Standing under the departure boards at Hakata Station, with ramen still on your mind and Nagasaki on the schedule, you notice that the trains for the west carry bird names. The usual way across Kyushu is a two-part rail journey, a limited express followed by a bullet train, and a highway bus from Fukuoka Airport is the other route. Both end in Nagasaki, the city at the western extremity of Kyushu.
How do you get from Fukuoka to Nagasaki?
You take a train from Hakata Station in two stages: the Relay Kamome limited express to Takeo-Onsen, then the Kamome Shinkansen on to Nagasaki. The two services share a name on purpose, because they were designed as one chain. Until the bullet train is extended all the way to Hakata, the limited express keeps running between Takeo-Onsen and Hakata to fill the gap.
The names have a history worth knowing so the timetables make sense. Before September 23, 2022, trains called Kamome ran the whole route between Nagasaki and Hakata. On that date the name moved to the new Shinkansen service, and the old through trains became the Relay Kamome.
Stage one: Relay Kamome from Hakata to Takeo-Onsen
Relay Kamome is a limited express, and it reaches Takeo-Onsen by way of the Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Sasebo lines. The trains you ride are 787 series and 885 series electric trains, the 885 being a tilting type with a sleek, curved look. Now and then a Relay Kamome is coupled with a Midori service, and then it may be run with a 783 series train and sold as Midori (Relay Kamome).
Look for the Relay Kamome name on the boards, and read the Midori (Relay Kamome) label as the same connection with a different set of cars. Takeo-Onsen is the name of the station where you change, and it is also a hot spring town, so the sign on the platform is easy to match to your ticket.
Stage two: Kamome Shinkansen from Takeo-Onsen to Nagasaki
At Takeo-Onsen you move to the Kamome Shinkansen, which has served the section between Takeo-Onsen and Nagasaki since September 23, 2022. The trains are N700S-8000 series. Most Kamome services stop at every station on the way, while some pass through Ureshino-Onsen and a limited number call only at Isahaya, so the stopping pattern is worth a glance before you board.
The transfer is a matter of changing trains within the same connection, and the Relay Kamome is planned to meet the Shinkansen. You step off one, find the other, and settle in for the last part of the ride into Nagasaki.
Starting at Hakata Station
Hakata Station sits in Hakata-ku in Fukuoka and is the largest and busiest railway terminal in Kyushu. JR Kyushu, JR West and the Fukuoka City Subway all run from it, and the Sanyo Shinkansen from Osaka ends here.
The station has been a rail hub since it opened in 1889, and the Kyushu Shinkansen has called here since March 2011. With so many lines under one roof, following the signs for JR Kyushu limited express trains is the way to the Relay Kamome.
Which options are there?
There are two main options: the two-stage train journey and the bus from Fukuoka Airport. Rail passes can change what the train costs, and a few passes are tied to other parts of Kyushu altogether.
The train via Takeo-Onsen
The rail route is the Relay Kamome plus the Kamome Shinkansen, as described above. Relay Kamome trains run at up to 81 miles/h (81 mph), and the Kamome Shinkansen at up to 162 miles/h (162 mph), so the second half of the trip is the faster one. It suits travelers who like watching the countryside change from a train window and who want to start from the middle of Fukuoka. Japanese trains have a reputation for running on time, which lets you plan the change at Takeo-Onsen with confidence.
The bus from Fukuoka Airport
Buses leave Fukuoka Airport for Nagasaki every hour, and a one-way trip takes about 2 hours 30 minutes. To reach the airport from the city, the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line runs there from Hakata Station. That makes the bus a natural pick when you are already at the airport with luggage, for example after landing in Fukuoka and heading straight on to Nagasaki.
In Japan, traffic keeps to the left side of the road, which you may notice from your window.
JR Kyushu passes
The JR Kyushu Rail Pass is a ticket for foreign visitors that allows travel between several cities in Kyushu. It comes in All Kyushu, Northern Kyushu and Southern Kyushu versions, and the prices differ with the number of consecutive days. Child fares apply to ages 6 to 11.
| Pass | Days | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Kyushu | 3 | 22,000 yen | 11,000 yen |
| All Kyushu | 5 | 24,000 yen | 12,000 yen |
| All Kyushu | 7 | 26,000 yen | 13,000 yen |
| Northern Kyushu | 3 | 15,000 yen | 7,500 yen |
| Northern Kyushu | 5 | 17,000 yen | 8,500 yen |
| Southern Kyushu | 3 | 12,000 yen | 6,000 yen |
There is also the JR Kyushu Rail Pass Fukuoka Wide, priced at 3,060 yen for adults and 1,530 yen for children for two consecutive days. It covers the main tourist spots in Fukuoka Prefecture and the Karatsu area in Saga Prefecture, with free boarding on non-reserved seats of Limited Express and Local trains. Those are the areas it names, so it suits day trips around Fukuoka rather than the run to Nagasaki.
What should you know before you travel from Fukuoka to Nagasaki?
Know that no single train links the two cities now, so the change at Takeo-Onsen is part of the plan, and know which service names to look for on the boards. A little background on the stations and trains also makes the day smoother.
Names on the boards and stopping patterns
Because the Kamome name now belongs to the Shinkansen, an older guidebook that mentions a direct Kamome from Hakata describes the situation from before the change. Today the Hakata end is the Relay Kamome, and the Nagasaki end is the Kamome Shinkansen. If a board shows Midori (Relay Kamome), it is a Midori limited express running in conjunction with the Relay Kamome.
Check the stops shown for your train if you are heading somewhere between Takeo-Onsen and Nagasaki. Check the stops shown for your train if you are heading to somewhere in between.
Passes and your passport
When you board trains with a JR Kyushu Rail Pass, foreign visitors must show their passport, and it needs to carry the temporary visitor visa stamp or seal. Keep the passport in an easy pocket rather than the bottom of a suitcase.
The Mizuho, a Kyushu Shinkansen service between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo, is one train type where foreign passengers with a Japan Rail Pass must pay a supplement. The Sakura runs once an hour between those same cities, and the Tsubame is the all-stations shuttle between Hakata and Kumamoto. None of these is the Nagasaki train, but you will see their names at Hakata.
Arriving in Nagasaki
If you fly instead, Nagasaki Airport is in the nearby city of Omura, and buses carry passengers from it to the Shinchi bus terminal in the center.
Local trains in Japan stop at every station, and rapid trains skip smaller stations without needing a supplement. Both are handy to recognize once you start moving around by rail after you arrive. Road signs can be hard to read if you do not know Japanese, which is one more reason the train and the airport bus appeal to visitors.
Good to know before you go
Ticket and pass prices are quoted in yen. Fukuoka is a port city on the north coast of Kyushu with a lively food scene, and its yatai food stalls near Hakata are a lovely place to eat before or after the ride.
The Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival fills the city in July, so expect a different atmosphere then.
Sources
- JR Kyushu, Rail passes (https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/railpass/), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Hakata Station (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakata_Station), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Kamome (train) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamome_(train)), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Kyushu Shinkansen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushu_Shinkansen), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Fukuoka (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kyushu/fukuoka/fukuoka-city/), checked October 11, 2026
- Fukuoka City official tourist guide (https://yokanavi.com/en/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Nagasaki (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kyushu/nagasaki/nagasaki-city-and-around/), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Nagasaki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki), checked October 11, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Japan travel information, travel and transportation (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Japan.html), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, trains and buses (https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/how-to-travel-by-train-and-bus-in-japan/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, traveling by rail (https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/traveling-by-rail/), checked October 11, 2026