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Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo: Shinkansen time, fare and JR Pass

Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo are on the Sanyo + Kyushu Shinkansen. Here are the official travel times and one-way fares, and what changes with a JR Pass.

Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo at a glance

Cheapest regular ticket
¥23,090 (non-reserved seat on Sakura, one adult, one way)
Fastest train
Mizuho, 3 h 50 min (fastest scheduled run; not covered by the JR Pass alone)
With a JR Pass
Sakura, typically 4 h 19 min (no extra charge)
Direct trains per day
21 (7 Mizuho and 14 Sakura; Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo, weekday timetable)

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

How long does the Shinkansen take from Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

Typical Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo travel time by train type
TrainTime
SakuraCovered by the JR Pass: typical time (median of scheduled runs)4 h 19 min
MizuhoFastest scheduled run (needs a Nozomi/Mizuho ticket on top of the pass)3 h 50 min

How much is the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

One adult, one way, normal season.

Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo 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¥23,090a¥23,620a¥0bcovered
Mizuho, ordinary carnot yet verified¥24,360a¥10,110b+ pass: NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket
Sakura, Green Carnot yet verified¥33,880a¥0bcovered (Green Car pass)
Mizuho, Green Carnot yet verified¥34,620a¥10,110b+ 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 ¥12,980 + limited express charge (¥10,640, or ¥11,380 on Mizuho). Green Car = basic fare + (limited express charge − ¥530) + Green Car charge ¥10,790. 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 Kagoshima-Chuo to Shin-Osaka.

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 Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

  • Sakura is covered by the pass.
  • Mizuho needs an extra Nozomi/Mizuho ticket on top of the pass: ¥10,110 one way (ordinary car), ¥10,110 for the Green Car.
  • A Shin-Osaka–Kagoshima-Chuo round trip alone on Sakura (¥47,240) is ¥2,760 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

Fare and Sakura charge from the Sakura/Tsubame table, Mizuho charge from the Mizuho table (Kippu no Rule p.4). greenCarFare = Sanyo Shinkansen Green Car charge for Shin-Osaka-Hakata (622.3 km: 6,600 yen) + Kyushu Shinkansen Green Car charge for Hakata-Kagoshima-Chuo (288.9 km, 201 km or more: 4,190 yen), per the through-journey rule on p.4.

FAQ

How much is the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

¥23,620 one way for one adult in a reserved ordinary-car seat on Sakura, normal season (basic fare ¥12,980 + limited express charge ¥10,640). On the same basis, a non-reserved seat on Sakura is ¥23,090; a reserved seat on Mizuho is ¥24,360; the Green Car on Sakura is ¥33,880.

Does the JR Pass cover Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

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, ¥10,110 one way for Shin-Osaka–Kagoshima-Chuo. For comparison, a round trip on regular reserved tickets is ¥47,240, and the 7-day ordinary pass is ¥50,000 on the official online site.

How long does it take from Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

A typical Sakura takes 4 h 19 min (median of scheduled runs). The fastest scheduled run, on Mizuho, takes 3 h 50 min.

How many trains a day run from Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

21 direct trains on a weekday (7 Mizuho and 14 Sakura), counted on the official Shin-Osaka timetable for Wednesday 4 November 2026. Holiday and seasonal timetables can differ.

What is the cheapest Shinkansen ticket from Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

Among the regular tickets in the table, a non-reserved seat on Sakura is the cheapest at ¥23,090 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 Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

Not for ordinary luggage: a non-reserved seat on Sakura costs ¥23,090 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 Shin-Osaka to Kagoshima-Chuo?

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.

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