4 Days on Japan’s 7 Star Luxury Sleeper Train – Seven Stars In Kyushu (4K Trip Vlog)

4 Days on Japan’s 7 Star Luxury Sleeper Train – Seven Stars In Kyushu (4K Trip Vlog)

Today we will board the Japan’s 7 star sleeper train “Seven Stars In Kyushu”. A luxurious suite. On-board facilities. Course meals on board. 4-day trip for $13,100. Seven Stars bus. A popular onsen ryokan in Kyushu, Japan. Excursions. A secret restaurant. Please enjoy. Day 1. The 4-day trip starts from Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It’s around 9:30am in the morning. Hakata Station is the largest terminal station in the Kyushu region of Japan. We head to the Seven Stars Lounge in Hakata Station. Around 9:40am. All passengers gather at the Seven Stars Lounge “Kinsei”. The interior of the lounge is decorated with impressive wood, just like the interior of the train. I sit down. We can enjoy a welcome drink, tea, and light meals. Tea and light meals from Fukuoka Prefecture, where we are now. Local sparkling wine. Seven Stars coaster. The shelves are decorated with Seven Stars merchandise. Information about the Seven Stars in Kyushu was sent to my home in advance. A luggage tag. A special leather Seven Stars tag. Information. A Seven Stars ticket. A welcome ceremony is held in the lounge. I’ll have some red sparkling wine. We say “SEVEN STARS” and toast. After the toast, we move to the platform at Hakata Station. We take a commemorative photo here. We head to platform 5 at Hakata Station. The sign read, “Departing at 10:58am, New Life.” fAt 10:39, the Seven Stars arrive at the platform. The Seven Stars in Kyushu is a luxury sleeper train that debuted in October 2013. The train is a seven-car train, built at a cost of 3 billion yen (approximately 30 million dollars at the time). The seven cars of the Seven Stars in Kyushu are pulled by a locomotive. The seventh car of the Seven Stars is connected to the locomotive. At the end of car 7 is the top-class suite, with its impressive large windows. The locomotive was uncoupled. I board the train. My room is in car 6. After boarding, the Seven Stars crew showed me around the room. The room tour will take place after departure. The train departs from Hakata Station at 10:59am. Staff and local people will see us off. Window blinds. Because the train may shake… They have handles. The aisle of car 6. The wood on the floor and walls is impressive. There are small pieces of art on the walls. I wonder how much they cost. It has a tulip-shaped light. Very stylish. My room is room 602, category “Suite”. This time I stay alone in Suite. The price for the 4-day trip is ¥1,870,000 JPY ($13,100 US dollars). There are 10 rooms with a capacity of only 20 people, so the price is high. Here is the key to the room. Eight of the ten rooms are “Suites”. The “Suite” is 10 square meters (107.6 square feet) in size. The ceiling is high, so the room feels larger than the 10 square meters (107.6 square feet). The exterior and interior o the train were designed by the famous Japanese designer “Eiji Mitooka”. Eiji Mitooka’s works are characterized by the use of many natural materials such as wood, glass, and genuine leather. Next to it is the bathroom. A heavy door. An internal lock. A wardrobe hook. Stylish curtains. High light blocking performance. A Seven Stars blanket. A blue chair. Air conditioner. Room temperature can be adjusted. Two light switches. A phone to contact the crew. SOS button. There are two seats side by side that can be folded down to turn into a bed. They are a little soft because they can also be used as beds. There is a pillow at the back to use when making the bed. When making the bed, the black bar is folded down. There is art on the wall. It seems to be different for each room. Reading light. Power strip (2 outlets, 2 USB ports). Light switches. Hotel-style indoor slippers. The words “NANATSUBOSHI IN KYUSHU”. SEVEN STARS is pronounced NANATSUBOSHI in Japanese. Let’s take a look at the window. Lace curtains. Wooden blinds. Another wooden blind. This one completely blocks out light. This train began operation in October 2013, hence the words SINCE 2013. The blinds are like Japanese Shoji screens. These blinds are unique in that they are quiet when moved and are the result of local craftsmanship. There are two windows, one on each side. Let’s take a look at the desk. Flower arrangement. Wooden frame. I can’t really make out what it is, but there is a picture of a helmet on it. A hotel-like desk lamp. A welcome message. Dacquoise, a baked confectionery that originated in France. A kumiko tissue case. A guide to the tea room. Starting today at 2pm. Information. Let’s take a look inside the drawer. A mirror. Portable Wi-Fi. A charging cable for the portable Wi-Fi. The speed of the Wi-Fi depends on the location, but it generally worked. An extension cord. A flashlight and a bottle opener. Underneath…. Packed water and glass. A safety box. Check the inside of the fridge. Asahi and Suntory beers. Packed water, carrot juice. Local mandarin orange juice. A trash can. A power outlet. A wardrobe. A variety of hangers. It would be nice to have more hangers. A shoehorn, a brush, a shoe shine cloth. There are some scratches. The light switch and the ventilation fan switch. Next, check the bathroom. Seven Stars original bath towel