Shinkansen Tickets to Kagoshima: Free Until February 2027
The rules sit on the Kagoshima Prefecture inbound visitor promotion special project page, and Klook runs the sign-up. Klook says many visitors stop in Fukuoka and never travel further south. The free ride removes the biggest cost of getting down to the southern tip of Kyushu.
English-language travel news only picked up the offer at the end of September. The prefecture pays for it from a fixed budget, so late bookers may find it gone. If southern Kyushu is on your list this winter, book the Kagoshima night early.
What the free shinkansen ticket covers
The code pays for one ride on the Kyushu Shinkansen, from Hakata Station in Fukuoka to Kagoshima-Chuo Station. Kagoshima Prefecture sets its value at the cost of a one-way fare on that route. The trip back north is yours to pay.
Three train names run on the line: MIZUHO, SAKURA and TSUBAME. JR Kyushu lists both 800 Series and N700 Series trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen. The photo below shows a Kyushu Shinkansen train at Kagoshima-Chuo, where the line ends.
Klook’s redemption terms decide how you turn the code into a ticket and which seat it buys. Read the Klook Kagoshima free shinkansen campaign page before you choose a train. Pick a time that leaves room after your flight lands, since you still need to reach Hakata first.
Seat reservations on this line also run through JR Kyushu’s own booking system. The JR Kyushu list of trains offering seat reservation shows a 1,000 yen fee for pass holders who book the Kyushu Shinkansen online in advance. That fee matters only if you pair the offer with a rail pass, which comes up later in this article.
Who qualifies (and who does not)
Kagoshima Prefecture limits the offer to travellers from the United States, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Visitors from Australia, Europe and every other market are left out. People who live in Japan cannot use it either.
Where you land matters as much as your passport. You must enter Japan through Fukuoka Airport. Landing at Narita, Haneda, Kansai or Kagoshima Airport rules you out, even if you then travel to Kagoshima.
The hotel must be booked through Klook, at a Kagoshima property that carries the campaign. A room booked directly with the hotel or on another site does not count. The table below sets out each condition next to what falls outside it.
| Condition | Qualifies | Does not qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Where you come from | United States, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong | All other countries and regions, and residents of Japan |
| Where you land | Fukuoka Airport (FUK) | Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Kagoshima and other airports |
| Where you stay | A Kagoshima hotel booked on Klook, at least one night | Hotels booked directly or on other sites |
| When | Mid-September 2026 to the end of February 2027 | After the end date, or once the budget runs out |
How to claim the free shinkansen ticket on Klook
Klook handles every step, and the order matters. The code for the train comes last, after the hotel booking and a short survey.
- Book a flight that lands at Fukuoka Airport.
- Open Klook’s Kagoshima campaign page and collect the promo code.
- Choose a Kagoshima hotel listing marked with the Receive Free Shinkansen Ticket promotion, and book at least one night.
- Enter the promo code at checkout.
- Fill in Klook’s short survey. Klook then sends a code you redeem for the Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo ride.
The cards below put the same steps in the order you do them before you fly.
Do the hotel booking at home, so the train code is ready when you land in Fukuoka. Check the hotel listing for the promotion label before you pay. A Kagoshima hotel without the label will not bring you the shinkansen code.
Fukuoka Airport to Hakata, then the shinkansen south
Fukuoka Airport is the airport closest to its city centre anywhere in Japan. The Fukuoka City Subway reaches Hakata Station in 5 minutes for 260 yen, as our Fukuoka Airport to Hakata Station guide shows. The Nishitetsu bus to Hakata costs 400 yen.
International flights arrive at the international terminal, on the far side of the runway from the subway. The Fukuoka Airport access by subway page says to take the free shuttle bus from bus stop 5. Get off at the next stop, the domestic terminal’s south bus area, where subway entrances 1A and 1B are close by. Our Fukuoka Airport guide covers lockers, IC cards and the other ways into town.
At Hakata, the signs inside the JR station split by direction. Follow the one for Kumamoto and Kagoshima to reach the Kyushu Shinkansen. The map traces the whole route, from the airport through Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo.
The free ride covers the way down. For the way back, the JR Kyushu Rail Pass All, Northern and Southern Kyushu page lists these adult prices:
- Southern Kyushu, 3 days: 12,000 yen. Its shinkansen section runs only from Kumamoto to Kagoshima-Chuo.
- Northern Kyushu, 3 days: 15,000 yen, with the shinkansen from Hakata to Kumamoto.
- All Kyushu: 22,000 yen for 3 days, 24,000 yen for 5 days and 26,000 yen for 7 days. It covers the whole line from Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo.
The Southern pass alone cannot take you back to Hakata. To ride the full line north on one pass, you need the All Kyushu pass. Buying the Northern and Southern passes together costs more than that.
So the answer depends on the rest of your trip. If you only go Fukuoka to Kagoshima and straight back, compare the single fare at the ticket office with 22,000 yen. If you plan trips around Kagoshima, look at the JR Kyushu Rail Pass Southern Kyushu Area. It covers trains such as the IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO and the KIRISHIMA limited express. For a longer loop, our JR Kyushu Rail Pass All Kyushu Area page sets out what it covers.
Both passes need a passport with a temporary visitor stamp, and the days must run in a row. In Kyushu, Southern pass holders can reserve seats for free up to 6 times, and All Kyushu holders without limit. JR Kyushu notes that prices differ on JR KYUSHU RAIL PASS Online Booking, so check there before you buy. The screenshot shows the pass page with the prices by area.
To buy a ticket or reserve a seat, look for the JR ticket office sign: みどりの窓口 (midori no madoguchi, JR ticket office).
You can also skip the train home. Kagoshima Airport handles international flights but has no rail link. The airport bus from Kagoshima Chuo Station takes 38 minutes and costs 1,500 yen. There is a free foot bath outside the terminal if you arrive early. In the city itself, the Kagoshima CUTE pass covers streetcars and city buses.
Dates: when the offer starts and ends
Kagoshima Prefecture opened the offer in mid-September 2026. It runs until the end of February 2027. The prefecture can close it sooner, because the subsidy stops once the budget is spent. Book the Klook hotel as soon as your dates are firm.
Late autumn is a good fit. Kagoshima is the last of 51 cities in Japan where the sample maple turns red, around 15 December in an average year. Our autumn leaves in Kagoshima page tracks the Japan Meteorological Agency dates. The timeline puts those dates side by side with the offer.
A December trip lets you pair the free ride with late colour and the bay views. The photo shows Sakurajima, the active volcano across the bay from Kagoshima city.
If you need to charge a phone on the way south, our guide to power outlets on the shinkansen shows which trains have them.
Shinkansen tickets to Kagoshima FAQ
Can I get the free shinkansen ticket if I land at Narita or Kansai?
No. Kagoshima Prefecture requires you to enter Japan through Fukuoka Airport. Landing at Narita, Haneda or Kansai rules you out, even with a Kagoshima hotel booked on Klook.
Does the free shinkansen ticket cover the return trip from Kagoshima?
No. The code covers one ride, from Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo. For the way back, pay the fare or use a 3-day All Kyushu pass at 22,000 yen. You can also take the 38-minute bus to Kagoshima Airport and fly.
Can I use the offer together with a JR Kyushu Rail Pass?
The two do different jobs. Use the free code for the ride south, then start a Southern Kyushu pass, 12,000 yen for 3 days, if you plan more train trips there. Klook’s campaign page sets how the code is redeemed, so check it before you plan around a pass.
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