Kagoshima prefecture in Japan will offer free one-way Shinkansen bullet train tickets to international tourists as part of a pilot program to boost visitor numbers to the region. The initiative aims to draw travelers to Kagoshima, which has seen a slump in foreign overnight stays.
The initiative aims to address regional tourism disparities in Japan by incentivizing travel to less-visited areas like Kagoshima, potentially impacting the broader Japanese tourism economy and the operational strategies of the Shinkansen network.
Kagoshima prefecture in Japan is set to launch a pilot program offering free one-way Shinkansen bullet train tickets to international tourists. The initiative, part of a 3.5-billion-yen budget proposal for regional tourism promotion in 2026, aims to attract more visitors to the prefecture's sites, which have seen a decline in foreign overnight stays since the pandemic. The free rides will cover the approximately 90-minute journey from Hakata Station in Fukuoka to Kagoshima Chuo Station.
Initially, the program will target travelers from South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, countries that have direct flights to Kagoshima. The prefectural government will fully subsidize the cost of these tickets, which normally retail for around 11,500 yen. This strategy is intended to draw visitors to Kagoshima even without direct flights, addressing the issue of over-tourism in popular destinations like Tokyo and Kyoto while revitalizing less-frequented regions. Future expansion to include countries like the U.S. and Thailand is also being considered.