Which pass should you compare for a Fukuoka trip?#
The JR Kyushu Rail Pass covers different regional products. Start by listing your overnight stays separately from the days you will travel by train. Even if you spend three nights in Fukuoka, a 3-day pass is not automatically worthwhile when you make a long-distance JR trip on only one day.
- Mainly central Hakata and Tenjin: calculate the subway and bus fares you will actually use separately.
- Yufuin, Beppu, Kumamoto and Nagasaki: compare Northern Kyushu against individual tickets.
- Hakata to Kagoshima: review All Kyushu coverage and all your travel dates.
- Mainly Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Miyazaki: check whether your itinerary stays within the Southern Kyushu boundary.
These itinerary candidates follow the official coverage map. Continue with the pass versus individual-ticket comparison to enter your actual costs.
Adult and child prices: official online versus agency or station#
| Product | Consecutive validity | Official online adult | Official online child | Agency/station standard adult | Agency/station standard child |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Kyushu | 3 days | 21,000 | 10,500 | 22,000 | 11,000 |
| All Kyushu | 5 days | 23,000 | 11,500 | 24,000 | 12,000 |
| All Kyushu | 7 days | 25,000 | 12,500 | 26,000 | 13,000 |
| Northern Kyushu | 3 days | 14,000 | 7,000 | 15,000 | 7,500 |
| Northern Kyushu | 5 days | 16,000 | 8,000 | 17,000 | 8,500 |
| Southern Kyushu | 3 days | 11,000 | 5,500 | 12,000 | 6,000 |
These are the amounts shown in the official price table by purchase channel. The online columns are the special listed prices for JR KYUSHU RAIL PASS Online Booking, not a universal price for all internet sellers. Payments in another currency can include exchange-rate effects, seller discounts and fees; compare the final amount separately from this yen table.
Child prices apply to ages 6–11. Age is assessed on the purchase date for agency exchange orders, but on the start date of use for JR Kyushu online and local purchases. This difference matters if a birthday falls just before travel. Check the official child-age rules.
Variable facts checked: 2026-10-24. Next editorial review due: 2026-11-23. This is a review reminder, not a validity guarantee.
What about Fukuoka 1-day, 2-day and Wide passes?#
The shortest duration of the three rail pass products above is 3 days, used consecutively. That does not mean every JR product in Kyushu lacks a 2-day option.
The FUKUOKA WIDE Area version of JR KYUSHU MOBILE PASS is valid for 2 consecutive days, costing ¥3,500 for adults and ¥1,750 for children. It is a smartphone product for local trains and unreserved seats on limited express trains in the specified area; you do not exchange it for a paper pass at a station. Shinkansen, subways and buses are excluded. Do not assume it replaces Northern Kyushu for Beppu or Yufuin: check the official mobile-pass coverage map.
By contrast, sales of the former paper JR-KYUSHU RAIL PASS (FUKUOKA WIDE) ended on March 31, 2024. Distinguish older “Fukuoka Wide 2-day pass” reviews from the current mobile product. This follows the JR Kyushu sales-discontinuation notice.
If you are searching for a “Fukuoka JR 1-day pass,” first work out whether the day’s transport is JR or subway. A one-day outing does not require you to buy a 3-day Northern Kyushu pass; start by comparing the total individual fares.
Variable facts checked: 2026-10-24. Next editorial review due: 2026-11-23. This is a review reminder, not a validity guarantee.
Hakata to Beppu or Yufuin: route-specific cautions#
| Journey | Train or route to check | Pass selection point |
|---|---|---|
| Hakata → Beppu | Limited Express Sonic on conventional lines via Kokura | Northern or All Kyushu candidates. Do not replace Hakata–Kokura with Shinkansen travel. |
| Hakata → Yufuin | Yufuin no Mori or Yufu toward Kurume and Hita | Northern or All Kyushu candidates. Check the train name and seat requirements. |
| Hakata → Kumamoto | Kyushu Shinkansen | Northern Kyushu Shinkansen coverage extends only as far as Kumamoto. |
| Hakata → Hiroshima | Sanyo Shinkansen | Outside JR Kyushu pass coverage. Compare separate tickets and JR West products. |
Routes were checked against the JR Kyushu main train timetable and pass coverage. Even between the same Hakata and Kokura stations, Sonic and Sanyo Shinkansen travel have different pass eligibility. For Yufuin seats, also see the Yufuin no Mori reservation guide.
