This page compares 10 sightseeing trains in Kyushu by operating days, fares and how to book. For the JR Kyushu limited express trains, the operating days are published as an image calendar on the official site, one-way fares run from ¥2,650 to ¥6,130, and booking opens at 10:00 a.m. one month before the travel date. The trains with meals, 36+3, Kanpachi/Ichiroku and Aru Ressha, are sold as travel packages that you apply for up to 5 days before. For December and later, the official pages said the operating days would be announced around mid-October 2026. Use the train names in the table to jump to each section.
In short
- By ordinary ticket: A-Train (Kumamoto to Misumi ¥2,650), Ibusuki no Tamatebako (Kagoshima-Chuo to Ibusuki ¥2,950), Umisachi Yamasachi (Miyazaki to Nango ¥3,140), Aso Boy! (Kumamoto to Aso ¥3,080).
- To a hot spring town: Yufuin no Mori (Hakata to Yufuin ¥6,130; the web-only Kyushu Net Ticket is ¥5,600).
- For meals: the 36+3 lunch plan (¥21,100 to ¥32,200 in cars 1 to 3), Kanpachi/Ichiroku (sofa seats from ¥21,000) and Aru Ressha (¥38,000 to ¥50,000 per person).
- Booking: JR Kyushu limited express trains from 10:00 a.m. one month before. Trains with meals take applications up to 5 days before.
Checked with official pages on October 19, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours may change.
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1. How to choose: fare, operating days and booking
- By ordinary ticket: A-Train (Kumamoto to Misumi ¥2,650), Ibusuki no Tamatebako (Kagoshima-Chuo to Ibusuki ¥2,950), Umisachi Yamasachi (Miyazaki to Nango ¥3,140), Aso Boy! (Kumamoto to Aso ¥3,080).
- To a hot spring town: Yufuin no Mori (Hakata to Yufuin ¥6,130; the web-only Kyushu Net Ticket is ¥5,600).
- For meals: 36+3 lunch plan (¥21,100 to ¥32,200 in cars 1 to 3), Kanpachi/Ichiroku (sofa seats from ¥21,000), Aru Ressha (¥38,000 to ¥50,000 per person).
- Where the route depends on the day of the week: 36+3 (Thursday to Monday) and Kanpachi/Ichiroku (Kanpachi on Monday, Thursday and Saturday; Ichiroku on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday).
- Booking opens earliest for JR Kyushu limited express trains (10:00 a.m. one month before). Trains with meals take applications up to 5 days before.
2. Operating days, fares and booking for the 10 trains in one table
For the JR Kyushu limited express trains you ride with an ordinary ticket, fares run from ¥2,650 for A-Train (Kumamoto to Misumi) to ¥6,130 for Yufuin no Mori (Hakata to Yufuin), and the travel packages with meals run from ¥13,600 to ¥50,000 per person. The dates for the JR Kyushu limited express trains are shown in an image calendar, so this page does not list dates.
