The trial program began Sept. 18, on the Kyushu shinkansen, Nikkei Asia reported. It will bring visitors from Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture to one of three stations in Kagoshima.
Hakata is accessible from Fukuoka Airport, a major gateway to Kyushu.
The journey from Hakata to Kagoshima takes about 90 minutes by Kyushu shinkansen, making the train a convenient option for visitors already traveling through Fukuoka.
To qualify for a free ride, travelers must book at least one night in Kagoshima through global travel platform Klook. A one-way ticket otherwise costs up to 11,420 yen (US$73).
Visitors from the U.S., Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are eligible for the offer.
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Sakurajima volcano overlooks Kagoshima, which is offering eligible foreign tourists free one-way shinkansen rides from Fukuoka. Photo by Pixabay |
The prefectural government has allocated 278 million yen from this fiscal year’s budget for the program, which will run until February or the funds are used up.
Located at the southern tip of Kyushu, Japan’s southwestern main island, Kagoshima is about 950 km southwest of Tokyo. The region is known for Sakurajima, an active volcano across the bay, as well as hot springs and local cuisine.
While popular destinations such as Kyoto and Osaka have faced so-called overtourism, Kagoshima has experienced a slower recovery in foreign tourism.
Foreign overnight stays in Japan fell sharply during the pandemic but have since surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In 2025, foreign visitors recorded an estimated 179.92 million guest nights, up 55.6% from 2019, according to a Japan Tourism Agency survey.
A cut in the number of direct flights from China has also affected international access to the prefecture, Time Out reported.
By encouraging visitors arriving in Fukuoka to continue south by train, Kagoshima hopes to draw tourists without relying solely on direct flights to the region.
The program has drawn criticism from some people who decried it as biased.
Kagoshima officials have said the measure is a trial aimed at increasing tourist traffic and spending in the region.