Skip to content
¥ Japan Trip Math

Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto: Shinkansen time, fare and JR Pass

Hakata (Fukuoka) and Kumamoto are on the Kyushu Shinkansen. Here are the official travel times and one-way fares, and what changes with a JR Pass.

Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto at a glance

Cheapest regular ticket
¥5,310 (non-reserved seat on Sakura, one adult, one way)
Fastest train
Mizuho, 32 min (fastest scheduled run; not covered by the JR Pass alone)
With a JR Pass
Sakura, typically 38 min (no extra charge)
Direct trains per day
51 (8 Mizuho, 23 Sakura and 20 Tsubame; Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto, weekday timetable)

Normal-season prices; timetable of Wednesday 4 November 2026. Sources are listed under each section.

How long does the Shinkansen take from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

Typical Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto travel time by train type
TrainTime
SakuraCovered by the JR Pass: typical time (median of scheduled runs)38 min
MizuhoFastest scheduled run (needs a Nozomi/Mizuho ticket on top of the pass)32 min

How much is the Shinkansen from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

One adult, one way, normal season.

Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto one-way Shinkansen fares: regular tickets and with a JR Pass
Train and carRegular ticket (non-reserved)Regular ticket (reserved, Mizuho if applicable)With JR Pass
Sakura, ordinary car¥5,310a¥5,840a¥0bcovered
Mizuho, ordinary carnot yet verified¥5,840a¥2,890b+ pass: NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket
Sakura, Green Carnot yet verified¥8,110a¥0bcovered (Green Car pass)
Mizuho, Green Carnot yet verified¥8,110a¥2,890b+ pass: NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket

Reserved-seat and Green Car prices change with the travel date: +¥400 on peak-plus (busiest) days, +¥200 on peak days and −¥200 on off-peak days (FY2026 (Apr 2026 - Mar 2027) calendar). Non-reserved prices do not change with the season. Check a date in the Shinkansen fare finder.

Reserved = basic fare ¥2,420 + limited express charge (¥3,420, or ¥3,420 on Mizuho). Green Car = basic fare + (limited express charge − ¥530) + Green Car charge ¥2,800. Non-reserved = basic fare + (normal-season reserved charge − ¥530). With JR Pass = what a pass holder pays on top of the pass for one ride (Green Car rows assume a Green Car pass).

Travelling with children? JR's fare guide charges children half the adult fare and limited express charge in most cases (the Green Car charge is the same for adults and children); see Shinkansen child fares for the age rules and a family total. The same fares apply from Kumamoto to Hakata (Fukuoka).

a. Regular tickets

b. With JR Pass

  • Source: Types and prices | JAPAN RAIL PASS (JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group)) · Verified on · Official online purchasing service (JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation). Per the JR Group release of 9 Apr 2026, online prices stay unchanged 'for a limited time' after the 1 Oct 2026 increase; the end of this price freeze will be announced later (no end date published as of 2026-10-26). validFrom is the date of the previous price change named in that release.
  • Source: Use of NOZOMI/MIZUHO trains (JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group)) · Verified on
  • Source: NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket: available sections, types, prices (for adults) (JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group)) · Verified on · Tax included. The same prices apply to Green Car tickets, reserved seat tickets in an ordinary car and non-reserved seat tickets in an ordinary car.

Is the JR Pass worth it just for Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

  • Sakura is covered by the pass.
  • Mizuho needs an extra Nozomi/Mizuho ticket on top of the pass: ¥2,890 one way (ordinary car), ¥2,890 for the Green Car.
  • A Hakata (Fukuoka)–Kumamoto round trip alone on Sakura (¥11,680) is ¥38,320 below the 7-day ordinary pass price of ¥50,000 on the official online site. Bought from an overseas agent, the same pass is ¥53,000.

