Optimizing routes for a central and southeastern Kyushu itinerary

Hello,

I’m reaching out for your help because I’m struggling to figure out the best train and car route for a 25-night trip in Kyushu. Here are the cities I’d like to visit, along with my current itinerary, which doesn’t feel quite right. I’m also wondering where the best places to pick up and drop off the rental car would be. International flights from Osaka + the SL Hitoyoshi train ride are part of the plan.

Current (unsatisfactory) draft itinerary I’m trying to optimize: Day 1: Arrival in Osaka Day 2-3: 2 nights in Osaka Day 4: Osaka to Izumi (Kagoshima Prefecture) via overnight train to Izumi Day 5: Full day in Izumi, overnight in Izumi Day 6: Izumi to Hitoyoshi, stopping via Kumamoto (SL Hitoyoshi train) Day 7: Hitoyoshi Day 8: Ebino + overnight in Kobayashi or Takaharu Day 9: Cape Toi + overnight Day 10: Koshima + overnight near Obi or Miyazaki? Day 11: Nichinan Coast / Obi / Udo Jingu / Aoshima Day 12: Miyazaki Day 13: Aya + overnight in Miyazaki Day 14: Hyuga + overnight in Nobeoka Day 15: Around Nobeoka + overnight in Nobeoka Day 16: Shiiba + overnight in Shiiba Day 17: Shiiba + drive to Yamaga + overnight Day 18: Yamaga Day 19: Yamaga Day 20-22: Amakusa Day 23: Kumamoto Day 24: Kumamoto + overnight in Osaka Day 25: Departure for France

Does this seem balanced? Are there any ways to optimize travel times or the logical flow of the route? Where should I pick up and drop off the rental car?

Thanks in advance if anyone can help me think this through!

Hi there,

I recommend checking out the tourism office’s website: https://www.visit-kyushu.com/en/

Cheers,

René

Just my 2 cents.

- The SL Hitoyoshi is no longer an SL since engine 58654 was taken out of service on March 23, 2024. - The line between Yatsushiro and Yoshimatsu was severely damaged on July 4, 2020, and has been closed since then—reopening is hoped for in 2033. - The line between Yoshimatsu and Hayato has also been closed since August 6, 2025, due to heavy rains as well.

There are other temporarily closed lines on Kyushu, so double-check as the situation can change for better or worse.

https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/trains/info/

Hi there,

Thanks for the details. I thought I’d read that the SL Hitoyoshi line had been shortened, no longer passing through Yatsushiro but going directly from Kumamoto to Hitoyoshi. I found this mention on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseTrains/posts/sl-hitoyoshi-is-back-on-the-move-restarting-ahead-of-its-103rd-birthdaythe-steam/844261951307912/

Hello, Serow’s info is correct. The SL Hitoyoshi is indeed no longer in service, and the Hisatsu Line is closed.

What’s been announced is that starting next year, alongside its monthly maintenance, the locomotive will be moved a short distance within Hitoyoshi Station, without passengers on board (since only the locomotive is preserved).

by not going through Yatsushiro but taking the direct route Kumamoto–Hitoyoshi.

To get to Yatsushiro from Kumamoto, you *have* to go through Hitoyoshi.

So, it's written in the Japanese style—super precise about trains but also a bit of self-promotion. Let's break it down:

SL Hitoyoshi is back on the move! Restarting ahead of its 103rd birthday]

Not fundamentally wrong. "Back on the move" just means it can move, not necessarily that it can pull a train or is authorized to run on the tracks.

The steam locomotive "SL Hitoyoshi," returned home last November.

True, it did return to Hitoyoshi for an exhibit.

The city has been working on preparations to display the locomotive in working order.

Yeah, you’ve gotta really believe that. "Working order" is a stretch.

making the "SL Hitoyoshi" the only working steam locomotive in Kyushu.

Again, that’s not what "in working order" means.

The steam locomotive Hitoyoshi, uses compressed air as its power source. The air is compressed by a compressor loaded into the tender (coal car) to move the locomotive.

Oh, right—a steam locomotive running on compressed air, powered by an auxiliary generator. It’s not the only one in Japan that moves like this for a few dozen meters, but it’s fake. A real steam locomotive runs on water heated by coal in most cases.

This is something very common in Japan—they focus on tourism, not history. I’ve talked about it with Japanese friends who work in museums and railways. Everything is geared toward family tourism, with a pretty low museum-level standard. It’s flashy, professionally presented, but very much aimed at the general public—often *very* general. Of course, there are some static railway museums that are quite interesting, like Saitama, Nagoya, Umekoji, and to a lesser extent, Mojiko.

PS: I’m qualified to be part of a team that operates a fully functional steam locomotive.

I don’t really see the point of dissecting the message here, on a route topic, except to show off about railway knowledge. The train doesn’t run, except for demonstrations, period.

Alors c'est écrit à la japonaise, avec le niveau de précision ferroviaire adaptée au grand public

Maybe because this statement isn’t aimed at professionals, but at a broad audience? Yes, in Japan, topics are often presented in a way that makes them accessible to everyone. That’s a good thing, because it allows everyone—including kids—to get interested in subjects, even technical ones like trains, precisely because they’re explained clearly and understandably. For more advanced knowledge, there are other places and ways to share it.

Ah bin oui, une locomotive à vapeur, ça roule avec de l'air comprimé et un générateur alimenté par un groupe auxiliaire. Ce n'est pas la seule a rouler comme ça au Japon, sur quelques dizaines de mètres. Mais c'est du fake. Une locomotive à vapeur dans la grande majorité des cas c'est de l'eau chauffée par du charbon.

They don’t say it’s the only one in Japan, but the only one in Kyûshû, which is true. While it originally ran on coal, it now uses compressed air for demonstrations to safely cover short distances without firing up the boiler. This was announced when it was taken out of regular service, so no surprises there.

True, that’s not what we’re here to discuss. But since it didn’t seem like my info was being taken seriously, I figured I’d clarify. If we can’t use our knowledge to clear things up, I don’t see the point of being here.

Thanks for the details.

But since it didn’t seem like you believed my info, I took the liberty of clarifying.

I wasn’t questioning the information you gave me. I was just explaining that I’d understood something different after reading other sources elsewhere.