and face towel. A mesh shelf. Mirror and sink. The washbasin is a posthumous work by a Japanese ceramic artist. The water can be switched between hot and cold. A handle and an outlet. A hair dryer by the Japanese brand PANASONIC. After boarding, the Seven Stars crew will bring amenities to our room. A body towel and a dental kit. Shampoo, conditioner and shower gel by the Tokyo brand NEMOHAMO. I took all the amenities. A stylish wooden cup. NEMOHAMO hand soap. A window in the toilet. The blinds must be lowered while in use. There is nothing on this shelf. A stylish toilet. Made by the Japanese brand TOTO. Comes with a washlet. A flush button. Toilet paper with the Seven Stars logo. Unnecessarily elaborate. A separate shower booth. Rain shower, amenity tray. Hand shower. Foot towel, chair. It was a luxurious room. The nail holes are star-shaped. A special screwdriver is required, and it is said to be quite difficult. It is approaching lunchtime. I move from car 6 to car 1. Car 2 is the salon car “Jupitar”. The chef is preparing lunch in car 2. Car 1 is the lounge car “Blue Moon”. A dog object and a grand piano. This is used as a dining area, bar, and event space. There are tables for all 20 passengers. The full-length window at the end of car 1 is also known as the “3 billion JPY picture frame”. The locomotive is currently attached to the front. It is called “Blue Moon”. The lounge car “Blue Moon” has a stylish interior. On the grand piano there is a stuffed animal wearing a Seven Stars crew uniform. This is the bar counter. Lunch starts at 11:45am. An elaborately designed chandelier. Drink menu. Basically free. Kyushu soft drinks. Shochu. Wine by the glass. Expensive champagne and wine are charged. Seven Stars original napkin. Nice touch. Thin chopsticks. The train is seen off by new employees of the train operating company. Passing Kurume Station, Fukuoka Prefecture. From here, we head to Oita Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture. I ordered plum wine from Hita, Oita Prefecture. Lunch at Imoto, a Kyoto-style Japanese restaurant in Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture. Appetizer: Matsuba crab, Tosa vinegar jelly. We enjoy the meal while looking at the view. Hassun. First, fresh fish sushi roll. Hassun means eight different dishes served on one plate. Soup with sweet sea bream. Stylish soup and delicious food. Roast beef fillet, onion, sansho pepper. It was delicious roast beef fillet. Maki yuba, bamboo shoots, wakame seaweed. I ordered Seven Stars original shochu. Astringent taste. The Seven Stars logo is also on the cup. We arrived at Hita Station (Oita Prefecture) at 12:44pm. The train entered Oita Prefecture from Fukuoka Prefecture. Grilled food: Akamutsu (blackthroat seaperch), new onion grated. Bamboo shoots with thickened sauce, barley rice. Originally, it was pickled vegetables, but since I don’t like pickles, they changed it to kelp. Dessert: warabi mochi. Lunch was hearty and full up. Entrance of car 1. Pottery and art are on display. Creepy insect Art. The stops for the 4-day trip are listed. Car 2 has a tea room. Seven Stars in Kyushu was renovated in October 2022. This tea room was newly built during the renovation. When the tea room was built, there were voices of surprise saying, “Seven Stars finally has a tea room.” The design is elaborate down to the smallest details, with floral objects on the walls. From 2 pm, I will have matcha tea and sweets in the tea room. The event in the tea room will last about 20 minutes per group. I will have tea and sweets. Sweet taste. The water is heated here. Since they cannot use fire in the car, they heat water using an induction heater. The crew of the Seven Stars makes matcha for us. The crew of the Seven Stars is trained to make matcha. The matcha was delicious. I think it was Kyoto matcha. The time of the tea room event is decided in advance for each room. Since there is time until the next event, I take a rest in the room. There is a paper with the spots to see from the train window written on it. An announcement says, “Please pay attention to the right side of the direction of travel.” Jion Falls. A waterfall located on the border between Hita City, Oita Prefecture and Kuju Town, Kuju County. It is a two-tiered waterfall. After the waterfall, there is a river view. A lonely house. Another spot from the train window. Kirikabu Mountain. A mountain with an interesting shape. From 2:45 pm, I participate in an in-train event to make Hita Geta sandal. These are special geta with the Seven Stars logo engraved on them. We can choose from several types of geta strings. It started to rain. Current location: Bungomori Station (Oita Prefecture). Using the paper with instructions on how to make geta, we will complete the geta sandal. The geta sandal was completed in about 30 minutes. We can take the geta sandal home as a nice memento. The bag for the geta sandal. We can get out while the train is stopped, so we will look at the car body. Currently, the locomotive is coupled to car 1. The windows of car 7 and car 1 look the same. The coupling part between car 1 and the locomotive. Car 1 has the words “SEVEN STARS IN KYUSHU”, “CRUISE TRAIN”, “KYUSHU RAILWAY COMPANY”, etc. The Seven Stars emblem. The words of the seven prefectures of Kyushu (Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Saga, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima). We will enjoy the seven tourist attractions of Kyushu (nature, food, pnsen, history and culture, power spots, human kindness, and train). If we look closely, we will see that the numbers 1 and 2 on the side of the car are drawn with stars. On the 2-day trip, they will travel from Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo. Let’s take a stroll inside the car. There is a gallery at the end of car 2. Beehive art. Amazing look. N-gauge model of the Seven Stars In Kyushu. Let’s take another look at car 2. The salon space in car 2. The ceiling is also intricately designed. Kitchen. Wine cellar and shelve. Pottery works. Here is the ladybug art. It’s quite difficult to find. In the far right is the tea room we visited earlier. On the shelf on the left… There are various things such as kumiko. Model of the Seven Stars bus. We are planning to board the bus tomorrow. There is a commemorative stamp on this desk. I thought it was red, but it is a gold stamp. There is another shelf at the back. Tea utensils used in the tea room are placed here. The aisle at the end of car 2. The Seven Stars won the Brunel Award in 2014. From 2021, it has been ranked #1 in the train category by the American travel magazine “Conde Nast Traveler” for three consecutive years. Gold frog art. It’s easy to find. There is a shared toilet in car 2. Next, let’s look at car 3. 301 is a barrier-free room. 302 is the shop nana. It was originally a guest room (suite), but after renovation in October 2022, it became a shop. The shop is open from 10:00 to 24:00. We can buy Seven Stars goods and other items. Many of the goods are expensive, but… Drip coffee is a reasonable price. They also sell loungewear to wear at night on the train. 303 has a KAZ Bar with only four seats. The KAZ Bar can be used for 90 minutes and costs 25,000 JPY (172.9 US dollars) per person. Photography is prohibited inside the KAZ bar. It is for the enjoyment of passengers who actually ride the train. Next is car 4. Please pay attention to the color of the wood. It is a dark reddish brown. There is a variety of art, which is fun to see. The art in car 4 is unique. Go to the edge of car 4. There is water, which we can drink freely. Each car of the Seven Stars uses different wood. The wood of car 5 is reddish brown, similar to car 4. Car 5 is decorated with Seven Stars art. Next is car 6. The wood of car 6 is a lighter color, so we can see the difference at a glance. Carp art. Next is car 7. There is stained glass on the door. Car 7 has two deluxe suites, which are popular rooms that are difficult to reserve. Return to the room and take a rest. Where are we? Yufuin Station at Oita Station. If the weather is good, we can see Mt. Yufu clearly (not very visible on this day). The dress code is semi-formal from the evening onwards. Change into a suit and go to dinner. Walk from car 6 to car 1. Dinner starts at 6:30 pm. There is live piano music during dinner. Dinner is provided by La Verveine, a French restaurant in Yufuin. The cutlery has a Seven-Stars logo. The champagne is Gusbourne Estate Blanc de Blancs. If we buy it outside, it costs about $75, but it is free on the train. The amuse-bouche is homemade ricotta cheese. White asparagus flan from Yufuin, with purple sea urchin. Sakura salmon tartare from Kamae, with the aroma of wasabi leaves. Kikuka Chardonnay from Kumamoto. I have white wine and salmon. French bread. Braised black fin sea bass from Saiki, prawn cream sauce. Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse d’Or 2017. A high-quality red wine, but it’s free on the train. Duck meat from Ajimu, white onion and white kidney beans. Authentic French cuisine. Turban shell from Tsurumi and yellow rice-style risotto. Three types of strawberry variation. All Kyushu ingredients are used. Herbal tea. Kabosu macaron. Currently stopped at Oita Station. Looking at Google MAP, the train has moved quite a bit. There are no locals visiting the Seven Stars. The lunch and dinner were very filling, and I felt that they were enthusiastic. Drinks are available in the car 2. Honey lemon, cider, beer. All from Kyushu. Books about the Seven Stars in Kyushu are available in the car 2. The Seven Stars in Kyushu was originally designed to be futuristic. However, they made some modifications because they felt that “futuristic designs quickly become outdated and it is difficult to create a luxurious look.” This led to the classic design we see today. Bar time starts at 10pm in Car 1. Seven Stars original cocktail menu. Food menu. Seven Stars original curry. Easy to eat. Nanamaru (Seven Stars x Ippudo collaboration ramen). Seven Stars original cocktail “Seven Stars.” Based on sparkling wine from Miyazaki Prefecture. Riedel wine glasses are used. Bar time is the best part of a luxury sleeper train. When I returned to my room, the bed was made. Seven Stars pajamas. Made in the Chikugo region of Fukuoka Prefecture. The pajamas show great attention to detail. Down comforter. Bed pad laid out. Pillow of normal hardness. Pillowcase with star mark. Cushion to prevent head bumping. No announcements on the train during late night hours. Wooden amenities. A nice comb. The amenities are also well thought out. Another good thing is that they give us earplugs. Let’s take a look at the shower room. The water pressure in the shower is sufficient, and it seems strong for a train. The train tank has enough water for two days. The bed is comfortable. Lights out. Sleep. Day 2. 