[ Driving Japan ] At the end of summer, I went to see fireworks in the town farthest from Tokyo.
Driving Japan
5,242 views
東京から鹿児島まで。
東京 名古屋 京都 大阪 神戸 岡山 広島 下関 博多 熊本 鹿児島 桜島
Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Shimonoseki, Hakata, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Sakurajima
Japan consists primarily of four large islands (along with numerous smaller ones), and its southern region is known as Kyushu.
Until about 40 years ago, many overnight trains operated between Tokyo and various cities in Kyushu. Known for their distinctive blue passenger cars, they were affectionately nicknamed "Blue Trains."
Even after the Shinkansen (bullet train) began service, demand for the Blue Trains remained strong, with five round-trip services running daily. Among them, the "Fuji" service bound for Nishi-Kagoshima Station (now Kagoshima-Chuo Station) was the longest-running train in Japan, with a journey time spanning a full 24 hours.
I am still a railway enthusiast today, but as a child, I loved heading to Tokyo Station early on Sunday mornings—rice balls prepared by my mother the night before in hand—to photograph the arriving Blue Trains.
思い出の国鉄（寝台特急 富士）
寝台特急さくら号ドキュメント 食堂車車内販売の様子 Japanese express...
Start date and time 2026/Aug/29 Sat 3:06 am.
00:00:00 (35°40'51.7"N 139°45'56.1"E) Tokyo Station.
00:03:55 (35°40'30.5"N 139°45'45.1"E) Yurakucho Station.
00:09:39 (35°40'24.4"N 139°44'50.9"E) Kasumigaseki Entrance.
00:10:35 (35°40'04.0"N 139°44'23.2"E).
00:19:41 (35°37'35.3"N 139°37'49.1"E) Yoga Exit.
The Shuto Expressway ends here.
Beyond this point is the Tomei Expressway.
00:24:06 (35°35'41.2"N 139°34'26.8"E) Tomei Expressway Tokyo Toll Gate.
01:12:54 (35°16'06.2"N 138°54'52.8"E) Gotemba Junction.
01:48:44 (35°02'48.8"N 138°29'20.2"E) Shimizu Junction.
03:22:01 (35°01'04.5"N 137°09'10.5"E) Toyota Junction.
You will transfer from the Tomei Expressway to the Isewangan Expressway.
03:34:03 (35°02'51.0"N 136°56'56.3"E) Nagoya-Minami Junction.
The road on the left is the Nagoya Expressway, heading toward the center of Nagoya.
https://www.nagoya-info.jp/spot/
03:53:40 (35°02'12.8"N 136°37'53.2"E)Yokkaichi Junction.
From this point, the name of the expressway changes to the Shin-Meishin Expressway.
04:37:23 (34°58'42.9"N 135°57'39.1"E) Kusatsu Junction.
04:53:04 (34°57'19.1"N 135°44'57.4"E) Kyoto-Minami Exit.
Kyoto is a famous city, but it has many cultural heritage sites and no urban expressways.
https://event.jreast.co.jp/pages/spot...
05:03:25 (36°53'33.2"N 136°45'56.7"E) Takatsuki Junction.
If you go straight along the road on the right, you will find the Hanshin Expressway, which leads to central Osaka.
Just like Tokyo's Shuto Expressway, the Hanshin Expressway attracts car enthusiasts.
大阪のPAは環状族でいっぱいそして素晴らしい車たち‼︎関西のシビックは一番‼︎ ...
https://www.tourist-guide.net/osaka/
05:31:52 (34°51'04.0"N 135°13'45.7"E) Kobe Junction.
From this point, the name of the expressway changes to the Sanyo Expressway.
Kobe is a beautiful port city, similar to Yokohama, where Western-style buildings still remain.
https://kobe-dmo.jp
05:41:52 (34°48'50.6"N 135°04'41.0"E) Miki Junction.
06:02:50 (34°48'50.6"N 135°04'41.0"E) Sanyo Himeji-higashi Exit.
It is the city with the most beautiful castle in Japan.
https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/castle/
06:56:26 (34°42'09.2"N 133°53'17.5"E) Okayama Exit.
https://www.okayama-kanko.jp/feature/...
07:43:28 (34°27'45.3"N 133°10'43.8"E) Onomichi Exit.
