The Nagasaki Main Line is a major railway running through the northwest part of Kyushu Island in southern Japan. Operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu), the line connects Tosu Station in Saga Prefecture, about 25 km south of Fukuoka City’s Hakata Station, with Nagasaki Station in Nagasaki Prefecture. Part of the line is also used by limited express trains bound for the Dutch theme park Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo, Nagasaki.
A former Kamome limited express train for Nagasaki at Hakata Station
The Nagasaki Main Line is 148.8 km long and runs roughly northeast to southwest, hugging the coast of Saga and Nagasaki prefectures along the Ariake Sea. The line does not go to Hakata Station itself, so travelers from Hakata need to think in terms of through services rather than a single local line.
For Huis Ten Bosch, direct limited express Huis Ten Bosch trains run from Hakata. For Nagasaki, take the Relay Kamome limited express from Hakata to Takeo-Onsen, then transfer to the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Kamome for Nagasaki. If you are using a JR Kyushu Rail Pass, the All Kyushu and Northern Kyushu area passes cover Relay Kamome, the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Kamome, and Huis Ten Bosch services within their areas. The Southern Kyushu pass does not cover these northern Kyushu routes.
Interior of a former Hakata to Nagasaki Kamome limited express train
The Kamome name is still used for Nagasaki travel, but now on the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen section between Takeo-Onsen and Nagasaki. Passengers from Hakata transfer at Takeo-Onsen, where JR Kyushu sets up the connection on the same platform area, but you still need to change trains.
Key Destinations
Huis Ten Bosch
Huis Ten Bosch (“House in the Woods”) is a theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, that recreates the look of a Netherlands-inspired townscape, complete with windmills, canals and tulips. Especially popular with visitors from East Asia and all over Japan, Huis Ten Bosch has a wide variety of attractions including museums, amusement rides, boat rides, seasonal exhibitions and events.
Huis Ten Bosch is a large theme park built around a Netherlands-inspired townscape
The park also has a full-size replica of the Dutch ship De Liefde, which in 1600 brought the English navigator William Adams, featured in James Clavell’s novel Shogun, to Japan.
Henn na Hotel Huis Ten Bosch opened here in 2015, and the property became Hotel Rotterdam in October 2023.
JR Huis Ten Bosch Station is served by Huis Ten Bosch limited express trains from Hakata, and the park entrance is a short walk from the station.
Huis Ten Bosch limited express train at Hakata Station
Huis Ten Bosch limited express trains operate coupled with Midori trains for part of the route and separate at Haiki. Make sure you are in a Huis Ten Bosch car, not a Midori car bound for Sasebo. Some Huis Ten Bosch services do not operate on certain days, so confirm the current timetable before setting out.
Train fare: about 4,750 yen reserved
Train time: about 1 hour 43 minutes by direct limited express
Nagasaki
Nagasaki City, with a population of about 380,000, is rich in history. During much of Japan’s self-imposed seclusion under samurai rule, Nagasaki was the country’s main officially controlled port for foreign trade, before Japan reopened in the mid-19th century. Nagasaki is known outside Japan as the second city to suffer an atomic bombing after Hiroshima in 1945.
The 10-meter-tall Peace Statue by Seibo Kitamura dominates Nagasaki’s Peace Park, seen here during a memorial ceremony
Rebuilt and revitalized after the war, today it is a laid-back town with a bustling Chinatown, bayside area and shipbuilding facilities. Attractions include the Nagasaki Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum, Glover Garden, a 19th-century home and garden reminiscent of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly opera, Urakami Cathedral and other churches built by the Christian community, Mt. Inasa, offering views of the city, and the offshore island of Gunkanjima, a former coal mine. If you love urban hiking, Nagasaki also has plenty of hills to work your leg muscles.
From Hakata, travel to Nagasaki is via Relay Kamome to Takeo-Onsen, followed by the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Kamome to Nagasaki. The transfer at Takeo-Onsen is part of the standard route.
Train fare: 6,490 yen reserved, or 4,500 yen with the Kamome Net Kippu
Train time: about 1 hour 35 minutes via Relay Kamome and the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Kamome
Article by Tim Hornyak. All rights reserved. Last updated 25-Jul-2026.
