Northern Kyushu Rail Pass: 3 or 5 days and six reserved-seat bookings
Japan rail pass guide
The Northern Kyushu Rail Pass covers specified JR routes in northern Kyushu for three or five consecutive days. It can suit a Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita or Kumamoto itinerary. On the Kyushu Shinkansen, only the Hakata–Kumamoto section is included.
On Trip.com, select “3-day Northern Kyushu Area Pass / Northern Kyushu Area Pass (5-day)”. The option was checked on ; availability, collection and cancellation terms may change. The English product page displays USD, not CAD. Check your passport and entry-status eligibility against the operator’s rules, then confirm the selected option and final payment terms before buying. We have not tested a Canadian checkout. JapanLiveNow may earn a commission if you use this link.
Key destinations
The official area includes Fukuoka · 福岡, Hakata Station · 博多駅, Nagasaki · 長崎, Beppu · 別府, Oita · 大分, Kumamoto · 熊本 and Misumi Station · 三角駅. Check the route map for the exact stations and train sections covered.
When does this pass suit your itinerary?
Compare this pass with individual tickets if you make several trips from a Fukuoka base to eligible northern destinations such as Nagasaki, Beppu and Kumamoto. If you want to continue to Kagoshima by Kyushu Shinkansen, first note that the section south of Kumamoto is excluded.
Who can use it?
This pass is for travellers living outside Japan who hold a non-Japanese passport and enter for sightseeing with Temporary Visitor status. Check the evidence in your original passport and carry it while using the pass.
Prices and child fares
Adults are aged 12 or over; children are aged 6–11. For an overseas-agency exchange order, the child’s age is assessed on the purchase date. For a pass bought in Kyushu or through JR’s official online service, it is assessed on the start date. The table gives the official agency/station JPY prices. Check official online discounts and any seller's displayed price separately.
Swipe sideways to see the rest of the table.
| Consecutive days | Adult | Child (6–11) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | 15,000 | 7,500 |
| 5 days | 17,000 | 8,500 |
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Consecutive travel days
Use the pass on consecutive dates from your chosen start date. For example, a three-day pass starting on 6 October covers 6, 7 and 8 October. Check the exchange deadline attached to your purchased product separately.
Exchange orders and the actual pass
An agency voucher must be exchanged for the paper pass at a designated counter before boarding; it is not a ticket for the automatic gate. JR Kyushu says its agency voucher is valid for three months after issue, but check any separate deadline printed by the seller. Bring the exchange order and every traveller's original passport; photos and copies are not accepted. A reserved-seat ticket is separate from the pass.
Covered routes and exclusions
Eligible local and limited-express trains around Kumamoto/Misumi and north of Oita are covered. Shinkansen coverage includes Hakata–Kumamoto and Takeo-Onsen–Nagasaki. The Hakata–Kokura · 小倉 Sanyo Shinkansen and Kumamoto–Kagoshima-Chuo · 鹿児島中央 Kyushu Shinkansen are excluded.
Where to collect or exchange
Exchange a Northern Kyushu order for the actual pass at the JR Kyushu counter in the Access Hall, first floor of Fukuoka Airport · 福岡空港 International Terminal. It opens 09:00–17:00 and does not handle new purchases, changes or refunds. At Hakata Station or another designated location, check the specific pass-processing hours.
Reserved seats
Free Ordinary Car reserved-seat bookings are limited to six. Reserve at a JR Kyushu counter or reserved-seat machine. A connecting booking on Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Kamome and its connecting limited express counts as one booking. Paid advance online reservations do not count towards this free allowance.
Service changes: check separately from the map
The Northern Kyushu pass covers the operator's mapped area around Kumamoto and Misumi. The Kagoshima Main Line between Uto · 宇土 and Yatsushiro · 八代, and the Hisatsu Line between Yatsushiro and Yoshimatsu · 吉松, are outside the pass area. If your trip continues beyond it, buy the onward ticket separately. Check JR Kyushu's current operating notices for the trains on your travel date; a pass coverage map does not confirm that a train is running.
Cancellations and refunds
For an agency order not yet exchanged, ask the seller about a refund. JR Kyushu does not refund agency exchange orders directly. For an actual pass already issued, ask the issuing JR counter by the day before its validity starts; official guidance specifies a fee of 10% of the JPY selling price. No refund is offered from the start date onwards. Check the selected seller option's cancellation conditions separately.
From purchase to boarding
Choose your consecutive travel dates and routes. Check your passport’s Temporary Visitor evidence and the applicable child-age assessment date.
Check the pass type, duration, traveller name and exchange deadline on the order you receive after purchase.
For an agency voucher, bring the order and every traveller's original passport to a designated counter. For a direct JR Kyushu online purchase, also bring the physical card used to pay and the special QR exchange order. The two purchase methods have different collection requirements.
Confirm the start date when collecting the actual pass. Reserve required Ordinary Car seats at a counter or JR Kyushu reserved-seat machine.
Insert the actual pass into the automatic gate and collect it afterwards. Do not insert the reserved-seat ticket for gate access; carry it for your reserved seat on the train.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the Shinkansen to Kagoshima with Northern Kyushu?
Its Kyushu Shinkansen coverage is Hakata–Kumamoto. The onward section south of Kumamoto to Kagoshima-Chuo is excluded.
How is a Kamome connection towards Nagasaki counted?
The Ordinary Car reserved-seat booking for Kamome and its connecting limited express together counts as one booking.
What happens after six included reserved-seat bookings?
Buy the applicable limited-express ticket for each further reserved-seat journey. This differs from the All Kyushu pass’s unlimited reserved-seat booking allowance.
Can I use the exchange order’s QR code at a ticket gate?
Exchange the order for the actual pass at a designated counter first. Insert the actual pass into the automatic gate and collect it afterwards.
Is the child’s age assessed at purchase or travel?
For an overseas-agency exchange order, use the age on the purchase date. For purchases in Kyushu or through JR’s official online service, use the age on the start date. Child passes are for ages 6–11.
Will the pass price be refunded if a train is full?
The official conditions do not recognise full trains and unavailable seats as grounds for a refund. Check the reservation availability for the trains you need in advance.
Official sources and guide materials
- JR KYUSHU RAIL PASS Northern Kyushu official coverage map (English) ↗Checked:
- Official Korean conditions chart for JR Kyushu Rail Pass ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu Rail Pass: official English prices and conditions ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: purchasing and booking ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: pass collection locations and processing hours ↗Checked:
- Fukuoka Airport International Terminal pass exchange (English) ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: current operations and scheduled reopening notices (Japanese) ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: long-term suspensions (Japanese) ↗Checked:
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