After two days of Cherry Blossom fun in Tokyo, it was time to pick up my 21-day rail pass and start my journey across Japan! The goal for my trip was simple – head to the southern tip of Japan (the main islands, sorry Okinawa) and then make my way back up to Tokyo, hitting all of the major destinations on the way and as many cherry blossom spots as possible. Generally, blossoms start further south and make their way north over the last week of March and first week of April, so traveling in this order was best to maximize viewing.

Japan Rail Pass

For 7, 14, or 21 day periods Japan Railways sells unlimited use Rail Passes for foreign visitors to Japan. It is important to know that they are not valid for all trains – privately owned train lines and city subways are NOT included. However, the Rail Pass included all trains operated by Japan Railways (“JR Lines”) and the Shinkansen (bullet trains). There are some within cities, such as the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, but for the most part the Rail Pass is useful for trips BETWEEN cities in Japan. So if you are going city to city, it is worth the value. If you are only going to 1 or 2 cities (like Tokyo and Kyoto) it’s probably not worth it. But in my case, I am using it for 21 days and over double the value of the pass! It cost me about $400 but I will be using about $1000 worth of trains in 3 weeks.

You can buy it online ahead of time (and make seat reservations within 30 days) or buy it in Japan and make reservations at ticket machine kiosks (they are green). Either way, you have to stop by a JR Travel Center in Japan to pick up your pass (within 90 days of buying it) and when you pick it up you can start it within 30 days. I got mine on my 2nd day in Tokyo and chose to start the pass on the next day, when I would take my first long distance train down to Kagoshima. The travel centers at the airports and major stations like Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Ueno had large lines so I went to Ikebukuro Station to pick my pass up and the line was only 2 groups long. Ten minutes later I had my pass and was on my way! It’s super easy to use, as you get a ticket that lets you in and out of JR stations unlimited times. For trains that require seat reservations, just print out the reservation ticket at a green ticket machine before you get on the train.

Taking the Shinkansen to Kagoshima

I used the online website where I purchased my Rail Pass (https://japanrailpass.net/en/) to make my seat reservations from Tokyo Station to Kagoshima-Chuo Station, the furthest south the Shinkansen goes! Today’s train ride is about 7 hours, with one transfer of trains at Shin-Kobe Station. As far as I know, no train goes all the way from Tokyo to Kagoshima directly, so there will always be 1 transfer somewhere along the stop. I considered flying, but flights were super expensive for the length (like $300) and the train was completely included with my pass. Plus the trains are fun, smooth, quiet, and you get to see the Japanese countryside and cities fly by. On this train there was even cherry blossoms the entire way!

My train departed at 7am and would arrive in Kagoshima at 2:15pm, so I needed snacks for breakfast and lunch. They sell some on the shinkansen, but not my favorites. So I hit up 7-11 in Tokyo Station for some peanut cream sandwiches, maple butter pancakes, and other treats and drinks for breakfast. For lunch, the shinkansen stations have kiosks called Ekiban that sell bento boxes for eating on the train. They are around $10 and usually included rice, some sort of protein, or of course sushi or seafood if you like that. I went for a fried pork cutlet and rice box which was delicious. At the stop in Shin-Kobe I had about 20 minutes between trains so I stocked back up!

The trains today were very busy, in fact the busiest of my entire trip. Maybe because it was a Monday morning and folks were commuting to or from Tokyo. I had a seat mate all the way from Tokyo to Hakata, leaving an empty seat next to me only for the last 90 minutes from Hakata down to Kagoshima. The seat width isn’t too large, but luckily Japanese folks are small and polite. The legroom is great though, so it was still a very comfortable journey. Time flew by way faster than I would have expected and before I knew it we were pulling into Kagoshima Station.

Shiroyama Hotel in Kagoshima

The main reason I wanted to start my journey in Kagoshima, other than covering the entire main islands of Japan, was to see the amazing views of the city and Sakurajima volcano from the Shiroyama Hotel. Kagoshima is a bit of a sleepy town (despite its fairly large size) and wasn’t known for any significant sakura spots, so my afternoon and evening was primarily spent around the hotel area – as you’ll see it’s pretty fantastic. Upon arriving at Kagoshima-Chuo Station I made my way out the West Entrance and waited for the shuttle bus. The hotel operates one for free that leaves every 20 minutes and takes hotel guests between the hotel and the city all day long. Such a great thing to have! I was very impressed.

Upon arrival I checked-in and was glad that my room was available right at 3pm. I booked a cheaper solo room which was an interior with not much of a view, but it was super nice and comfortable with all the amenities. Tired from the long train ride, I changed into my bathing suit and walked down to the hotels crown jewel – an indoor/outdoor onsen looking over the entire city and volcano. The onsen is separated by gender and with most onsens in Japan, you are required to be naked. You drop off your suit or clothes in the locker room, take a shower, and then enter the onsen. Of course everyone is polite and doesn’t stare. The outdoor pool was pretty large with an incredible view and only a few people. The hot water felt amazing on my body after a wet day walking miles around Tokyo and was the perfect way to relax.

On the way back to my room I picked up some snacks from the Family Mart inside the hotel and went up to change. I threw on my shorts and t-shirt and walked back up to the main floor of the hotel to enjoy the massive deck outside the lobby. The view is even better than the onsen, with vast unblocked views of the city and volcano. By the way, Sakurajima is one of the most active volcanos in Japan and you could see smoke billowing from out the volcano all day. It’s truly massive and an incredible sight, pictures don’t do it justice. There is also a public Shiroyama Park next to the hotel, so I went on the short walk over there to check out it’s viewpoint. It’s not as good as the view from the hotel, but still a pretty area to check out.

Night time trip to Kagoshima City

After my soak and walk, I took the free shuttle down to Kagoshima city for a short walk and dinner at night time. Luckily the bus drops you off the main shopping street before going to the train station, and picks up there as well on the return trip. The main shopping and entertainment area of Kagoshima is called Tenmonkan and has a small covered shopping street, large mall, and a few other side streets and alleys to check out right in the center. All in all it only took about 15 minutes to walk around this little downtown area. I was wanting something quick and easy for dinner, plus in my budget, so I walked over to McDonalds for my first Japan McDonalds visit this trip. They were sadly out of the specialty items at this store (like a custom burger and sakura themed drink) so I just went with the usual nuggets and fries.

I walked around a bit more and got back on the shuttle to the hotel. After a quick stop by the observation deck for a night time view, I retired to my room at an early time as the next day will be another epic Japan adventure! Stay tuned.

Let me know if you are planning a visit to Kagoshima or want to explore the area around the volcano more! I definitely want to go back to this region on a future Japan trip.