| Train | Section | Operating days | Adult fare | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yufuin no Mori | Hakata to Yufuin and Beppu | Official calendar (image) | Hakata to Yufuin ¥6,130 | From 10:00 a.m. one month before |
| A-Train | Kumamoto to Misumi | Official calendar (image) | Kumamoto to Misumi ¥2,650 | From 10:00 a.m. one month before |
| Aso Boy! | Kumamoto to Miyaji (Aso) | Official calendar (image) | Kumamoto to Aso ¥3,080 | From 10:00 a.m. one month before |
| Ibusuki no Tamatebako | Kagoshima-Chuo to Ibusuki | Official calendar (image) | Kagoshima-Chuo to Ibusuki ¥2,950 | From 10:00 a.m. one month before |
| Umisachi Yamasachi | Miyazaki to Nango | Official calendar (image) | Miyazaki to Nango ¥3,140 | From 10:00 a.m. one month before |
| Futatsuboshi 4047 | Takeo-Onsen to Nagasaki | Mainly Friday to Monday and holidays | Takeo-Onsen to Nagasaki ¥4,960 | Through the booking site (all seats reserved) |
| 36+3 | Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo and more (5 routes by day of the week) | Thursday to Monday (route changes by day) | Lunch plan (cars 1 to 3) ¥21,100 to ¥32,200 | Lunch plan on the web up to 5 days before |
| Kanpachi/Ichiroku | Hakata to Yufuin, Oita and Beppu | Kanpachi Mon, Thu, Sat; Ichiroku Tue, Fri, Sun | Sofa seat from ¥21,000 | Web up to 5 days before |
| Aru Ressha | Hakata to Yufuin | Official calendar (July 2026 to February 2027) | ¥38,000 to ¥50,000 per person | Web only, up to 5 days before |
| Orange Shokudo | Shin-Yatsushiro and Yatsushiro to Sendai | Mainly Saturdays and Sundays (some exceptions such as New Year) | Seat reservation ticket ¥1,400 plus fare | Phone from 10:00 a.m. on the same date 2 months before |
JR Kyushu limited express fares are the total of the one-way ordinary fare and the reserved-seat limited express charge for one adult, and the charge changes by travel date. Operating days and times may change.
3. Yufuin no Mori (Hakata to Yufuin and Beppu)
All seats are reserved, and the train stops at Hakata, Tosu, Kurume, Hita, Amagase, Bungo-Mori, Yufuin, Oita and Beppu. The regular ticket (one adult, one way, ordinary fare plus reserved-seat limited express charge, which changes by travel date) is ¥6,130 from Hakata to Yufuin and ¥4,160 from Hakata to Hita. The web-only Kyushu Net Ticket is ¥5,600 from Hakata to Yufuin and ¥3,030 from Hakata to Hita.
The operating days are on the official calendar (image), which covered August to November. The official site said the detailed operating days for December and later would be announced around mid-October 2026 (as posted in August). On days when the train does not run, the limited express “Yufu” runs at the same times. “Yufu” has no train attendants, so there are no on-board sales.
Booking needs a free JR Kyushu web membership. Box seats cannot be bought on the search screen, and you arrange them through the JR Kyushu internet train reservation site, the app or a Midori-no-Madoguchi ticket office. Search results also show the limited express “Yufu”, so check the train name.
Yufuin no Mori: JR Kyushu official train page (Japanese)
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4. A-Train (Kumamoto to Misumi)
This all-reserved limited express runs from Kumamoto through Uto and Oda to Misumi. The regular ticket from Kumamoto to Misumi is ¥2,650 (one adult, one way, ordinary fare plus reserved-seat limited express charge). The “Amakusa-Kumamoto 2-Ticket” for traveling to Amakusa is ¥3,440 from Kumamoto to Matsushima (Maejima Port), and if you ride the limited express, the reserved-seat limited express charge is separate.
The official page says Nos. 1, 2 and 4 run and No. 3 is suspended (as of August 21, 2026). The detailed operating days for December and later were to be announced around mid-October 2026. Booking works the same as for Yufuin no Mori.
A-Train: JR Kyushu official train page (Japanese)
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5. Aso Boy! and Kawasemi Yamasemi (Kumamoto to Miyaji, Aso)
The train runs 2 round trips a day, Nos. 1 and 2 and Nos. 3 and 4, from Kumamoto through Higo-Ozu, Tateno and Aso to Miyaji. Kumamoto to Aso is ¥3,080 (one adult, one way, ordinary fare plus the reserved-seat limited express charge for the regular season). In car 3, the “Shiroi Kuro-chan Seat” can be used by one adult and one child under 6 for the price of one adult’s reserved seat.
On some days Nos. 1 and 2 of “Aso Boy!” do not run, and “Kawasemi Yamasemi” runs at the same times and stops. On some days only Nos. 3 and 4 run. Check which applies on the official operating day calendar (image). Book on the JR Kyushu internet train reservation site or in the app.
Aso Boy!: JR Kyushu official train page (Japanese)
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6. Ibusuki no Tamatebako (Kagoshima-Chuo to Ibusuki)
This is an all-reserved limited express from Kagoshima-Chuo to Ibusuki. The regular ticket is ¥2,950 (one adult, one way, ordinary fare plus reserved-seat limited express charge, which changes by travel date). On some days a spare car is added and the train runs with 3 cars.
The official site posted a notice dated August 31, 2026 about connecting between “Ibusuki no Tamatebako” and the Kyushu Shinkansen because of the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake. If you connect to the Shinkansen, open this notice and check it.
Ibusuki no Tamatebako: JR Kyushu official train page (Japanese)
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7. Umisachi Yamasachi (Miyazaki to Nango)
This all-reserved limited express runs from Miyazaki to Nango on the Nichinan Line, stopping at Miyazaki Airport, Aoshima, Obi, Nichinan, Aburatsu and others. The regular ticket from Miyazaki to Nango is ¥3,140 (one adult, one way, ordinary fare plus the reserved-seat limited express charge for the regular season).
The operating days are on the official calendar (image), which covered August to November, with December and later to be announced around mid-October. For a wheelchair space, apply at a Midori-no-Madoguchi ticket office or by phone (0570-07-8787).
Umisachi Yamasachi: JR Kyushu official train page (Japanese)
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8. Futatsuboshi 4047 (Takeo-Onsen to Nagasaki)
The morning Ariake Sea course runs from Takeo-Onsen to Nagasaki, and the afternoon Omura Bay course runs from Nagasaki to Takeo-Onsen, one trip each per day. For an adult in an ordinary-car reserved seat (regular season), Takeo-Onsen to Nagasaki is a ¥2,130 fare plus a ¥2,830 charge, ¥4,960 in total; Kohoku to Nagasaki is ¥4,160, Nagasaki to Huis Ten Bosch is ¥3,760 and Nagasaki to Takeo-Onsen is ¥5,250.
It mainly runs from Friday to Monday and on holidays, and the specific dates are on the calendar (image). The detailed operating days for December and later were to be announced around mid-October 2026. Buy your ticket before boarding. You can also buy at the ticket offices at Takeo-Onsen, Kohoku, Isahaya, Nagasaki, Shin-Omura, Huis Ten Bosch, Haiki and Arita. A separate article is Futatsuboshi 4047 fares and operating days (Japanese).
Futatsuboshi 4047: JR Kyushu official page for times and routes (Japanese)
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9. 36+3 (Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo and more, 5 routes by day of the week)
The route is different each day of the week. On Thursday it is Hakata to Kumamoto to Kagoshima-Chuo, on Friday Kagoshima-Chuo to Miyazaki, on Saturday Miyazaki Airport and Miyazaki to Oita and Beppu, on Sunday Oita and Beppu to Kokura and Hakata, and on Monday Hakata to Sasebo. The official calendar covers October 1, 2026 to February 22, 2027.
The lunch plan with meals (cars 1 to 3) per adult is ¥32,200 on Thursday, ¥21,100 on Friday, ¥25,400 on Saturday, ¥24,500 on Sunday and ¥21,800 on Monday. The premium lunch plan in car 6 is ¥39,000 on Thursday, ¥28,000 on Friday, ¥32,000 on Saturday, ¥31,000 on Sunday and ¥28,500 on Monday. There are also private-room and seat lunch plans, and the seat plans run from ¥13,600 on Friday to ¥25,000 on Thursday. You apply on the internet up to 5 days before.
For a ticket only, there is the car 5 green-seat plan: on the Thursday route it is ¥18,320 from Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo, ¥7,520 from Hakata to Kumamoto and ¥12,540 from Kumamoto to Kagoshima-Chuo. Sales start at 10:00 a.m. one month before the travel date. For the “Red Route” on the Thursday route, a notice dated October 6, 2026 announced that service has resumed (a notice dated August 27, 2026 also gave the future operating plan following the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake).
