (¥3,200) is the cheapest, so select that button.
• On the seat selection page, choose your seat or select “Window,” “Aisle,” or “Any.”
• If your preferred seat is sold out, selecting another seat of the same ticket type will auto-assign a similar seat.
• If there is no seat you want, select Do not book to cancel.
• On the payment page: select your registered card → click “Pay with this method”
• After confirming the booking details, complete agreement and payment. ※ A cancellation fee applies if you cancel later

6) Ticket Pickup (For Regular Fare Bookings)

• If you booked using the regular (non-discount) fare, the easiest way is to pick up tickets at a JR reserved-seat ticket machine.

• First, tap “予約したきっぷのお受取り” (Pick up reserved tickets).

• Next, select “JR九州列車予約サービス” (JR Kyushu Train Reservation Service).

• Then insert the physical credit card used for the booking into the machine.

• Finally, enter the last 4 digits of your phone number, and the machine will issue your tickets.

• Ticket pickup stations include:

  • All Kyushu Shinkansen stations
  • Hakata, Kokura, Tobata, Kurosaki, Orio, Akama, Fukuma, Kashii, Chihaya, Yoshizuka, Sasahara, Minami-Fukuoka, Kasuga, Mizuki, Ichiiichi, Tosu, Saga
  • Isahaya, Nagasaki, Shin-Omura, Takeo-Onsen, Haiki, Sasebo, Yukuhashi, Ushima, Nakatsu, Yanagigaura, Usa, Kitsuki, Beppu, Oita, Saiki, Yufuin
  • Suizenji, Taniyama, Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Minami-Miyazaki, Miyazaki Airport

Exclusive TourCast Tips!

Ticketless service: board with a QR code

From September 26, 2024, if you book with an online discount ticket, you can board without any on-site exchange by using a QR code.

Open the JR Kyushu booking page on your smartphone, log in, then tapBooking confirmation → Show QR button to enter through the dedicated ticket gates.

• ※ The official JR Kyushu app cannot be downloaded with a Korean account

Manual (Japanese).pdf

The Budget-Friendly “2-Ticket” Nimai Kippu

２枚きっぷ

Nimai Kippu means “2-ticket” in Japanese. It refers to buying two tickets for the same route.
You can use it for one person round trip, or for two people traveling one-way each. The price is similar to online discount tickets, and it is available only for on-site purchase.

However, it is not available on all routes, and it is sold separately for non-reserved vs reserved seat services. (See the route examples below.)

If you buy a reserved-seat version, it is best to make a reserved-seat booking before issuing the ticket. If you issue it without a reservation, you can only use non-reserved seats.

Reserved seats are available only when there are seats left, so if you are fine with non-reserved seats, this option can work without booking online.

1) Non-Reserved Seat Fares

• Hakata ↔ Mojiko: ¥3,620
• Hakata ↔ Kokura: ¥3,400
• Hakata ↔ Saga: ¥2,900
• Hakata ↔ Kohoku (江北): ¥4,240
• Hakata ↔ Yukuhashi (行橋): ¥5,060

2) Reserved Seat Fares

• Fukuoka City area ↔ Sasebo: ¥5,500
• Fukuoka City area ↔ Huis Ten Bosch: ¥6,000
• Fukuoka City area ↔ Beppu, Oita: ¥7,600
• Fukuoka City area ↔ Usuki, Tsukumi: ¥10,840
• Fukuoka City area ↔ Saiki: ¥12,620
• Kitakyushu City area ↔ Beppu, Oita: ¥7,600
• Hakata ↔ Hizen-Kashima: ¥5,600

3) Notes

• Children pay 50% of the adult fare
• Tickets can be used anytime within 1 month of purchase
• If you exit the ticket gates during the trip, you cannot re-enter and continue
• For reserved-seat booking, see the “Reserved Seat Ticket Machine” section
• If you miss your reserved seat train, you can board non-reserved seats on the same day
• Example: Hakata → Beppu Limited Express Sonic reserved seat is ¥6,910 one-way, but with Nimai Kippu, two people can ride for ¥3,800 per person one-way
• Shinkansen is not included, but limited express trains are included

4) How to Buy

If you use a ticket machine, you must set the language to Japanese to see the ２枚きっぷきっぷなど button. If you set it to Korean, the option will not appear.
If Japanese is difficult, ask station staff for help.

