Japan’s AMAZING 36+3 Ultra Luxury Train in a Private Compartment (WOW!)

Japan’s AMAZING 36+3 Ultra Luxury Train in a Private Compartment (WOW!)

Japan has the world’s LARGEST variety of 
weird, wonderful and futuristic trains. Everything from funky Limited Expresses… 320km/h Bullet Trains… Old restored diesel railcars, 
with funky new interiors And even Hello Kitty and Pokémon themed trains! The great thing about most of these,   is they are regular services which 
don’t cost the earth to book, and are   even available with little or no supplement 
on most of Japan’s GREAT VALUE rail passes. We’ll be riding one of those such trains today. So come along with me and let’s experience JR 
Kyushu’s STUNNING 36+3 Luxury Limited Express! This video is in Partnership with Klook. The 36+3 runs five days a week, with a 
different route around Kyushu every day. Today, we’re on the Saturday Route which runs from 
Miyazaki, up the east coast, to Oita and Beppu. I spent the last night in Miyazaki – and what 
a very chilled out and beautiful place it is! It’s also home to the Kyushu Science 
Centre – with this full-scare replica   of Japan’s first ever home-grown rockets 
– which are used to launch satellites. Heading to the station now,   and you’ll find many bus stops in a 
semi-circle outside the main entrance. This is also a pick-up and drop-off 
area, as well as a taxi rank. Next door is a large shopping centre. A station first opened on this site in 1913,   but it was completely destroyed in 
World War II by Allied bombings in 1945. This current station building dates back to 
1993 and comprised a large variety of shops,   food outlets and other retail stores inside. Everything is clearly signposted 
in both Japanese and English. I love these little local 
information signs – they are   so handy when orientating yourself in a new place. Another staple of Japanese train 
stations is luggage storage lockers. As I’d booked online through Klook, who issue a 
PDF eTicket, I didn’t need to collect any physical   tickets on this occasion – however be aware that 
if you’re using either the JR national, or Kyushu   rail pass you will need to collect your seat 
reservation ticket to show along with your pass. You can do this from the green 
automatic ticket machines,   seen here, or from the staffed ticket office. You can use the ticket 
barriers if using a rail pass,   otherwise you’ll need to go through the 
manual channel and show your eTicket. The digital departure boards also show the 
train information in both Japanese and English. Our train today is the 11:51am departure of 
the 36+3 Limited Express, bound for Beppu. This will depart from track 1, off to the left, 
as indicated by the red arrow on the board. Toilets can be found on this ground 
level, straight ahead of you here. The whole station is step-free,   and the platforms can be accessed 
by lift, seen here, or by escalator. A big thanks to Klook for 
partnering with me on this video. Klook is an experience booking platform with 
thousands of destinations around the world,   and the only official agent authorised 
by JR Kyushu to sell 36+3 tickets. The availability and route information, 
along with what you can expect,   and the design features of the train is fully 
explained, including carriage configuration. You can also see verified and 
rated reviews from past passengers. Their super easy to use website and app shows you   all the booking options and guides 
you through from start to finish. You can select your class of travel, choose 
your route and date, and then easily make your   booking in one of 12 languages and 40 currencies 
with the tickets being emailed directly to you. If you want to book this experience, or any other,   then Klook are offering my viewers a special 
10% discount, up to 3 times for new customers. Visit the Klook Website, or download the Klook   App today using the link below and use 
code: NONSTOP to book your trip today! Here comes our train, pulling in now. It is formed of a highly modified, 6-car 
787 series electric multiple unit and   comprises private compartment and Green 
Car, or First Class accommodations only. It’s looks absolutely immaculate in its striking 
all black livery, with golden logos and lettering. We’ll be travelling in one of the 
private compartments in coach 2 today. A quick flash of my Klook eTicket to 
the carriage attendant and I’m onboard. There is a small step up from platform to 
train – and a ramp is available, if required. This whole coach only has four 
compartments – three six-seater ones,   like we’ll be in today and the accessible 
one, which we’ll check out later on. My first impressions are amazing. 
It’s looks absolutely stunning! Luggage can be stored at the end 
of the coach in this large locker. Before we depart, let’s check out today’s 
route up the eastern coast of Kyushu. The train starts from Miyazaki Airport, but we’ll 
pick it up at the Central Station and make three   cultural and scenic stops en-route, and then you 
can choose to alight and either Oita or Beppu. We depart right on-time, at 11.51am. Our route from Miyazaki to Beppu will 
take 5 hours and 21 minutes today,   covering a distance of 219km (136mi), with 
a scheduled arrival of 5.12pm this evening. All compartments on the train are private, and 
you must book a minimum of three tickets – these   ones can hold up to 6 people and a minimum 
of one adult must be booked in each one. I think it’s pretty good value considering the 
whole experience, which includes a full meal,   with drinks – with an adult ticket for this 
route costing 24,000 Yen (£125, €147, $167). All the prices can be seen on-screen now,   including for the Green Car seats, 
which we’ll have a look at later on. You can also pay a reasonable supplement 
on the JR national or Kyushu passes for   a Green Car seat. You cannot use these as 
part of compartment reservations though. As mentioned, this train runs 
5 different routes all around   Kyushu throughout the week, and 
each route has different prices. Here’s a look at my eTicket – which I can easily   bring up with just a couple 
of clicks on the Klook app. There are some stunning coastal #TrainWindowViews 
on this route – mostly in the first and last 45   minutes of the trip, with the middle part passing 
through some of Kyushu’s interior forests. OK, let’s check out our 
compartment in more detail! There is a tatami wooden blind which closes 
most of the way to give you some privacy. The 6 seats are provided by way 
of two, large 3-seater sofas. These are very well padded, and 
come with some cushions too. The wooden blinds on the window can be fully 
closed, or adjusted in a few ways, as seen here. Both sides of the large, fixed table has 
adjustable panels to make more space, if required. Affixed atop, is a beautiful table lamp. Waiting for me when I arrived, was a 
menu and brochure detailing today’s   route – unfortunately it was all in 
Japanese though – and a placemat,   chopsticks, napkin and a coaster 
ready for the meal service. Underneath the table are two Japanese-style power   sockets. Legroom is very good – 
even if you’re quite tall like me. And the roof… just wow – what a beautiful 
