Region
Kyushu
Base in Fukuoka or Kagoshima and use the Kyushu Shinkansen; rent a car only for Aso, Takachiho and the coasts.
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Key facts · Japan
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Currency
- Yen (JPY)
- Language
- Japanese
- Plugs
- A · B · 100 V
- Time zone
- UTC+9 all year
Rules in force · 5
- East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
- East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
- Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
- Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
- Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.
Kyushu is Japan's third-largest island, with eight prefectures and a rail spine that runs Fukuoka to Kagoshima in about 1 h 20 min. Fukuoka is the food and transport hub; Kagoshima is the southern base for volcanoes and hot springs. Trains cover the cities; a car earns its cost only for Aso, Takachiho and rural coastlines.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
Day trip
- NagasakiRegion
One to two nights; the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen needs a cross-platform change at Takeo.
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 5 nights
- Fukuoka 3 + Kagoshima 2, Shinkansen between
- 7 nights
- Fukuoka 3 + Nagasaki 1 + Kumamoto 1 + Kagoshima 2
- 10 nights
- Add Beppu or Yufuin 2 and Miyazaki 2, with a car for Aso and Takachiho
- Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Beppu in four days is mostly train time.
- Sakurajima and Mount Aso are active volcanoes: check access and ash advisories before you go.
- Typhoons hit the southern and eastern coasts from August to September and can cancel flights and ferries.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dazaifu | Fukuoka | 45 min | unknown | Tenmangu shrine; trains from Hakata and Tenjin, then a short walk. |
| Yufuin and Beppu | Fukuoka | 130 min | unknown | Limited express from Hakata; check the last train back before booking an onsen dinner. |
| Sakurajima | Kagoshima | 40 min | unknown | Ferry from Kagoshima port, about 15 min; ashfall can close trails. |
| Aso | Kumamoto | 120 min | unknown | Train to Aso then bus or car; the crater road closes when the volcano is active. |
Bags between cities
Luggage forwarding (takuhaibin) between Kyushu cities is usually next-day; the receiving hotel must accept it.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka | ok | ok | go | go | go | × | × | × | × | go | go | ok |
| Japan (country-wide) | go | go | go | ok | go | ok | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka and northern KyushuFukuoka, Saga, Kitakyushu | cool | cool | ok | best | best | wet | hot | hot | storm | best | best | cool |
| Kagoshima and southern KyushuKagoshima, Miyazaki | cool | cool | ok | best | best | wet | hot | hot | storm | best | best | cool |
- Fukuoka and northern Kyushu
- Rainy season June to mid-July; August is hot and humid, 33 °C (91 °F)+; typhoons Aug–Sep.Rainy season June to mid-July; August is hot and humid, 91 °F (33 °C)+; typhoons Aug–Sep.
- Kagoshima and southern Kyushu
- Warmer than Honshu; the southern and eastern coasts take the worst of the typhoons.
Best months are spring and autumn; cherry blossom arrives earlier here than in Tokyo, and the rainy season and typhoon season are the two periods to plan around.
Getting in and passes
Arrival times and regional passes
Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo (HND/NRT) | Fukuoka (FUK) | Flight | ~2 h | FUK is Japan's busiest international hub after Tokyo, Chubu and Kansai; flights from most Asian cities. |
| Tokyo | Hakata | Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen (Nozomi) | ~5 h | About ¥23,150; with a JR Pass you change trains because Hikari does not run the full distance. |
| Osaka | Hakata | Sanyo Shinkansen | ~2 h 30 | The JR West Sanyo Pass covers this leg; many trains continue to Kagoshima. |
| Osaka | Kagoshima | Sanyo + Kyushu Shinkansen (Mizuho) | ~3 h 45 | About ¥22,210; the JR Pass is not accepted on Mizuho, use Sakura instead. |
| Busan, South Korea | Fukuoka | Ferry | check | Fukuoka is the ferry gateway to Korea; several companies including JR operate the route. |
| Okinawa | Kagoshima | Ferry (A-Line, Marix Line) | ~25 h | Only if time is not an issue; flights are far quicker. |
Regional passes
Kyushu Rail Pass — Northern Kyushu Area
check3-day ¥7,200, 5-day ¥9,260; pays only if you ride the Shinkansen or long limited expresses.
Kyushu Rail Pass — All Kyushu Area
check3-day ¥14,400, 5-day ¥17,490; covers both Kyushu Shinkansen but not the Sanyo Shinkansen to Hakata.
SUNQ bus pass
check4-day All Kyushu ¥14,000, 3-day All Kyushu ¥11,000, 3-day Northern ¥9,000, 3-day Southern ¥8,000; useful where trains are thin.
Kyushu Expressway Pass (KEP)
checkFor foreign drivers renting a car; can cut tolls significantly, but city expressways are excluded.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Tonkotsu ramen | Fukuoka: yatai stalls along the riverside | Fukuoka is the ramen capital; yatai are outdoor stalls, often open into the night. |
| Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) | Fukuoka | Only mildly spicy; often served with pasta. |
| Nagasaki chanpon | Nagasaki | Thick noodles with pork and seafood in a hearty soup. |
| Chicken nanban | Miyazaki | Deep-fried chicken in a sweet sauce with tartar sauce and raw cabbage. |
| Basashi (horse meat sashimi) | Kumamoto | A local specialty; eat it fresh. |
| Shōchū | Across Kyushu, especially Kagoshima and Miyazaki | Usually about 25%; sweet-potato shōchū (imojōchū) has a strong smell. Ordering sake gets you shōchū here. |
Go next
Hiroshima
Sanyo Shinkansen ~1 h from Hakata
Chugoku region; pair with Miyajima.
Okinawa
plannedFlight from Fukuoka or Kagoshima
Subtropical beaches and Ryukyu culture.
Kansai
Shinkansen ~2 h 30 from Hakata to Osaka
Kyoto, Osaka and Nara as one base cluster.
Hokkaido
plannedFlight from Fukuoka to Sapporo
Snow and cool summers; a long hop from Kyushu.
Chubu
plannedShinkansen or flight via Nagoya
Gateway to the Japanese Alps.
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Going in… · Trips here
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 2 bases
- Day trips
- 4, 40 min to 2 h 10
- Nights suggested
- 5–10 nights
- Ways in
- 6 listed
- Best months
- Apr, May, Oct, Nov (all zones)
Going in…
Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.
Pick a month.
Trips that stop here
Alps, temples and Kyūshū
21 days · 2 nights here
Tokyo → Nikkō → Kanazawa → Takayama → Kyoto → Kōya-san → Osaka → Hiroshima → Fukuoka
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source
Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources
Sources
Ask about Kyushu
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