6:42am. The view outside the window. Where are we? The train has already entered Kumamoto Prefecture. Ocean view. We can see the East China Sea (Amakusa Nada). Breakfast is served in car 1 from 7am. This is breakfast prepared by Chef Seven Stars. Original Seven Stars Tea. This tea contains seven flavors, including vegetables and fruits. The breakfast chosen by Chef Seven Stars is “Chinese congee”. It was delicious Chinese congee, but there was no egg, so I was concerned about the nutritional balance. Dessert. I don’t usually eat Chinese breakfast, so it was nice and fresh. In the morning, Japanese newspapers are available in car 2. Original Seven Stars coffee. Caramel, candy, etc. After breakfast, I take a rest in the room. We have tea time in the car 1 from 10:00am. The piano is played by the same person as last night. Seven Stars original coffee. I add sugar and milk and enjoy it. Ajimu raisin sandwich. The train stopped at Akune Station (Kagoshima Prefecture) from 10:34am for about an hour and a half. The train has already entered Kagoshima Prefecture. Here we can slowly take a look at the body of the Seven Stars. Let’s take a look at Akune Station. The Akune Station building was designed by Eiji Mitooka, the designer of Seven Stars in Kyushu. There is a library, a restaurant, a ticket office, and more. The beef sukiyaki burger looks delicious. The station building is not very large. Seven Stars art is displayed on the walls. The station building was burned down in the 1945 Akune air raid by the US military. This is a good spot for taking photos. Let’s go back inside the car. From 11:30am, we have a “Satsuma French” lunch in car 1 by a manor house in Kagoshima. Marinated Okuhyuga salmon and Miyazaki caviar. Honey lemon drink. Shibushi Satoyama beef bresaola and vegetables from Tomotaka Farm. Foie gras foam. Beet soup from Tomotaka Farm. Herb-grilled Canadian lobster. Hot dog style. Shibushi Strawberry cocktail. Condensed milk sorbet. Seven Stars original tea. Announcements are made in both Japanese and English. At 1:27 pm, we arrive at Ijuin Station in Kagoshima Prefecture. We board the Seven Stars bus. The bus’s color is the same as the train. We get on the bus. The bus has 28 seats, with a 2-2 seating arrangement. Unique interior. There is a toilet and a locker at the back. Inside the toilet. It’s spacious for a toilet inside a bus. There are some decorations on the wall. The toilet is comfortable to use. The interior of the bus was also designed by Mr. Mitooka, the designer of the Seven Stars. The windows have the same blinds as the trains. There are lights and air conditioning above. The ceiling design is intricate. It’s a wonderful bus. We depart from Ijuin Station. There is a bronze statue of Shimazu Yoshihiro, a military commander of Satsuma Province, in front of the station. Drink holder and waste bag. Footrest. We are located near the edge of Kyushu. At 1:50pm, we visit Chin Jukan Kiln, a Satsuma ware kiln. White Satsuma ware. At the museum, we can see the history of Satsuma ware. We can see how Satsuma ware has changed over time. To make Satsuma ware, it is fired in a kiln at 750 to 850 degrees for about 15 to 16 hours. How Satsuma ware is made. The process of putting a pattern on Satsuma ware. We go to the cafe at Chin Jukan Kiln. We have local black tea. Koremochi a Kagoshima candy. There is also a shop. We can buy Satsuma ware pottery. A rhinoceros beetle figurine. It’s so realistic. Finally, we received souvenirs. We hadn’t really looked at the exterior of the bus, so we’ll take a look. Just like the train, we can see the words “CRUISE TRAIN” and “SEVEN STARS”. There are a lot of “SEVEN STARS” words. We depart at 3:30 pm. It takes about an hour to get to onsen ryokans (Japanese style inns) in Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. After this, we split into two groups and stay at different onsen ryokans (Japanese style inns) . One is “Wasure no Sato Gajoen”. The other is “Myoken Ishiharaso”. Myoken Ishiharaso is a long-established ryokan founded in 1966. It is a popular onsen ryokan among Japanese onsen ryokan enthusiasts. Despite being an old ryokan, both the exterior and interior are beautiful. This is one of the designated ryokans for the Seven Stars Kirishima Course (4-day trip). This ryokan won the 2025 Grand Prix at the Fujingaho Onsen Ryokan Awards. The main building where I am staying now is four stories tall and has 14 rooms. In 2023, four of the 14 rooms in the main building were renovated. This time, I will be staying in Ouni, one of the renovated rooms. According to the website, the room costs ¥144,000 JPY (about $1,000 US dollars) per night. This time, it is included in the price of the Seven Stars. The size is 72 square meters (775 square feet). Welcome sweets, and Kagoshima Chiran tea. Large storage space. Haori (Japanese cardigan). Yukata and tabi. Undressing basket. The living room is large, but on this day, I will not be eating in the room. The view from the window. Beautiful view. In front of me is another ryokan, Wasure no sato Gajoen. Nearby is the