First ride from Hakata: check the train, not just the destination#
Hakata–Kokura is the important trap: a JR Kyushu pass can cover an eligible conventional-line train, but not the Sanyo Shinkansen between those stations. The official coverage page excludes that Shinkansen section even for All Kyushu.
- Search the exact stations and date. For Beppu, compare the Sonic result via Kokura; for Yufuin, check whether the result says Yufu or Yufuin no Mori.
- Match the whole route to Northern or All Kyushu coverage. Do not replace a conventional-line leg with a faster Shinkansen suggestion without checking its ticket cost.
- Collect the physical pass and, when using a reserved seat, its seat ticket. Check the pass dates and the train, departure time, car and seat on the seat ticket.
- At Hakata, follow signs for the selected service. For Sonic, use the conventional-line route to its platform, not the Shinkansen entrance. Read the departure board again before boarding.
Done: the route, issued tickets and platform display all agree. If you miss your train or cannot identify the service, show staff your pass and seat ticket and confirm the next arrangement before boarding another reserved train. Do not assume the old seat reservation transfers to a later departure.
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Included seat reservations and extra online booking costs#
For eligible ordinary-class reserved seats booked at JR Kyushu counters or machines in Japan, All Kyushu has no reservation-count limit; Northern and Southern Kyushu allow up to 6 reservations without an extra charge. Beyond the allowance, you need the applicable train’s limited express ticket. Green Car travel costs extra.
Advance online booking uses a separate KRP Option Ticket. D&S sightseeing trains cost ¥1,500 per adult per journey; ordinary limited express trains, Shinkansen and other applicable services cost ¥1,000. Children pay half. These paid reservations do not reduce the included local reservation allowance. Check eligible services and limits in the official reserved-seat guide.
For example, booking a Yufuin no Mori round trip online means adding the pass price and two option-ticket charges separately. Booking locally can reduce reservation costs, but availability depends on the seats remaining when you arrive.
Variable facts checked: 2026-10-24. Next editorial review due: 2026-11-23. This is a review reminder, not a validity guarantee.
Practical steps from purchase to the gates#
- Check the pass area, dates and Temporary Visitor eligibility. Being an international student living in Japan does not by itself meet tourist-pass eligibility.
- Choose official online purchase, an overseas agency exchange order or local purchase at a designated station.
- Bring your original passport and the documents required by your purchase channel to collect the physical pass. Choose a counter in the airport and Hakata exchange guide.
- Have any required reserved-seat tickets issued, then check the train, date and seat.
- Use the pass at the gate. A reserved-seat ticket alone cannot get you through; remember to retrieve the pass after it is returned.
Purchase and exchange documents follow the official purchase guide, while eligibility and gate rules follow the official conditions. Confirm that you can use a pass before comparing its price.
Which train should I take from Fukuoka to Beppu?#
Start at Hakata and compare the direct limited-express route with the longer journey through Yufuin. Sonic runs via Kokura toward Beppu; Yufuin no Mori follows the inland route via Yufuin, with only certain services continuing to Beppu.
Choose the inland route if Yufuin or the sightseeing train is part of your plan. For a Beppu-focused trip, compare the actual Sonic arrival time before booking. “Most scenic” is subjective, and a slower route is not automatically better for your itinerary. Check JR Kyushu’s timetable and Yufuin no Mori’s operating calendar.
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How much does Seven Stars in Kyushu cost?#
Seven Stars is a separately booked luxury cruise tour, not a normal seat reservation included in the JR Kyushu Rail Pass. Its price depends on departure, course, room and occupancy.
As a dated example, the official March–August 2027 brochure lists the 2-day/1-night course at ¥700,000–950,000 per person when two people share a room, depending on the room. This is not a per-cabin price or a quote for every 2026 departure. Check the period-specific brochure and current applications. JR Kyushu pass conditions exclude this cruise train.
Source check for this section:
Variable facts checked: 2026-10-13. Next editorial review due: 2026-11-12. This is a review reminder, not a validity guarantee.