The Kagoshima Main Line from Fukuoka to Kumamoto

TODO take pictures when you actually go down this route.

TODO add shinkansen guide.

tl;dr take the shinkansen

This is not a particularly difficult route, but it might help to know when/where/why you need to transfer in case you’re not taking the Shinkansen.

I’ve found that Google Maps does tend to create good routes, but it may not always stick to the JR services.

JR Kyushu Route Finder

JR Kyushu Route Map (PDF)

Navitime Route Finder

Fare prices are per adult (children are often half-price or less), found through the JR Kyushu Route Finder and are only accurate around the time of writing.

After playing around with it for a while, I find that the route finder is very accurate. If you don’t want to spend time navigating the trains, then I’d recommend searching your routes ahead of time, then checking the Navitime timetables to see what signs you should be looking for when you need to transfer. Google Maps also tends to produce the same routes as the JR route finder, although the JR routes may not appear as the first option.

Hakata Station (博多駅)

Google Maps

Wikipedia

Navitime

Hakata Station and Kumamoto Station are connected via the Kyushu Shinkansen and Kagoshima Main Line. The Shinkansen will take you directly to Kumamoto, while the Kagoshima Line will require at least one transfer.

Services to Kumamoto generally start at Arao, and services to Arao generally start at Tosu. Therefore your goal here is to get at or after Tosu, then Arao, then Kumamoto.

All of the Limited Express trains will take you to Tosu or Kurume pretty quickly, albeit at some extra cost (700-800¥ extra, saves 15-25 minutes, but full trip is still ~2 hours). I personally don’t think they’re worth it.

The timetable at Hakata is pretty consistent, but some hours are better than others. Your strategy is going to be as follows:

• Ignore services that don’t go to Tosu (ie. those bound for Minami-Fukuoka or Futsukaichi).
  • These stations have basically the same timetable as Hakata, so you’re just making an extra transfer for no reason.
• If it goes to Tosu or beyond, take it to the farthest Rapid service station.
  • The idea here is to catch the next Rapid service, which saves a bit of time.
• Taking a local service that arrives sooner will generally get you to its destination faster than a Rapid service that arrives later.
  • The time savings here are ultimately quite small though.

The stations reachable from Hakata are as follows:

• Minamifukuoka (Local, Rapid)
• Futsukaichi (Local, Rapid)
• Tosu (Local, Rapid)
  • Via local trains bound for:
    • Haiki
    • Kohoku (Saga)
  • Via Limited Express bound for:
    • HUIS TEN BOSCH
    • Hizenkashima
    • Saga
    • Sasebo
    • Takeo Onsen
• Kurume (Local, Rapid)
  • Via Limited Express bound for:
    • Beppu (Oita)
    • Oita
    • Yufuin
• Araki (Local, Rapid)
• Hainuzuka (Local*, Rapid)
  • *Only one 9PM train goes to Hainuzuka.
• Omuta (Local, Rapid)
  • Services tend to be in the early morning or afternoon.
• Arao (Kumamoto) (Local, Rapid)
  • Same situation as Omuta.

Tosu Station (鳥栖駅)

Google Maps

Wikipedia

Navitime

The goal here at Tosu is to get to Omuta or Arao. They’re so close to each other that you can basically treat them as one station.

There are some services that go straight to Kumamoto, but they tend to be in the morning or afternoon.

Local services to Arao are plentiful, and are the preferred option compared to taking the rapid services to Hainuzuka.

For some reason, the route planner likes to get off early at Omuta even though the service goes to Arao. It shouldn’t matter whether you get off at Omuta or Arao though since you’re gonna be taking the same service to Kumamoto in either case.

Stations reachable from Tosu:

• Kurume (Local, Rapid)
  • Hita (Local)
  • Yufuin (Limited Express)
  • Oita (Limited Express)
  • Beppu (Oita) (Limited Express)
• Araki (Local, Rapid)
• Hainuzuka (Local, Rapid)
• Omuta (Local, Rapid)
• Arao(Kumamoto) (Local, Rapid)
• Kumamoto (Local, Rapid)
  • Yatsushiro (Local)

It strangely seems like buying separate tickets for Hakata → Tosu (660¥) and Tosu → Kumamoto (1930¥) is more expensive than a single ticket from Hakata → Kumamoto (2420¥). In practice this shouldn’t be the case since you don’t actually need to buy 2 separate tickets. If you’re using an IC card, you should just be billed as Hakata → Kumamoto, and if you’re using a paper ticket, you can just buy one ticket and use the fare adjustment machines at Kumamoto to turn a Hakata → Tosu ticket into one for Kumamoto.

Kurume Station (久留米駅)

Google Maps

Wikipedia

Navitime

Most of the services that originate at Tosu will also stop at Kurume. Your strategy at Kurume will be basically the same as that at Tosu.

Omuta Station (大牟田駅)

Google Maps

Wikipedia

Navitime

Consult the timetables or the route finder to decide whether to stop at Omuta or Arao (though again, it doesn’t really matter).

Follow signs for Kumamoto, Arisa, Yatsushiro, or Higo-Ozu.

Arao Station

Google Maps

Wikipedia

Navitime

Follow the same signs as Omuta.

Kumamoto Station (熊本駅)

Google Maps

Wikipedia

Navitime

Shinkansen: 2420¥ Base + 2890¥ Non-Reserved (5310¥), 40-50min, no transfers.

Regular trains: 2420¥, ~130-150min (not including transfer time), at least 1 transfer (realistically 2).

Appendix

Kagoshima Main Line Stations (From Hakata to Arao)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagoshima_Main_Line#From_Hakata_to_Arao

Hakata Takeshita Sasabaru Minami-Fukuoka Kasuga Onojo Mizuki Tofurominami Futsukaichi Tempaizan Haruda Keyakidai Kiyama Yayoigaoka Tashiro Tosu Hizen-Asahi Kurume Araki Nishimuta Hainuzuka Chikugo-Funagoya Setaka Minami-Setaka Wataze Yoshino Ginsui Omuta Arao