Amorigawa River. Kitchen and minibar. Tea set. Drinks in the refrigerator are free. Local tea and black tea are available. Since the room has just been renovated, the toilet facilities are up to date. There is a desk. There are plenty of outlets and USB ports. The tablet is available in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. The bedroom has a Hollywood twin bed. A pillow and mattress of normal hardness. The bedside table has an outlet and a USB port. A clock from the British brand NEWGATE. A TV with various apps. There is an open-air bath outside. I’m looking forward to bath time. A twin sink wash basin. Original towels from the ryokan. A hair dryer with Re・De written on it. Made in Japan. A face wash with OSAJI written on it. Made in Japan. A facial toner with Waphyto written on it. This is also made in Japan. Amenities. A shower room. There is no rain shower, only a hand shower. Shampoo, conditioner, and body soap made in Japan. It has a steam sauna function. Let’s take a look at the open-air bath, which is fed directly from the source. The spring quality is sodium, calcium, and magnesium bicarbonate spring water, with a pH of 6.4. The view is great, so it’s great. Let’s take a look at the ryokan information. There is a mixed-gender open-air bath, which I didn’t go to this time. I’ll take a walk around the ryokan grounds a bit. The flow of the river is amazing. There is a foot bath here. We can relax in the foot bath while listening to the murmuring of the river. This is the passageway that leads to the building with the large public bath. We can drink the onsen water. This is where the shochu is heated. We can eat marshmallows as much as we like. Lounge after bath. We can drink fruit tea as much as we like. A coffee machine and water are provided. We can eat ice cream as much as we like. This is a long-established ryokan, but I like the fact that they actively adopt new things. There is a terrace seat outside. There are separate large public baths for men and women. Inside the large public bath. I will have dinner in the stone storehouse (new building) that opened in 2007. Go to the first basement floor. A poster of the Seven Stars. There seem to be four guest rooms in this stone storehouse (new building). 6 pm. The dining area is a semi-private room. It has a nice atmosphere with a river view. Food and drink menu. Sake as an aperitif. Sake in a bamboo. Stylish. A mix of spring greens. Black Satsuma chicken and spring vegetables. I ordered local plum wine. Amakusa-produced pomfret and sweet shrimp. Sea bream and dashi broth. Light taste. Sesame tofu, butterbur miso. Pickled tomatoes. Char-grilled grouper. Octopus. Grilled clams with sea urchin. White eggplant and soy sauce. Warm shabu-shabu. Kagoshima-produced black-haired wagyu beef. Incredibly tender. Shiba shrimp and yuba rice. The Japanese food at Japanese ryokans is of high quality. Hojicha tea. Yomogi monaka ice cream. It says Ishiharaso. Warabi mochi. It was the best dinner. We will go to the private baths. There are two private baths. I walk down a dark road. This private bath is called Nanami no Yu. At night, it’s dark and I can’t see very well. I’ll bring you some footage I took the next morning here. I think you can see the river more clearly during the day. Towels are provided. There are no showers. The other is a private bath called Mutsumi no Yu. Undressing basket and water. It was too dark to see much of anything in the video. It looked a little fantastical at night with the naked eye. I returned to my room and took a bath in the open-air bath in my room. It’s easier to take a bath in the open-air bath in my room. Sleep. Day 3. Good morning. Naturally, I slept better in the bed at the ryokan than on the train. Onsen ryokans are a great way to soothe the fatigue of a train journey, so it’s a great idea to include one in our travel itinerary. The best view. It’s especially beautiful in the morning. As with the dinner the day before, breakfast is on the first basement floor. It’s a semi-private room, but I can hear other people’s voices quite a bit. Breakfast menu. Daikon radish pickled in miso. Umeboshi and kelp. Organic egg yolk pickled in soy sauce. Vegetable salad. Locally produced carrot juice. Sencha tea. Tofu made that morning. Shichimi oroshi and bonito flakes. Sugar-free dressing made with sweet sake and black vinegar. Grilled fish (sardines) and kamaboko. Rolled omelet. Miso soup. Isa rice, a brand of rice from Isa City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Seasonal fruits and Hyuga-natsu jelly. Yogurt and honey. After breakfast, we left the ryokan at 9:50am. Instead of the Seven Stars bus, we took a local bus. Beautiful scenery along the river. We head to Kareigawa Station in Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. The station building, built in 1903, is the oldest in the prefecture. The station building is registered as a national tangible cultural property. Until 2022, it was an unmanned station where express trains stop, which is rare in the country. Next is Kirishima Onsen Station. At 10:19am, the Seven Stars arrive at the platform. It seems that the Seven Stars were undergoing maintenance while the passengers were staying at the inn. At 10:24am, we departed from Kareigawa Station. We pass Kurino Station in Kagoshima