design, even with incorporating the AC vents. Overall, an absolutely stunning compartment which   I’ll be more than happy to 
spend the next 5 hours in! Free WiFi is also available. OK, lunchtime – this cold meal is served 
around an hour and a half after departure. Each meal on the 36+3 is bespoke 
to the region its passing through. Ours today is called ‘The 
Four Seasons of Miyazaki’   and offers traditional Kaseki flavours in 
a beautifully presented wooden bento box. I’m not gonna lie, I had no idea what a 
lot of this was – it was mostly fish-based,   but I can tell you it was absolutely delicious and   so well presented. There was also 
fruit juice or green tea available. Green Car passengers also receive a meal when   booking through Klook – but 
this is a smaller offering. After finishing my lunch, we are now approaching 
the first cultural event of the day – at Nobeoka. These short stops, usually 10-20 minutes 
in length allow you to stretch your legs,   enjoy the atmosphere or scenery, 
and meet some of locals who can   show off their goods and produce – 
which you can purchase if you want. While we’re stopped – let’s take this opportunity 
to check out some of the other compartments. These smaller ones in Coach 
1 are designed for 4 people,   and have tatami wood flooring, which 
you must removed your shoes to enter. Here is a look at the accessible compartment, 
located in my coach – number 2. These have   space for two wheelchairs and feature 
side-facing office-style chairs. The accessible toilet is located 
in the adjacent vestibule. This was all working as intended, 
fully stocked up, super clean and   featured a Japanese-style automatic 
bidet toilet and baby changing table. There are also regular,   small toilets throughout the train – 
which were likewise in a great condition. Other seating options on the train – are 
these two person compartments in Coach 3. These have a curtain for privacy, and are 
in a 1+1 bay layout – all by the windows. Beyond these, is the dining car – which 
sells a large selection of beverages,   including alcohol, hot drinks and snacks… 
along with many unique 36+3 souvenirs. If you want AD-FREE early access to every 
video, great perks and to help me to do   BIGGER & BETTER reviews, then become a 
Channel Member from just £1.99 per month. Just click the link above now, or the 
join button in every video, thank you! Coach 4 is home to the lounge – where   more souvenirs available for 
purchase can also be found. Along with the dining car, this 
is available to all passengers   to relax or socialise in and features 
comfortable seating, including sofas,   a large TV showing points of interest 
along the route, and even a small library. I think they hit the nail on the head with 
the design of this whole train – it’s amazing,   don’t you agree? Moving through to coaches 5 and 6, which 
is where you’ll find the Green Car seating,   which is arranged in a 2+1 configuration. As you can see – it’s SUPER quiet in here 
today which made for a lovely atmosphere. The seats are extremely comfortable, and 
the coaches follow the design features   of the rest of the train – albeit 
with slightly less extravagance. Anyway, I grabbed a delicious ’39’ 
signature beer on the way back to   my seat – as we cross into Oita prefecture, 
and approach today’s second cultural stop. This is at Sōtarō. Located on a remote 
hillside – this is Kyushu’s least used   station, with an average of just 1 
passenger per day, on regular services. There is no ‘event’ here, but you get 10 minutes 
to have a walk around in the fresh air, take some   photos from the platform or the footbridge and 
appreciate the stunning Kyushu forest landscapes. The reason the 36+3 train is so-called, is 
because Kyushu is the 36th largest island   in the world – and the 3rd largest in Japan. 
The ‘3’ is also said to stand for Surprise,   Good Impressions and Happiness 
– which is the service’s motto. Ten minutes further up the line,   and we’re now at Shigeoka – today’s final 
cultural stop, where will be for 25 minutes. Here, we get to meet the friendly villagers   and sample their local produce 
and peruse their local goods. There was a really great community atmosphere at 
all of these stops and everyone was so friendly. This included the staff – who were super happy   to play photographer – even providing 
some dressing-up clothes for the kids. Anyway, with all the intermediate stops 
out of the way – we now have a couple of   hours left of the journey to sit back, relax, 
and enjoy the lovely forest and river views. My only small criticism today would be that 
the ride quality isn’t always the best.   These train operate on Japan’s classic 
1,067mm narrow gauge track – which,   let me just say, aren’t know for their 
smoothness. It’s a bit bumpy – sometimes! In the last half an hour before arriving in 
Ōita, we re-join and follow the coast and get   some more beautiful sea views, near to Ozai – 
before crossing over the Ōno and Ōita Rivers. As mentioned, you have a choice of 
whether you want to alight at Ōita,   or continue a little further up the line to 
Beppu, where I’ll be finishing my journey today. Ōita has a population of just under 
500,000 people – making it Kyushu’s   6th largest city – and also capital of 
eastern prefecture of the same name. On the far platform is one 
of JR Kyushu’s 885 Series,   White ‘Sonic’ Limited Express electric train sets. These are based on the same platform as the 
UK’s infamous Class 800 trains. I’ll have   a full review of these coming up soon – so be 
sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss that… Anyway, back on the coast and 
it’s now just 15 minutes to our   final destination – so let me take 
this opportunity to summarise this   day trip on JR Kyushu’s 36+3 Limited 
Express service from Miyazaki to Beppu. I had an absolutely FANTASTIC day. This train 
is so luxurious and the whole experience is   tailored for maximum enjoyment and 
relaxation from start to finish. From the beautifully appointed, comfortable 
and clean train, to the delicious food,   interesting cultural stops and the 
amazing staff – they were all just superb. I’d highly recommend if you’re 
planning a trip to Kyushu,   then to put the 36+3 down on your to-do list. And let me just take this opportunity to thank 
Klook for partnering with me on this video. Remember, you can get a 10% 
discount up to 3 times on this,   or any other of their thousands of 
experiences worldwide by using my   special discount code: NONSTOP. Visit the 
Klook website, or download the App today. In the end, we arrive in Beppu,   a couple of minutes, at 5.14pm. I know 
shock, horror, a Japanese train is late! Beppu is the hot spring capital of Japan – with   over 3,000 thermal water 
vents in and around the city. Have you been on any Luxury Limited 
Expresses in Japan before? If so,   which ones and on which routes? How did you 
find them? Let me know in the comments below! I’m always open to new video ideas, so if you 
have something you’d like to see on the channel,   then drop me DM on Instagram, BlueSky or Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe, and thanks for watching 
to the end, and I’ll see you in the next video!

