This will be our 1st trip to Japan. We will be visiting my son who is in Makurazaki. He just got there 3 weeks ago so he does not know a lot of names of areas that he wants us to visit. He talks about the all the islands south of Kagoshima and south of Makurazaki. Has anyone travelled to these islands? We are also wondering what airport from LAX we shoud fly into that is the most reasonable. I know we can fly to Kagoshima but is it cheaper to fly in elsewhere then train to Kagoshima? He can pick us up there. I am totally lost on this one so any help would be greatly appreciated. We will be travelling late March into April.

I have been to Kagoshima. You can fly into Kagoshima from Tokyo(HanedaorNarita) or Osaka(ItamiorKIX).

If you pick up a One World or Star Alliance Air Pass the price for one segment is a low as 10,000 yen. With those tickets you can fly from Kagoshima to Naha but your son will probably want to take the ferry from Kagoshima to the southern islands as the ferry is a big business in Kagoshima and the way to travel to the southern islands from there.

See here for details on the air tickets

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2364.html

Take a look at the ferry schedule from Kagoshima in the site listed below....they stop in some of the southern islands. Our hotel in Kagoshima had a perfect view of the ferry terminal and we saw ferries coming and going south all day and night long

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2355_01.html

Aloha!

Thank you so much for the information. I am trying to digest it but it is still pretty confusing. I have to read a bit more and if I have questions, will then post.

I do have one question now. Have you ever heard of the JAL GOKU fares? I can't seem to get $$'s to show up when I search for a flight.....are they cheaper?

Thanks again!

I don't fly JAL so do not have first hand knowledge but googling found this info. Maybe someone who has used the fare will chime in soon

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/index03.html

Aloha!

You'd be able to make a connection at Tokyo (NRT) for Fukuoka and train from there.

Hi Whiteka -
I am very interested in your post - by any chance is your son with the JET Program? Our son is on the JET Program and just arrived in Nango which is a small town in the Miyazaki Prefecture just north of Kagoshima.
We're planning a trip to visit him in April 2009. We are flying SFO to Narita and will stay a few days in Tokyo before traveling to Kyushu. We've done some preliminary research and the inter-Japan airfares seem quite high. We should compare notes.

YES Cats53 he is with the JET program. I guess this week they are on a trip of some sort with other JET kids. I really don't have a lot of information gatrhed for our trip... I might just contact the local travel agent in Makurazaki...he does speak some english. Hopefully I can get a better handle on it.

Domestic Japan air travel can be inexpensive.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=27

It is way too early to look for domestic airfares for next spring. You might be able to book one of these visitor fares now tho. Last time I got a Visit Japan fare I booked it 4 or 5 weeks in advance.

Cats53, you got some excellent tips, above, from ht about air travel. The japan-guide link has a good summary.

Thanks HT and mrwunrfl very much for the flight tips. I did call JAL and they booked us on a Visit Japan Fare for April 2009. Didn't qualify for the lowest fare because we are traveling on United to Japan but still quite a great deal.
Whiteka - small world. Hope your son is enjoying JET so far. Our son seems to be very happy except for the humidty! He can't wait to actually start teaching.