Day 1: Fukuoka
After arrival transfer to your hotel for check-in. Depending on your arrival time you make take a walking sightseeing visiting Tochoji temple, Kushida shrine, Hakata Machiya Folk Museum, Kawabata shopping street is a 1,300 feet traditional shopping arcade and Hakata Hyakunengura (Ishikura Brewery) is the only local sake brewery in Hakata. Dinner at the hotel. [D]
Note: This tour will be customized based on your time availability
Day 2: Hakata, Mojiko, Beppu, Aso
Morning transfer for your welcome ceremony at Hakata Station starts at 10:30 am. At 11: 00 am begin on a journey replete with history and adventure! Our first destination is Mojiko (Moji Port), where Kyushu’s first railway company was established at the northern tip of Fukuoka Prefecture. From there, passengers will get to know local craft from Kunisaki, Oita, all to experience a day filled with history and romance of travel. In Mojiko take an optional station tour. On board you may participate in a Shichiloi craft experience. Your train continues south towards Otta and Aso. [L/D]
Palate treats of the day:
Yamanaka
Since its opening in 1972, Yamanaka has been frequented by food connoisseurs from all over Japan as the go-to place for Hakata-style sushi. Guests on board the Seven Stars will be served a luxurious time and atmosphere with sushi topped with seafood from the Genkai Sea and other local bodies of water, freshly made by the highly skilled chef of this establishment.
Housun
This hideout restaurant that serves Japanese fusion cuisine is located in a quiet corner in downtown Oita City. From the dishware to the presentation, each plate is prepared with care. These delicious meals, filled with the delights of Oita that express the region’s landscape and passage of the seasons, will satisfy even the heart. Relish the beautiful and exquisite lunch made by the only female chef on the Seven Stars.
Day 3: Aso, Yufuin
Enjoy Kyushu’s Great Outdoors! When morning arrives, you will find that the train has arrived at Aso Station, which is located near one of the world’s largest calderas. After you take in the vast nature, we will head towards Yufuin, a Kyushu’s leading onsen (hot spring) resort. Early-morning excursion to Kusasenri to explore one of the world’s biggest and most beautiful volcanic calderas. When conditions are safe stand on the edge of the active crater of Nakadake Volcano and take a look inside. Free time at the Kusasenri plateau on top of Mount Aso. See Komezuka – Mount Aso’s youngest and most perfectly formed mini volcano. Plenty of photo stops for scenic views of Mount Aso and the northern and southern parts of the Aso caldera. Return to the train for lunch and continuation of your trip to Yufuin. On arrival you’ll be transferred by bus to your “ryokan” for dinner and overnight. [B/L/D]
Palate treats of the day:
Restaurant Kasei Olmo Coppia
Located near Aso Station, Olmo Coppia is a restaurant in a traditional, 160-year-old storage house and serves hearty organic meals that are good for both body and soul. At Kasei, the Cruise Train restaurant in Aso Station, the chef will serve dishes that are made from pesticide-free vegetables harvested in his own farm as well as open field gardens in Southern Aso. Savor the heartwarming meals that are made from scratch, using safe, organic ingredients.
Otto e Sette Oita
The chef from this Italian restaurant focuses on using ingredients from the Oita area, and local cooking methods, such as hot spring vapor steamed dishes from Kannawa, Beppu. Enjoy an Italian cuisine lunch made with local ingredients and techniques, only possible he
Day 4: Yufuin, Kagoshima (Chuo)
Visit Graciously Alluring Southern Kyushu! In the latter half of the journey, explore the food, nature, history, and culture of Southern Kyushu, where you can feel as though you have been transported to a tropical island! The Nippo Main Line runs along the East coast of Kyushu, and guests can enjoy spectacular views of the Hyuga-nada Sea, alongside Miyazaki Prefecture. The sight of the sunrise reflecting against the water is a sight only Seven Stars guests can enjoy as their morning begins. Take your breakfast at Kasei restaurant. Through the windows of the Seven Stars passengers are sure to enjoy the views of the beautiful landscape. The earth here has been cleansed through the pure white ash from the magnificent Mt. Sakurajima. Kirishima is said to be where the gods first descended to land. Kinko bay is also a spectacular sight. “Wasurenosato Gajoen” offers traditional rural hospitality in a nostalgic setting. “Tenku no Mori” is like an uninhabited island under the boundless sky. Surrounded by nature, here one can truly free your senses, and reset both body and psyche. Through this journey you may discover a new self, a new world, and a new future that you have not encountered before. This afternoon transfer to the airport to board your flight back home. [B/L/D]
Palate treats of the day:
Wakaeya
Founded in 1698, Wakaeya is a long-established, traditional Japanese restaurant in Kitsuki City, Oita Prefecture, with a history that goes back more than 300 years. The sesame sauce has been handed down in the family over generations since the local lord of Kitsuki ate their sea bream chazuke (rice with tea). The secret behind the flavor of this famed dish, this sauce is called Ureshino, after the fact that the lord had commented, "Ureshiinoo... (How delightful this is!)," upon eating this chazuke. Taste the new but somehow nostalgic, unchanging flavor that has something in common with the Seven Stars.
Manor House Shimadu Shigetomisoh
The manor house was renovated in 2006 after 160 years. It was originally built as a villa for Hisamitsu Shimazu (alternatively spelled "Shimadu"), head of the Shigetomi-Shimazu family, which belonged to the prosperous and powerful Satsuma clan. Bygone days and the modern era blend into one other in this space. The head chef of the French restaurant Automne on the premises selects farm-fresh ingredients, which are delivered directly from contract farmers to guarantee origins and producers. On the final night of your trip on the Seven Stars, the hospitable chef will serve gentle yet deeply flavorful, made-in-Satsuma French cuisine that fills the senses.
Day 5: Kagoshima, Okoba, Hitoyoshi, Hakata
Savor the Charms of the Railroad Trip! On the final day of your journey, take in some of the best sights that can only be experienced by traveling on the Cruise Train, which heads back to Hakata Station along the Hisatsu Line that offers one of Japan’s top 3 sceneries viewed from the train window. On the final day of your journey, take in some of the best sights that can only be experienced by traveling on the Cruise Train, which heads back to Hakata Station along the Hisatsu Line that offers one of Japan’s top 3 sceneries viewed from the train window. Farwell event. [B/L]
Palate treats of the day:
Breakfast by the Head chef of Seven Stars
This is a Western cuisine course prepared by the Head chef of Seven Stars, featuring freshly picked vegetables and produce from around Kyushu. These freshly prepared dishes and original juice from Tsuno, Miyazaki, will surely serve as a great start to your day. Enjoy the passing views as you enjoy this specially prepared meal.
Hotel & Ryokan Ayunosato
Enjoy the Japanese-Western lunch prepared by the chef of this long-standing traditional inn at Hitoyoshi Onsen (hot spring). The establishment is located on the bank of Kuma River, which is one of Japan’s 3 most rapid waterways, and across from the remains of Hitoyoshi Castle. This region of Hitoyoshi is a treasure trove of food from both river and mountain; you will be served a beautifully presented meal cooked with seasonal ingredients that have been nurtured in the abundant, surrounding nature. Savor Hitoyoshi’s dishes that befit the closing of your journey on the Seven Stars.
[D] = Dinner | [B/L] = Breakfast and Lunch | [L/D] = Lunch and Dinner | [B/L/D] = Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner