I’ve revamped our trip once again - I think it’s a good plan but I’m a little nervous. I’m now focusing solely in Kyushu except for our final 5 days in Kyoto.

We will arrive in Japan at the end of October after 2 weeks in Taiwan. The (possibly) final final itinerary plan!

Fukuoka - 3
Kurokowa Onsen -2
Kumamoto -2
Nagasaki -3
Kagushima - 2
Yakushima -3
Kyoto -5

We will travel by public transportation in Kyushu proper but I’ve convinced my husband that we need to rent a car on Kagoshima. We aren’t serious hikers but enjoy walking and have read that Kagoshima is special. I’ve looked at the tour company, YES Yakushima, and they are very busy and their hikes are much more extensive than I think we are up to, so I think we’re better off doing it on our own. However, I’m using them to book accommodations, ordering our ferry tickets and reserving a car.

I think we will need to play it by ear as far as what we do and see in each of these places. Even a few months ago, tour companies are getting booked up. And the guides are more expensive for a day trip than I want to spend.

I’ve got mixed feelings since I was looking forward to some of the places around Shikoku but it was just not working for us somehow. This flows better. It is just so different from what I had originally planned. And maybe that’s good because it’ll give us a completely different flavor of the country.

Am I making a big mistake?

>> Am I making a big mistake?
of course not

>> rent a car on Kagoshima
You mean on Yakushima which is in Kagoshima-ken

Nagasaki is out of order (not the best route) probably because you already booked Yamamizuki. You have Kumamoto - Nagasaki and then travel back through Kumamoto to get to Kagoshima. Frrom Nagasaki the trip would have an easy transfer from the shinkansen to the relay train to get to Tosu for the shinkansen and transfer to shinkansen to go via Kumamoto to Kagoshima. Not a big deal, though, it is about 2.5 hours backtrack in that trip.

Yakushima
- their hikes are much more extensive than I think we are up to
- guides are more expensive for a day trip than I want to spend [I assume this applies to Yakushima as well as other places]
- convinced my husband that we need to rent a car [but I think you don't really want to rent a car in Japan]
- you have to ride a ferry on the ocean to get there and maybe back (is there a ferry from Yakushima to Nagasaki? I don't think so)

I checked on jal.co.jp for airfares around Nov 1-3

The lower-priced airfares from Yakushima (KUM) to Osaka (OSA) are mostly sold out. But there are cheap fares from Kagoshima (KOJ) to OSA for under 12000 in economy or J-class. KUM flights to OSA mostly connect at KOJ but I think there are nonstops on some airline. There are nonstops KUM - FUK.

Sounds like "Yakushima is special" - for people who like to go on extensive hikes with high-priced guides.
There are many special places in Japan and Shikoku may be one of them (I thought Matsuyama was) and is somewhat on the way from Nagasaki to Kyioto.

mrwunrfl,
I hear you. Fortunately, there were tickets available on the day I wanted them from Yakushima to Osaka and they really are inexpensive.

So yes, it is the question - is Yakushima for us? I’ve been ripping this itinerary up so many times that I’m really not sure of what would work anymore! I’ve wanted to get away from the standard route and this works pretty well except, as you point out that the routing isn’t the best and it is because I booked Yamamizuki and really don’t want to change it. Maybe I should look at that and see about an alternative.

Except for flights, everything can be revised again.

And I’m pretty aware that this will be it for our travels to Japan so I just have to remember that whatever we do, it’ll be a new experience. No trip is perfect.

>> wanted to get away from the standard route and this works pretty well except

Except that you mentioned that Yakushima guides are booked/ing. Everywhere will be busy.

Maybe there is a small fee to cancel/refund that KUM-OSA fare or the fare is low enough to make it a throw-away. But good you got the cheap fare and it is the best way to get to your next stop.

Best route:
Fukuoka- Tosu- Takeo- Nagasaki- Takeo- Tosu- Kumamoto

Your route:
Fukuoka- Tosu*- Kumamoto- Tosu- Takeo- Nagasaki- Takeo- Tosu- Kumamoto
Tosu* <- just a shinkansen stop, no change of trains

So the difference is that you would travel between Shin Tosu and Kumamoto three timers instead of once. Would be one extra stop, so 7 trains instead of 6. Would be an extra 50 min of travel time plus maybe 25 min for a transfer and wait.

I just booked one of the YES Yakushima tours to see the island and it looks good. We’ll have a day on our own to do an easier walk or hike. I just felt the hikes they lead are more intensive than we could do. This should work well and now I’m getting excited about the trip.
https://yesyakushima.com/yakushima-t...a-island-tour/

And yes, I know the routing isn’t wonderful. The problem is wanting to see both Nagasaki and going to Kurakowa Onsen after starting in Fukuoka. There’s no easy way to go in both directions. When the routing was ending in Nagasaki, it made more sense. But so it goes.