Northern Kyushu Rail Pass: 3 or 5 days and six seat reservations
JR KYUSHU RAIL PASS Northern Kyushu
The Northern Kyushu Rail Pass covers specified JR services in northern Kyushu (九州) for 3 or 5 consecutive days. If you are travelling around Fukuoka (福岡), Saga (佐賀), Nagasaki (長崎), Oita (大分) or Kumamoto (熊本), compare its price with the tickets for your route. Its Kyushu Shinkansen coverage runs only from Hakata (博多) to Kumamoto.
Places and stations
Fukuoka · 福岡; Hakata Station · 博多駅; Nagasaki · 長崎; Beppu · 別府; Oita · 大分; Kumamoto · 熊本; Misumi Station · 三角駅.
When is this pass useful?
Compare this pass with individual tickets for several journeys from Fukuoka to covered northern destinations such as Nagasaki, Beppu or Kumamoto. If you will take the Kyushu Shinkansen towards Kagoshima, remember that the section south of Kumamoto is excluded.
Who can use it?
These passes are for travellers living outside Japan who hold a non-Japanese passport and enter Japan for sightseeing under Temporary Visitor status. Check the evidence of that status in your original passport and carry your passport when using the pass.
Prices and child-age rules
Adults are aged 12 or above; child passes are for ages 6–11. For an Exchange Order bought from an overseas travel agency, age is assessed on the purchase date. For purchases in Kyushu or through JR Kyushu’s official online service, age is assessed on the start date. The table gives official agency and station prices in yen; official online discounts and Trip.com display prices need to be checked separately.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Consecutive days | Adult (JPY) | Child (JPY) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | 15,000 | 7,500 |
| 5 days | 17,000 | 8,500 |
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Validity and start date
Use the pass on consecutive days from your selected start date. For example, a three-day pass starting on 6 October is valid on 6, 7 and 8 October. Check the exchange deadline stated for the product you bought separately.
Exchange Order or boarding ticket?
A travel agency’s Exchange Order is not a boarding ticket to insert into an automatic gate. Collect the actual pass at a designated exchange point before travelling. A reserved-seat ticket is also separate from the pass itself.
Which trains and routes are covered?
Local and limited express coverage extends over the designated northern area to Kumamoto, Misumi and Oita. The Shinkansen routes included are Hakata–Kumamoto and Takeo-Onsen (武雄温泉)–Nagasaki. The Hakata–Kokura (小倉) Sanyo Shinkansen and Kumamoto–Kagoshima-Chuo (鹿児島中央) Kyushu Shinkansen sections are excluded.
Where do I collect the pass?
Exchange a Northern Kyushu voucher at the JR Kyushu counter in the Access Hall on the first floor of Fukuoka Airport’s international terminal (福岡空港). It handles exchanges from 09:00 to 17:00, but does not sell new passes or handle changes or refunds. Check pass-handling hours at other designated locations, including Hakata Station.
Reserving seats
Northern Kyushu includes up to six complimentary Ordinary Car seat reservations, made at JR Kyushu counters or reserved-seat ticket machines. A reservation connecting the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Kamome with its connecting limited express counts as one reservation. Paid advance online reservations do not count towards this free allowance.
Service changes to check separately
As checked on 6 October 2026, the Kagoshima Main Line between Uto (宇土) and Yatsushiro (八代) is suspended through 9 October, with resumption planned from the first train on 10 October. Weather and other conditions may change that date. The Hisatsu Line between Yatsushiro and Yoshimatsu (吉松) also has a long-term suspension. A line appearing on the coverage map does not guarantee that trains are currently running; check the service notice for your travel date.
Cancellation and refunds
For an unexchanged travel-agency voucher, ask the seller about a refund; JR Kyushu does not refund these vouchers directly. For a physical pass already issued, contact the issuing JR counter by the day before validity begins. The official conditions specify a fee of 10% of the yen sale price. No refund is available on or after the start date. Trip.com cancellation conditions must be checked separately for the selected option.
From purchase to boarding
Choose consecutive travel dates and routes, and check Temporary Visitor evidence in your passport and the applicable child-age rule.
After purchase, check the pass type, duration, name and exchange deadline on the Exchange Order.
All travellers named on the Exchange Orders must take their original passports and orders to an exchange point handling that pass.
Confirm the start date when collecting the physical pass. Reserve any required Ordinary Car seats at a JR Kyushu counter or reserved-seat ticket machine.
Insert the actual pass into the automatic gate and retrieve it afterwards. Do not use the reserved-seat ticket to open the gate; carry it when boarding the reserved seat.
Questions about this pass
Can I take the Shinkansen all the way to Kagoshima?
Northern Kyushu covers the Kyushu Shinkansen from Hakata to Kumamoto. The section south of Kumamoto to Kagoshima-Chuo is excluded.
How is a Kamome connection towards Nagasaki counted?
An Ordinary Car reserved-seat booking for Kamome and its connecting limited express counts as one reservation together.
What happens after I use six complimentary seat reservations?
You need to buy the required limited express ticket for each further reserved-seat journey. This differs from All Kyushu, which has no limit on complimentary seat reservations.
Can I enter the gates using the QR code on my Exchange Order?
First exchange the order for the actual pass at a designated counter. Insert the pass itself into the automatic gate and retrieve it afterwards.
Is a child’s age assessed when buying or travelling?
For an overseas travel-agency Exchange Order, age is assessed on the purchase date. For purchases in Kyushu or through the official online service, it is assessed on the validity start date. Child passes apply to ages 6–11.
Can I get a refund if the train has no available seats?
Under the official conditions, a train being fully booked is not grounds for a pass refund. Check reservation availability for the trains you need in advance.
Sources and official guidance
- JR Kyushu: Northern Kyushu coverage map in English ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: rail pass conditions in Korean ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: rail pass conditions in English ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: official purchase and reservation guidance ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: pass collection locations and handling hours ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: Fukuoka Airport exchange counter ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: current service and planned resumption notices in Japanese ↗Checked:
- JR Kyushu: long-term suspensions in Japanese ↗Checked:
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