Famous as a filming location for Japanese movies, Onomichi is an unpretentious, old-fashioned, and charmingly simple port town that puts you at ease.
https://nihonisan-onomichi.jp
08:28:17 (34°27'56.3"N 132°28'52.0"E) Hiroshima Exit.
Hiroshima is a city that yearns for peace above all else, holding a Peace Memorial Ceremony every year.
https://dive-hiroshima.com/feature/spot/
10:30:22 (33°57'47.7"N 130°57'13.7"E) Dannoura Parking Area.
This is the Kanmon Bridge, located just ahead and connecting to Kyushu.
Only the expressway crosses via the bridge; local roads and railway lines use tunnels.
https://yamaguchi-tourism.jp/spot/det...
11:19:47 (33°44'16.4"N 130°31'10.4"E) Koga Service Area.
11:27:36 (33°37'54.5"N 130°29'26.0"E) Fukuoka Exit.
Hakata Station is a terminus located a five-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo.
It is a fun town where everything is packed into a compact area.
https://yokanavi.com/spots
11:49:03 (33°24'11.3"N 130°32'17.7"E) Tosu Junction.
12:33:39 (32°50'11.2"N 130°46'41.6"E) Kumamoto Exit
13:00:26 (32°30'20.9"N 130°38'46.9"E) Yatsushiro Junction.
13:38:12 (32°02'07.6"N 130°47'55.6"E) Ebino Junction.
14:09:17 (31°43'41.5"N 130°35'27.0"E) Aira Exit.
14:18:07 (31°42'12.0"N 130°36'41.0"E).
Turn right and drive along National Route 10.
14:33:29 (31°36'53.2"N 130°34'30.4"E).
Sakurajima is a highly active volcano that erupts powerfully several times a year.
2026年5月8日 16:15 桜島 爆発的噴火 3500ｍ / Sakurajim...
14:43:09 (31°36'04.2"N 130°33'45.9"E) Kagoshima Station.
15:01:07 (31°35'00.3"N 130°32'34.7"E) Kagoshima-Chuo Station.
15:27:00 (31°36'41.1"N 130°34'30.1"E).
We will watch the fireworks from here.
9 Comments
[ Driving Japan ] At the end of summer, I went to see fireworks in the town farthest from Tokyo.
Driving Japan
5,242 views
東京から鹿児島まで。
東京 名古屋 京都 大阪 神戸 岡山 広島 下関 博多 熊本 鹿児島 桜島
Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Shimonoseki, Hakata, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Sakurajima
Japan consists primarily of four large islands (along with numerous smaller ones), and its southern region is known as Kyushu.
Until about 40 years ago, many overnight trains operated between Tokyo and various cities in Kyushu. Known for their distinctive blue passenger cars, they were affectionately nicknamed "Blue Trains."
Even after the Shinkansen (bullet train) began service, demand for the Blue Trains remained strong, with five round-trip services running daily. Among them, the "Fuji" service bound for Nishi-Kagoshima Station (now Kagoshima-Chuo Station) was the longest-running train in Japan, with a journey time spanning a full 24 hours.
I am still a railway enthusiast today, but as a child, I loved heading to Tokyo Station early on Sunday mornings—rice balls prepared by my mother the night before in hand—to photograph the arriving Blue Trains.
思い出の国鉄（寝台特急 富士）
寝台特急さくら号ドキュメント 食堂車車内販売の様子 Japanese express...
Start date and time 2026/Aug/29 Sat 3:06 am.
00:00:00 (35°40'51.7"N 139°45'56.1"E) Tokyo Station.
00:03:55 (35°40'30.5"N 139°45'45.1"E) Yurakucho Station.
00:09:39 (35°40'24.4"N 139°44'50.9"E) Kasumigaseki Entrance.
00:10:35 (35°40'04.0"N 139°44'23.2"E).
00:19:41 (35°37'35.3"N 139°37'49.1"E) Yoga Exit.
The Shuto Expressway ends here.
Beyond this point is the Tomei Expressway.
00:24:06 (35°35'41.2"N 139°34'26.8"E) Tomei Expressway Tokyo Toll Gate.
01:12:54 (35°16'06.2"N 138°54'52.8"E) Gotemba Junction.
01:48:44 (35°02'48.8"N 138°29'20.2"E) Shimizu Junction.