Nozomi and Mizuho trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen are not covered by the JAPAN RAIL PASS. A Pass holder may ride them by buying an [ONLY WITH JAPAN RAIL PASS] NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket for each ride before boarding; one price applies to Green Car, ordinary reserved and non-reserved seats (Green Car seats only for Green Pass holders). Examples: Tokyo-Nagoya 4,180, Tokyo-Kyoto/Shin-Osaka 4,960, Tokyo-Hiroshima 6,500, Shin-Osaka-Hakata 4,960 yen. For non-Pass travellers, JR Central and JR West will raise the Nozomi/Mizuho reserved-seat charge for tickets bought from 1 Jul 2027 (e.g. Tokyo-Shin-Osaka total 14,720 to 15,420 yen).

Seasons and fare notes

Season: All limited express charges here are for an ordinary-car reserved seat in the normal season. JR's fare guide states that the reserved-seat charge is 400 yen higher in the busiest season, 200 yen higher in the busy season and 200 yen lower in the off-peak season (the guide notes that JR Hokkaido conventional lines have no busy/off-peak adjustment, and JR Kyushu conventional lines and the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen have no off-peak adjustment). Non-reserved seats cost the normal-season reserved charge minus 530 yen regardless of date.

Data notes for this route

Operating distance 118.4 km (printed as distance from Hakata). Within the Kyushu Shinkansen the Mizuho table prints the same reserved charge as Sakura/Tsubame (3,420 yen), but the JAPAN RAIL PASS still does not cover Mizuho: the official NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket table lists Hakata-Kumamoto at 2,890 yen. Tsubame trains run with the same charge as Sakura. greenCarFare is the Kyushu Shinkansen band up to 200 km (Kippu no Rule p.4), matching worked example 2 on p.5.

FAQ

How much is the Shinkansen from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

¥5,840 one way for one adult in a reserved ordinary-car seat on Sakura, normal season (basic fare ¥2,420 + limited express charge ¥3,420). On the same basis, a non-reserved seat on Sakura is ¥5,310; a reserved seat on Mizuho is ¥5,840; the Green Car on Sakura is ¥8,110.

Does the JR Pass cover Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

Yes on Sakura: the pass covers it, so a pass holder pays ¥0 extra. Mizuho is not covered by the pass alone: a pass holder buys a NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket for each ride, ¥2,890 one way for Hakata (Fukuoka)–Kumamoto. For comparison, a round trip on regular reserved tickets is ¥11,680, and the 7-day ordinary pass is ¥50,000 on the official online site.

How long does it take from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

A typical Sakura takes 38 min (median of scheduled runs). The fastest scheduled run, on Mizuho, takes 32 min.

How many trains a day run from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

51 direct trains on a weekday (8 Mizuho, 23 Sakura and 20 Tsubame), counted on the official Hakata (Fukuoka) timetable for Wednesday 4 November 2026. Holiday and seasonal timetables can differ.

What is the cheapest Shinkansen ticket from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

Among the regular tickets in the table, a non-reserved seat on Sakura is the cheapest at ¥5,310 one way for one adult (normal season), ¥530 less than a reserved seat on the same train. Non-reserved prices do not change with the season.

Do I need a seat reservation from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

Not for ordinary luggage: a non-reserved seat on Sakura costs ¥5,310 one way (the normal-season reserved charge minus ¥530, on any date). If your baggage measures 161–250 cm in total (length + width + height), reserve a seat with an oversized baggage area; it costs the same as an ordinary reserved seat, and oversized baggage cannot be taken into non-reserved cars.

Can I bring a large suitcase from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kumamoto?

Yes, up to 250 cm in total (length + width + height). Up to 160 cm needs no reservation. 161–250 cm needs a reserved seat with an oversized baggage area, at no extra charge; JR Pass holders can reserve one too. Without a reservation, a ¥1,000 fee applies.

Plan the whole trip

Plan the rest of your trip

The same checklist on every page: tours, insurance, mobile data and the JR Pass.

Japan Trip Math has been approved for the affiliate programmes of Viator, Sakura Mobile and SafetyWing and may earn a commission if you book through links marked "affiliate link". It does not change the price you pay. Other links here are not paid. Affiliate disclosure

We use Google Analytics to count visits and clicks on partner links. Accept to allow analytics cookies, or decline to keep using the site without them. If you decline, no analytics cookies are set from then on. Privacy