Prefecture. The children see us off. The train entered Miyazaki Prefecture. Kyushu has beautiful nature. However, it is an area with a high risk of natural disasters. At 11:14am, we arrive at Ebino Station in Miyazaki Prefecture. We can get drinks here. It’s a sunny day so parasols are available for rental. It felt like a local station. There were about 80 passengers a day. On this day we will be riding the Seven Stars Bus again. On any given day you can choose to stay on board or take an excursion. You can also choose to relax on the bus without going sightseeing. I had a non-alcoholic cocktail called Maison Perrier Le Mojito. It was written in Arabic. We were given a choice of four excursions for the day. I chose the course to go to Miike lake in Miyazaki Prefecture. We arrive at Miike lake at 12:15pm. We go to the restaurant “Kamukura”. We have lunch here. Lunch is Nishimoro Hospitality Bento. Nishimoro is one of the counties in Miyazaki Prefecture. Chopsticks and spoon. It is a bento made with local ingredients. It looks like a small amount, but it is surprisingly filling. Pork soup. I got a soft serve ice cream. Miike lake is a nearly circular crater lake with a diameter of about 1 km and a circumference of 3.9 km. Miike was formed by a magma-water vapor eruption of the Kirishima volcanic group about 4,600 years ago. We board a small boat. The water is shallow around here, but the deepest part is said to be 93.5 m (306.7 feet). We put on life jackets and get on the boat. We depart. We ride the boat for about 25 minutes. We enjoy the beautiful scenery. There is a campsite and people are fishing. Over there, what a… There is a Buddha statue. I asked why it was there, but I forgot. There are more than 18 kinds of fish, including smelt, rainbow trout, and carp. This is the deepest part (93.5m /306.7 feet ). Over there we can see Kirishima Higashi Shrine. A volcano called Takachiho-no-mine. The boat experience at Oike was surprisingly fun. We left Miile lake at 1:10pm. We arrived at Takaharu Station in Miyazaki Prefecture at 1:30pm. This is also a local station with less than 100 passengers per day. We will board the Seven Stars at this station. The best thing about this train is that we can take a video of the Seven Stars entering the station. I was able to take a beautiful video. In the car2, there is Shimodozono Ginjo tea from Kagoshima Prefecture. Sweet potato tart from Kagoshima, and Japanese sweets from Akashiya. The best thing about this train is that the snacks and drinks in the car 2 change every day. We left Takaharu Station at 1:48pm. We didn’t have any plans until dinner at 6:30pm, so we relaxed on the train. The train heads to Oita Prefecture. There are people here and there who see us off. After about four hours, it’s 6 pm. We pass Miyazaki Station. I had some time in the car so I worked on my computer. I change into a suit for dinner at 6:30 pm. I’m looking forward to dinner on the train. Sunset. The sea area east of Miyazaki Prefecture (Hyuga Nada). Dinner starts at 6:30 pm. in car 1. Italian food by Miyazaki’s Italian restaurant “CERCA TROVA” is served. High-quality champagne Bollinger PN Brut. About $130 if we buy it outside. Kumquat. There’s meat inside. Peas. Kuroiwa Dodori chicken, Q nuts. Sakura tomatoes. White wine Kusuda Riesling 2023. About $55 if we buy it outside. Flatfish, prawns. The menu names are simple, but the dishes are elaborate. New onions, sea urchin. Sea urchin is delicious as expected. Here we have bread. Abalone and Shiitake mushrooms. The menu name is “Abalone and Shiitake mushrooms”, but it was actually pasta. Red wine 1987 Villard Fontaine Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Rouge Les Genevrières. Shiiba free-range pork. This is a dish made with free-range pork from Shiiba Village, Nagano Prefecture. Thick pork. Chocolate. It was a delicious dessert. Baked sweets after the meal Madeleines. Rich coffee. Because it is a high-end train, good wine was prepared. Bar time starts from 10pm. I order a drink. I order the Seven Stars original cocktail “Venus”. A mellow cocktail made with white wine, orange, and milk. I order the Chef’s recommendation. Sausage and cheese. I return to the room. When I return to the room… The bed was made just like on the first day. The shower room is comfortable. Maybe it’s good that the floor is made of wood. I take a shower and go to bed. Day 4. Today, we will return to the Hakata Station. The train is already in Oita Prefecture. At 6:47am, we arrive at Bungotaketa Station in Oita Prefecture. The station building has a splendid exterior. We move on a bus. It’s a local tourist bus. At 7:20am, we arrive at Murezuru Sake Brewery in Oita Prefecture. This is a sake brewery founded in 1906. Rice is being cooked. We will eat the cooked rice later. Apparently, when it first opened in 1906, it was a sake brewery. In 1984, they started producing shochu. They produce the authentic shochu “Murezuru”. Shochu such as Murezuru are lined up. Freshly cooked rice. We have breakfast. Hinohikari rice from Watada, Oita Prefecture. Chicken soup made with Oita’s branded local chicken “Toyo no Shamo”. Shochu. A healthy breakfast. I also eat the burnt rice. We depart at 8:50am. We stop at the roadside station Asaji in Oita. Asataro. A kappa character. Bungo beef beef rice seasoning. Kabosu and chicken tempura. I bought kabosu cider and manju. 