03:22:01 (35°01'04.5"N 137°09'10.5"E) Toyota Junction.
You will transfer from the Tomei Expressway to the Isewangan Expressway.
03:34:03 (35°02'51.0"N 136°56'56.3"E) Nagoya-Minami Junction.
The road on the left is the Nagoya Expressway, heading toward the center of Nagoya.
https://www.nagoya-info.jp/spot/
03:53:40 (35°02'12.8"N 136°37'53.2"E)Yokkaichi Junction.
From this point, the name of the expressway changes to the Shin-Meishin Expressway.
04:37:23 (34°58'42.9"N 135°57'39.1"E) Kusatsu Junction.
04:53:04 (34°57'19.1"N 135°44'57.4"E) Kyoto-Minami Exit.
Kyoto is a famous city, but it has many cultural heritage sites and no urban expressways.
https://event.jreast.co.jp/pages/spot...
05:03:25 (36°53'33.2"N 136°45'56.7"E) Takatsuki Junction.
If you go straight along the road on the right, you will find the Hanshin Expressway, which leads to central Osaka.
Just like Tokyo's Shuto Expressway, the Hanshin Expressway attracts car enthusiasts.
大阪のPAは環状族でいっぱいそして素晴らしい車たち‼︎関西のシビックは一番‼︎ ...
https://www.tourist-guide.net/osaka/
05:31:52 (34°51'04.0"N 135°13'45.7"E) Kobe Junction.
From this point, the name of the expressway changes to the Sanyo Expressway.
Kobe is a beautiful port city, similar to Yokohama, where Western-style buildings still remain.
https://kobe-dmo.jp
05:41:52 (34°48'50.6"N 135°04'41.0"E) Miki Junction.
06:02:50 (34°48'50.6"N 135°04'41.0"E) Sanyo Himeji-higashi Exit.
It is the city with the most beautiful castle in Japan.
https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/castle/
06:56:26 (34°42'09.2"N 133°53'17.5"E) Okayama Exit.
https://www.okayama-kanko.jp/feature/...
07:43:28 (34°27'45.3"N 133°10'43.8"E) Onomichi Exit.
Famous as a filming location for Japanese movies, Onomichi is an unpretentious, old-fashioned, and charmingly simple port town that puts you at ease.
https://nihonisan-onomichi.jp
08:28:17 (34°27'56.3"N 132°28'52.0"E) Hiroshima Exit.
Hiroshima is a city that yearns for peace above all else, holding a Peace Memorial Ceremony every year.
https://dive-hiroshima.com/feature/spot/
10:30:22 (33°57'47.7"N 130°57'13.7"E) Dannoura Parking Area.
This is the Kanmon Bridge, located just ahead and connecting to Kyushu.
Only the expressway crosses via the bridge; local roads and railway lines use tunnels.
https://yamaguchi-tourism.jp/spot/det...
11:19:47 (33°44'16.4"N 130°31'10.4"E) Koga Service Area.
11:27:36 (33°37'54.5"N 130°29'26.0"E) Fukuoka Exit.
Hakata Station is a terminus located a five-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo.
It is a fun town where everything is packed into a compact area.
https://yokanavi.com/spots
11:49:03 (33°24'11.3"N 130°32'17.7"E) Tosu Junction.
12:33:39 (32°50'11.2"N 130°46'41.6"E) Kumamoto Exit
13:00:26 (32°30'20.9"N 130°38'46.9"E) Yatsushiro Junction.
13:38:12 (32°02'07.6"N 130°47'55.6"E) Ebino Junction.
14:09:17 (31°43'41.5"N 130°35'27.0"E) Aira Exit.
14:18:07 (31°42'12.0"N 130°36'41.0"E).
Turn right and drive along National Route 10.
14:33:29 (31°36'53.2"N 130°34'30.4"E).
Sakurajima is a highly active volcano that erupts powerfully several times a year.
2026年5月8日 16:15 桜島 爆発的噴火 3500ｍ / Sakurajim...
14:43:09 (31°36'04.2"N 130°33'45.9"E) Kagoshima Station.
15:01:07 (31°35'00.3"N 130°32'34.7"E) Kagoshima-Chuo Station.
15:27:00 (31°36'41.1"N 130°34'30.1"E).
We will watch the fireworks from here.