The prefecture launched a pilot program September 18 offering eligible overseas travelers a free one-way ride on the Kyushu Shinkansen from Hakata Station in Fukuoka to one of three stations in Kagoshima.
The subsidy covers a fare of up to ¥11,420 (about US$73), with the journey taking roughly 90 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes depending on the destination.
But there is a catch. Travelers must first arrive through Fukuoka Airport and book at least one night at participating accommodation in Kagoshima through travel platform Klook.
The promotion is available to visitors from eight markets: the United States, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It runs through February 28, 2027, or until the allocated budget is exhausted.
The campaign is designed to address a familiar problem for Japan: international visitors remain heavily concentrated around major destinations and gateways, while regional areas struggle to capture a larger share of inbound spending.
Kagoshima is hoping the free train ticket will remove one of the barriers to heading farther south after landing in Fukuoka.
The prefecture has allocated ¥278 million (about US$1.8 million) for the initiative. Officials expect the spending generated by visitors staying and traveling in Kagoshima to outweigh the cost of the subsidy.
Kagoshima is home to attractions including Sakurajima volcano and the UNESCO World Natural Heritage islands of Yakushima, Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima.
Klook will also promote local attractions and tourism products as part of the campaign.
The initiative comes as Japanese destinations increasingly look to emerge from the shadows of the Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka circuit triangle.