OO駅まで2枚きっぷお願いします。

• “OO ekimade Nimai Kippu onegaishimasu”
  (Nimai Kippu to OO Station, please.)

The Kyushu Odan Limited Express Between Kumamoto and Beppu

九州横断特急 (Kyushu Odan Tokkyu)

The Kyushu Odan Limited Express is a limited express train that crosses Kyushu, linking Kumamoto–Aso–Oita–Beppu (or the reverse).
It departs twice a day from both Kumamoto and Beppu, and it can also be used with the Northern Kyushu Rail Pass.

• Train layout: 1 reserved seat car + 1 non-reserved seat car

However, if you plan to visit key sightseeing spots along this route, buses may be a better choice than trains for both cost and convenience.
In particular, Kurokawa Onsen is a hot spring town with no train station. If you plan to visit this area, the Sankyu Pass may be a better fit than the Northern Kyushu Rail Pass.

• For the Sankyu Pass and Kyushu Odan bus details, see the “Sankyu Pass, Bus Reservations” section
• It is also useful if you take the Shinkansen to Kumamoto with your rail pass, then continue to Aso, Oita, and Beppu.
  • You can reach Yufuin with one transfer at Kurume (久留米) Station
• You can visit Mt. Aso’s crater after getting off at Aso Station, but the one-way bus fare from Aso Station to Aso Sanjo Terminal to the crater is ¥1,250, so it is not the most cost-effective choice.

JR and Regional Passes for Different Travel Styles

1) JR Kyushu Mobile Pass 📱

JR Kyushu Mobile Pass

① Eligible Lines

• This is a mobile pass that replaces the former Fukuoka Wide Pass. You can use non-reserved seats on local trains and limited express trains, excluding Shinkansen.
• Major limited express routes include:
  • Sonic: Hakata～Kokura～Yukuhashi
  • Relay Kamome, Midori, Huis Ten Bosch, Kasasagi: Hakata～Tosu
  • Yufu: Hakata～Kurume

② Pass Type

• Consecutive 2-day pass Adult ¥3,500 / Child ¥1,750

③ Key Points

• Useful for trips from Fukuoka to major Northern Kyushu cities like Kokura and Mojiko.

2) Tabimeijin Kyushu Mankitsu Ticket

旅名人の九州満喫きっぷ

① Coverage Area

② Eligible Lines

• You can ride non-reserved seats on most local trains within Kyushu.

③ Ineligible Lines

• Not valid on Shinkansen or limited express trains
• Minami Aso Railway Torokko Train (limited express ticket required)
• Route buses and some sightseeing trains

④ Pass Type

• ¥12,000 (same price for adults and children)

⑤ Key Points

• Valid for 3 months from the purchase date
• One person can use it for 3 days, or three people can use it for 1 day
• Best for a relaxed itinerary with longer-distance travel
• When using it, ask station staff to write the date

3) Gurutto Kyushu Kippu

ぐるっと九州きっぷ

① Coverage Area

• Covers all of Kyushu.

② Eligible Lines

• Non-reserved seats on most JR local trains in Kyushu
• If you buy a limited express ticket separately, you can also ride Shinkansen and limited express trains

③ Pass Types

• JR Kyushu online booking: Adult ¥14,300 / Child ¥7,150
• Station counter purchase: Adult ¥15,800 / Child ¥7,900

④ Key Points

• Valid only for 3 consecutive days
• With a limited express ticket, you can ride Shinkansen
• Valid only on JR lines within Kyushu
• Cheaper than the All Kyushu Rail Pass, but if you use only local trains, travel times can be long
• Good value if you add a limited express ticket for just 1–2 segments

View Gurutto Kyushu Kippu information```