KUALA LUMPUR - Kagoshima Prefecture has announced a plan to fully subsidize one-way fares on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Hakata Station and Kagoshima-Chuo Station exclusively for foreign tourists in a bid to boost inbound travel.

The initiative was included in the prefecture’s initial fiscal 2026 general budget proposal.

Governor Koichi Shiota said during a policy speech at the prefectural assembly session that opened on February 20 that the program is expected to attract around 20,000 foreign visitors and generate approximately 1.7 billion yen in tourism spending within the prefecture.

The number of foreign overnight guests in Kagoshima has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, while international scheduled flights at Kagoshima Airport have been repeatedly suspended.

The prefecture has allocated about 270 million yen for the subsidy and related promotional measures.

Eligible travelers must stay at least one night at accommodation facilities within the prefecture. 

The subsidy will target inbound visitors from regions with direct flights to Kagoshima Airport in Kirishima City, as well as markets the prefecture identifies as promising, covering the full one-way fare from Hakata to Kagoshima-Chuo.

The plan has drawn more than 170 public comments, most of them critical, with concerns such as ‘unfair’ and ‘preferential treatment for foreigners,’ according to the prefecture.

Shiota defended the measure, saying it would enhance the tourism industry's earning power.

Spending per trip by foreign travelers averages nearly 86,000 yen, significantly higher than the roughly 30,000 yen spent by Japanese overnight guests, underscoring what the governor described as the program’s substantial economic impact.