There is something about Kyushu call me to come back again in only 8 months!
This is amazing for normal people who has no either much money or time for travel like me.
But it happened…and I accept it with my pleasure.

Year 2003, it was my first visit at Japan. But I loved at first sight to Kyushu occur in the second visit.
In March 2015, we - I and my 3 closed friends - spent 15 days around Japan by ourselves. Surprisingly that all of us agreed with the idea to come back to Kyushu again this year…And we make it came true…in 8 months later
Like I said...There is something about Kyushu that call me to come back again…I can’t tell you specifically why because this island has it’s own leading combination such as the plenty of natural fresh nature, marvelous local food, authentic art and craft, especially ceramic items and very nice people.
Our first visit, even though we were travel in winter season, but warm welcome from local people and new experience about hot spring ‘onsen’ from many towns protect us from suffering. And plum flowers that bloomed everywhere in February until march bring happiness to us instead.
For this 2nd time, we plan to travel around Kyushu only. 15 days of our itinerary focus on traveled to all provinces or reached to “7 stars” by trains especially “special train” which has many items for choose.
Only Kyushu, by special trains. Wow…

Heaven on earth…beyond the railroad
As soon as reached Hakata station in Fukuoka, we head for JR Kyushu service office for reserved special train tickets with our JR pass. There are no added fee!
The experience from these trains was much more than good impression. These beautiful trains open my view that trains in Kyushu are not only vehicles but they are the attractive places for “tourist spots” by themselves.

All 7 trains that we travel in this trip; A train, Umisachi-yamasachi, Aso Boy, Hayato No Kaze, Shinpei, Ibusuki no Tamatebako and Yufuin no Mori are special and unique decoration.
Among them, Umisachi-yamasachi – The wooded cover train is the most amazing because of the courage and creativity of the creature who can make this “toy train” come true.

Every trains are not only beauty creativity and convenience, but also show “passenger center” idea. The most successfully is “Aso Boy” which a bogie design for children’s comfortable and happy place specially…kawaii!

An marvelous idea that I discovered on these trains was “paint&drowing corners”. They are some spot on trains that you can write draw and paint something in the books with color pencils there. In these books you can absorb the happiness from passenger or traveler before you and continue & share yours to the next… Sugoi!

Every special has it’s own stamp symbol. Moreover each trains distributed the unique postcard! The collector like one of my friends was very happy with these on the way beautiful collections.

Good restaurant in great scenery
I believed that most people on these trains can’t wait for their lunch or coffee/tea break.
The reason are not only beautiful surrounding but also many selected food, dessert, snack and drink on each train which are the most delicious from each local that the train pass by.

These food include bento set, cake, custard, ice cream and non alcohol drink such as “Yufuin cider” which I was waiting for 8 months for it.
In these moments the special trains transform to amazing restaurant. You can have good lunch or any food and snacks that you would like surround with the great scenery… forest, community, mountain, river, water fall, sea even volcano are in your eye sight along the meal.

Some food on the trains are selected because their appearance are harmonize with form of the trains. Such as “black sesame custard” the 2 storey custard in black & white colors on “Ibusuki no Tamatebaku” the black & white design train that take us to superb onsen and sand steam spa in Ibusuki town, Kagoshima.
Several trains give beautiful music along the journey. The most outstanding is A train which play selected jazz music all the way from JR Kumamoto to Misumi, a small town with cute lighthouse.

On 7 special trains that lead us to “7 stars of Kyushu” we found ourselves in heaven on earth…only some inches far from the ground…

Miyazaki…serene and marvelous
These heavens lead us to another level of happiness which waiting at the end of each destination.
One of favorite spot that we discovered is Miyazaki. Other than it’s beautiful nature is local food. We found the excellence soba and udong nabe restaurant “Marason-Tei” in front of a big supermarket, near Amanoiwato. This restaurant run by an uncle who crazy about marathon runner. His simply small restaurant is filled with poster symbol and picture of marathon runners and friendship.

Another local but ‎luxurious was miyazaki beef sausage at a stakehouse ‘Takashiho Gyu Nagomi Restaurant’ which unique, good quality and certainly…very delicious.

At the beginning of December 2015, 4 of us came back home with delight.

Kyushu…”we only just begun”