36+3 official site: travel plans (lunch plan and green-seat plan) (Japanese)
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10. Kanpachi/Ichiroku (Hakata to Yufuin, Oita and Beppu)
“Kanpachi” runs from Hakata to Beppu on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and “Ichiroku” runs from Beppu back to Hakata on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, with one trip a day taking about 5 hours each way. Kanpachi leaves Hakata at 12:19, arrives at Yufuin at 15:41, Oita at 16:38 and Beppu at 16:59. Ichiroku leaves Beppu at 11:00, Yufuin at 12:27, and arrives at Kurume at 14:57 and Hakata at 15:47. Runs from October 2026 to February 2027 are on sale, and it was announced on July 1, 2026 that it will also run from March 2027.
The travel price (from October 1, 2026, per adult) is ¥21,000 for a sofa seat (from 2 people) and ¥26,000 for a tatami private room (from 3 people). A single person using a box seat pays an extra ¥14,500. The price is the same wherever you board and get off, and you apply on the internet up to 5 days before.
Kanpachi/Ichiroku official site: routes, times and travel prices (Japanese)
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11. Aru Ressha (Hakata to Yufuin)
This train with a course meal makes one round trip a day between Hakata and Yufuin. The morning service leaves Hakata at about 10:58 and arrives at Yufuin at about 14:08, and the afternoon service leaves Yufuin at about 15:00 and arrives at Hakata at about 18:03. You cannot use it for a seat only.
The travel price is ¥50,000 per person for a 2-person table in car 1, ¥38,000 per person for a 4-person table, ¥44,000 for a 1-person private room in car 2, and ¥50,000 per person for a 2-person private room (¥38,000 per person if 2 people share one room). The morning and afternoon services have the same content. Booking is on the web only, up to 5 days before the departure date. Sales for the October 2026 to February 2027 runs were announced on July 1, 2026.
Aru Ressha official site: travel prices and booking (Japanese)
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12. Orange Shokudo (Shin-Yatsushiro and Yatsushiro to Sendai)
This sightseeing train of Hisatsu Orange Railway runs from Shin-Yatsushiro and Yatsushiro to Sendai (in Kagoshima Prefecture). It mainly runs on Saturdays and Sundays, except around New Year and other times. On other days it is chartered, and you ask the reservation center.
For the boarding plan without meals or souvenirs, you pay the fare for the section plus a seat reservation ticket (¥1,400 for adults, ¥700 for children), there is no advance booking, and you can board only if a seat is free on the day. The plans with meals change in content and price by season, so check the official “Plans and fees” page (the Kumamoto DC special service from July 5 to September 27, 2026 was ¥13,000 and ¥19,500 for adults, with meals and souvenirs).
Phone booking is through the reservation center (0996-63-6861, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on weekends and holidays), from 10:00 a.m. on the same date 2 months before the boarding day. Reservations close 10 days before the operating day. Hisatsu Orange Railway announced on October 6, 2026 that the sections suspended because of the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake will reopen.
Orange Shokudo official site: plans and fees (Japanese)
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13. Where to check the latest on suspensions and operating days
JR Kyushu train operation information is on the JR Kyushu train operation information page (Japanese). The operating day calendar of each train is on the official page linked in each section above. Discount rail tickets in Kyushu are collected in Kyushu rail and bus, autumn 2026 (Japanese).
Sources
12 pages we checked
- Yufuin no Mori: JR Kyushu official train page
- A-Train: JR Kyushu official train page
- Aso Boy!: JR Kyushu official train page
- Ibusuki no Tamatebako: JR Kyushu official train page
- Umisachi Yamasachi: JR Kyushu official train page
- Futatsuboshi 4047: JR Kyushu official page for times and routes
- 36+3: official site travel plans (lunch plan and green-seat plan)
- Kanpachi/Ichiroku: official site routes, times and travel prices
- Aru Ressha: official site travel prices and booking
- Orange Shokudo: official site plans and fees
- JR Kyushu: train operation information
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on October 19, 2026 (Japan time).