9:20am. We go to Zenkoji Temple in Bungo-Ono City, Oita Prefecture. This is a temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect (one of the Japanese religions). There is a rock-carved Buddha that is said to have been carved during the Kamakura period (1185-1333). A rock-carved Buddha is a Buddha statue carved directly into a natural cliff or rock face. Over there is a Buddha statue. It is the largest rock-carved Buddha in Japan. We proceed to the Buddha statue. It is an amazing Buddha statue. Here we will experience meditation. The meditation method practiced in Shingon Buddhism is called “Ajikan”. We meditated for about 20 minutes in this position. In the back… A statue of Bishamonten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods. It is said to bring good luck in prayers for victory in battle and for wealth and prosperity. At 10:40am, we returned to Bungotaketa Station. There are “Hime Daruma” ornaments, a local specialty. There is a small waterfall called “Rakumon Falls.” It has a drop of about 40m. It is registered as a national monument. There is about an hour before departure. We can take a walk around the station, but I return to the train. We depart from Bungotaketaa Station at 11:39am. We have tea time in the car 1. The view from the window. We can enjoy the dynamic scenery from the train window. Ginjo-cha tea from Shimo Doho-no, Kagoshima Prefecture. Aoshima Senbei rice crackers, a representative snack of Miyazaki Prefecture. At 12:28pm, we arrived at Aso Station in Kumamoto Prefecture. There is a secret restaurant at Aso Station. It is a restaurant exclusively for passengers of the Seven Stars in Kyushu. It is called Mars. This restaurant opened in October 2013, at the same time as the Seven Stars began operation. Until now, it seems to have been used as a breakfast restaurant on the second day. On this day, it was used as a lunch restaurant on the fourth day. Lunch at Olmo Coppia, an organic restaurant near Aso Station. Aso red beef medicinal curry. Seven kinds of side dishes. Okuaso smoked trout salad. Homemade pudding. Homemade ginger. Homemade onion dressing. Rock chopstick rest. Apparently the chef found it. Aso local beer. Seven Stars original coffee. As it is an organic restaurant, it was a healthy lunch. This restaurant was also designed by Mr. Mitooka, the designer of Seven Stars. We can see the Seven Stars train from this window. Strolling around Aso Station. It is easy to take photos and videos of the Seven Stars from this crossing. There are no tall buildings around, so we can take beautiful photos of the Seven Stars train. Aso Station opened in 1918. The number of passengers per day is surprisingly small, about 180 people. Eiichiro Oda, the author of the popular manga “ONE PIECE”, is from Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. There is a statue of the character Usopp in the rotary in front of the station. This project was jointly carried out by Eiichiro Oda and “ONE PIECE” to support Kumamoto Prefecture, which was affected by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. There is a “KURO Stationmaster’s Office” on platform 1 of Aso Station. KURO is the character of the Kyushu Cross-Island Express Asoboy. In the Car 2, there are Aso Milk Manju. There are also Kumamon cookies available. I ordered Benicha Kagoshima Red. We departed from Aso Station at 2:11pm. I ordered a mini hamburger (slider burger). It was an easy size to eat. We enjoy the scenery. Next we head to Tateno Station in Kumamoto Prefecture. The train will switch back near Tateno Station. The train is due to change direction here. Inspection work was being carried out. The train’s direction of travel changed. After this, the crew performed a performance inside the train. It was a powerful performance. Getting ready to go home. Checking the things we got at Chin Jukan Kiln on the second day. A Satsuma ware plate. The Hita Geta sandal made on the first day. A farewell event will be held in the car 1 from 4:00pm. A screen will come down in front of the window of the car 1. A video of the 4-day journey is shown on the screen. A few minutes of video shows the passengers. I got ice cream from the crew. We can take home the ballpoint pens provided in the room. Final in-car announcement (Japanese). Conductor: “All the crew members look forward to seeing you again.” Conductor: “We hope that your trip on the Cruise Train Seven Stars in Kyushu will be the beginning of a new life for you.” Final in-car announcement (English). Conductor: “Hello, passengers. Thank you for boarding the Cruise Train Seven Stars in Kyushu.” Conductor: “We will arrive at our final destination, Hakata Station, in 10 minutes.” Conductor: “We sincerely hope to see you again.” Conductor: “We hope that this journey will be the beginning of a new life.” We arrive at Hakata Station at 5:09 pm. After arrival, we are free to disperse. After arrival, we can use the Seven Stars Lounge for about 30 minutes. Inside the lounge, there are large painting and many small paintings. Drinks are available in the Seven Stars Lounge. Fly from Fukuoka to Tokyo/Haneda. Approximately one month later, passengers will receive a DVD or album delivered to their home as a memento of their trip. Thank you for watching.

