Experience with JR Kyushu Rail and Pass

In my latest vacation to Japan, our family opted to travel around Kyushu. The island is too big to complete exploring in 7 days, so my plan was to visit only the North Kyushu up to Kumamoto. I bought the 5-day JR Northern Kyushu Rail Pass, and my itinerary would be as follows:

• Day 1: Land at Fukuoka, train to Nagasaki
• Day 2: Nagasaki
• Day 3: Train to Yufuin
• Day 4: Train to Hakata
• Day 5: Train to Kumamoto, return to Hakata

If you buy online, each ticket gets 1,000 yen discount.

Instead of describing the entire trip, I will just describe some of the challenges, discoveries, and learnings from the JR Rail Experience – our first time – so that readers can also learn from our experience. I tried my best to search online for guide and help but nothing can prepare us for this.

Train Delay from Hakata to Nagasaki: Panic

After taking a city subway (pay by IC card) from Fukuoka Airport to Hakata station, we queued at the JR Rail Pass Counter and exchanged for our tickets that would give us unlimited entry and exit to JR stations within Northern Kyushu. I immediately went to book reserve seats from another automated counter. The train (KAMOME 29) supposed to depart at 12.54pm. After we went to the platform, we waited but felt something was wrong as there were constant announcements over the PA. We then found that the train was delayed due to an accident (passenger on track).

Our immediate question was: when will the train arrive? There was no answer from the train officials, which was understandable since this was an accident. My next question was: what should we do next? How long do we have to wait? Will the next train at 13:54 arrive? I went to queue at the JR ticket purchase counter for 30 minutes and once I reached the counter, the staff could not help but only to cancel the reserve seats so that I can free up one of the six available quota for other reserve seats.

Once I completed the cancellation, I immediately went to reserve for the KAMOME 33 at 13:54 train, thinking that perhaps the next train would arrive on time. The system allowed me to book the reserve seats, no mention of any cancellation. But as we was about to enter the gantry, the board wrote that the 13:54 train would also be delayed. We asked, but the staff could not tell us when the next train would arrive. I felt cheated that we spent our quota on reserve seats on a train that could never arrive.

Out of desperation, we just entered the station and waited at the platform, and decided to board the next available train, regardless of whether there are seats, reserved or non-reserved. Fortunately, there is a proper waiting area at the station for JR passengers with table, seats and air-con. We had our packed lunch there which was meant to be consumed on the train.

Eventually, the 14:54 train (KAMOME 37) arrived, and everyone just boarded the train. No seats, as expected, but we were not sure if we are allowed to stand until we see other passengers doing that, so we just stood along the aisle. As the train stopped at other stations, people alighted and we just took the seats.

So after a harrowing 2-hour train delay, we arrived at Nagasaki.

Lessons learnt:

1. When taking trains with lower frequency, there is big impact on itinerary if the train gets cancelled. For contingency, check for other routes to get to the same destination. For our case, there aren’t any rail alternatives because that affected track was the major line. We could find a way to travel to another station that was unaffected and then board a connecting train from there. My concern is that if we move away from the transportation hub and get stuck in another station with no facilities, we will be worse off. So, staying in Hakata was the safe choice.
2. Sales counter does not talk with the train operations. Sales counter only sell tickets. They will sell even if the train is delayed or cancelled. You just got to queue up to get refund or cancellation.
3. It takes 1-2 days for the cancelled reserve seat tickets to reflect in your quota. Each pass can reserve up to 6 seats.
4. Take note of the car cabins that allow non-reserved seats. This is reflected on the right-most section of the train information board above the stations and platforms.

Break Up Start-End Points to Find More Train Routes

After Nagasaki, my next destination was Yufuin. This leg was the most challenging because based on several route suggestions, I need to transfer three times (i.e. take four trains). Initially I wanted to catch the Yufuin No-Mori somehow, and I found a route where I ride back to Tosu station and transfer to this “D&S” (Design and Story) train where the interior design and furnishing are themed compared to normal trains. With this route, I only need to change 2 times, but the journey would take over 3 hours.

Unfortunately, the morning Yufuin No-Mori train bound for Yufuin was full, which means I have to find another connecting train to Yufuin. Google Maps suggested the route of taking the normal Yufu train but I had to transfer all the way from Hakata, which did not make sense because I could see a possible train connection around Tosu. But since Google did not suggest, I was afraid that there could be some restrictions on timing or the train types. I wouldn’t want to go all the way there and found myself stuck with no connecting trains.

Eventually, I managed to find a feasible route where I transfer to a local train from Shin-Tosu to Kurume via Kyushu Shinkansen, then transfer to Kyudai Line to Yufuin. This route was never suggested by Google or Navitime app. I had to break down my start and end point to find the options. I also had to be sure the platforms are not too far walk and I could make it for the next train.

Thanks to proper planning, the entire leg was a smooth journey getting from Nagasaki to Yufuin.

Lessons Learnt:

1. Do not rely entirely on Google Maps for route suggestions. Many times, they do not suggest other feasible routes. It’s the same thing for driving. What you can do is to break down the journey.
2. Look for the train station map on the JR website to make sure the platforms are not foo far away or else you may miss the connecting train.
3. Give more time to ask for directions. You need to be patient because of language barrier, the other party might not be able to give you a clear answer.
4. The JR Northern Kyushu Rail Pass gives you unlimited rides on any JR train, including Shinkansen, so you can just hop on any Shinkansen and hop off, as long as the exit station is within the zone of your ticket.

Yufuin No-Mori Is Overrated

To enjoy the Yufuin No-Mori scenery, you can also take any trains running on the same track. Yes, they all use the same railway track – Yufuin No-Mori, Yufu Line, Kyudai Line. Now I know why these trains have such long intervals in between them. Unlike city trains where they run every few minutes, these trains share one track and so they have to time such that they do not end up running on the same track at the same time towards each other. One train would have to wait at the station until the other train leaves the track.

While the deco is nice, so are many normal trains, so that’s not a selling point. They have a sales counter for light snacks and drinks but for proper meal, you need to order in advance. There are some train sections where you can stand and face the window to admire the outside view, but you could also do the same on a normal train.

There are other D&S themed trains that are not covered by the JR Rail Pass. Those are more special as it comes with a mandatory meal, and the design is a lot more exquisite and seats are more premium. I guess that’s why Yufuin No-Mori is covered by the JR Rail Pass. It’s basically a slightly better-looking normal train with a counter that sells light food onboard.

I was the only one who walked around the train cabins to checkout the . My wife and child just sat on their seats throughout, just like a normal train.

Conclusion

It has been a great experience getting around Northern Kyushu on the train. For me, it’s a first time moving across major cities, which is very different from taking city trains that come every few minutes and with so many lines to catch. We also sat on so many types of trains, including those that run on diesel engines that sound like driving a motor vehicle.

While the rail passes may seem expensive, it’s definitely worth it. The single trip from Hakata to Nagasaki already costs about 6000 yen. With the pass, you can move around the JR stations without paying anything more. I just had to make sure that the trains are run by JR.

With this valuable experience, I will be more confident in moving around with the JR Rail Pass in other areas.