Get 10% OFF up to 3 Experiences with Klook by Using Code: NONSTOP
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Today we’re back in Japan – and will be taking a Luxury Limited Express across Kyushu!

We’ll be travelling on the 36+3 from Miyazaki to Beppu – this is one of Japan’s greatest trains and I’ve got a private compartment for the 5 hour trip up Kyushu’s east coast – there’s mouth watering food and stunning views – so let’s go and check it out together!

#JR #Kyushu #36plus3 #Miyazaki #Oita #Beppu #TrainWindowViews

Date of Filming: 26/4/25
Camera: GoPro Hero 12 Black
Operator: JR Kyushu
Departure: Miyazaki, Japan
Arrival: Beppu, Japan
Cost: Private Compartment (One Seat) – 24,000 Yen (£125, €147, $167)
Green Car (One Seat) – 19,000 Yen (£99, €117, $132)

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00:00 – Intro
01:16 – Arrival at Miyazaki Station & Tour
03:40 – How to Book with Klook
04:44 – Train Arrival & Route Info
06:12 – Departure & Pricing
07:20 – #TrainWindowViews
08:00 – Private Compartment Tour
09:26 – An Amazing Bespoke Lunch
10:18 – The First Cultural Stop – Nobeoka
11:00 – Exploring the Rest of the Train
13:58 – What does 36+3 Mean?
15:40 – Enjoying and Relaxing on the Last 2 Hours
16:11 – Arrival in Oita – Sea and River Views
17:25 – Trip Summary
18:25 – Arrival in Beppu
18:55 – Outro