Today, we will experience a 4-day trip on the world’s only 7-star train, Japan’s luxurious sleeper train “Seven Stars In Kyushu”.

■Train information
Train name: Seven Stars in Kyushu
Started operation: October 15, 2013
Operator: Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu)
Design: Eiji Mitooka
Vehicles: DF200 series diesel locomotive 77 series passenger cars
Gauge: 1,067 mm
Electrification: AC 20,000 V, 60 Hz
Maximum speed: 100 km/h (62.1 mph)
Train date: April 2025
Fare ¥1,870,000 / $13,100 (3 nights, 4 days course, 1 person)
Official website: https://www.cruisetrain-sevenstars.jp/english/

Seven Stars in Kyushu is a special cruise train operated by JR Kyushu. The train began operating on October 15, 2013, and its purpose is to travel around Kyushu and enjoy nature, food, hot springs, history, and more.

The train consists of seven cars, and the manufacturing cost was approximately 3 billion yen. In preparation for its 10th anniversary in 2022, some of the cars have been renovated. The number of rooms has been increased to 10, with a capacity of 20 people.

The train name represents the seven prefectures of Kyushu (Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima), the seven main tourist attractions of Kyushu (nature, food, hot springs, history and culture, power spots, human kindness, and trains), and the seven passenger cars.

As of spring 2017, the application ratio was about 22 times, and the most repeat passengers were 5 times, making it famous as a train that is difficult to reserve.

In 2014, it won the Brunel Award. In 2021, it won first place in the train category of the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2021 conducted by the American travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler. It also ranked first in 2022 and 2023, making it the world’s best for three consecutive years.

■Table of Contents
00:00 Intro
00:45 Day 1 Course
00:57 Seven Stars Lounge at Hakata Station
02:50 Boarding and Departure
04:52 Room Tour (Suite)
14:22 Lunch in Car 1 (Day 1)
19:22 Tea Room Experience (Day 1)
21:52 Hita Geta Clog Making Experience (Day 1)
22:46 Exploring the Train – Cars 2 to 7
29:52 Formal Dinner (Day 1)
33:30 Bar Time (Day 1)
34:26 Bed and Amenities (Day 1)
36:23 Day 2 Course and Breakfast (Day 2)
38:26 Tea Time (Day 2)
40:16 Lunch (Day 2)
41:23 Seven Stars Bus
43:30 Excursion Kagoshima’s Satsuma Pottery Kilns (Day 2)
45:42 Onsen Ryokan in Kirishima, Kagoshima (Day 2)
53:16 Dinner at the Ryokan (Day 2)
57:46 Day 3 course and breakfast at the Ryokan (Day 3)
1:00:00 Boarding the Seven Stars at Kareigawa Station (Day 3)
1:01:40 Excursion in Oike, Miyazaki Prefecture (Day 3)
1:05:47 Boarding the Seven Stars at Takahara Station (Day 3)
1:07:37 Formal dinner (Day 3)
1:10:16 Bar time (Day 3)
1:11:35 Day 4 course
1:12:20 Breakfast at a sake brewery in Oita (Day 4)
1:14:29 Meditation experience at Zenkoji Temple in Oita (Day 4)
1:16:43 Tea time (Day 4)
1:17:22 Lunch at the Seven Stars restaurant at Aso Station, Kumamoto (Day 4)
1:21:01 Departing from Aso Station (Day 4)
1:22:35 Farewell event (Day 4)
1:23:16 Final in-car announcements and arrival (Day 4)
1:24:54 Album sent one month later

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