If you are
putting together your itinerary for Japan and your elbow starts to hurt just
looking at the transport prices, this news is going to fall on you like a
blessing from heaven. We know that the Shinkansen (bullet train) is a marvel,
but it is also a hard blow to the wallet. Luckily, Kagoshima Prefecture
decided that the best way for people to stop ignoring them and go south is to
literally invite them on the trip. Yes, you read that right: free bullet train
ride.
Kagoshima's
desperate (but brilliant) strategy
Here's the
thing: While Tokyo and Kyoto are bursting with tourists, Kagoshima — which is
on the southern tip of the island of Kyushu — is going through a pretty bad
patch. Since the pandemic, direct flights from key places like Hong Kong have
disappeared and hotels are emptier than they would like. To fix this, Governor
Koichi Shiota dropped the bombshell on February 10: the local government is
going to subsidize 100% of the one-way ticket from Hakata Station
(in Fukuoka) to Kagoshima-Chuo.
We're
talking about a 90-minute ride that would normally cost you about 11,500
yen (almost $75). It is a brutal saving. The idea is that you are
encouraged to get off the typical route and go down to get to know the south.
Although the promotion is initially focused on tourists from Asia (Korea,
Taiwan, China), they have already confirmed that the plan is to expand to
travelers from the United States and "other countries" with high
potential. So, if you have a foreign passport, stay tuned because this looks
set to be the travel hack of the year.
About
Kagoshima and the Kyushu Shinkansen
To give you
your bearings, the Kyushu Shinkansen is the extension that follows after Osaka
and Hiroshima. Kagoshima is an underrated gem famous for the active volcano
Sakurajima (which literally smokes in front of the city), its hot sand
baths, and delicious food that includes the best black pig (kurobuta) in the
country. It is a more relaxed, tropical Japan with fewer crowds. Basically,
you're getting paid to go to paradise.
