Fukuoka: Milky Way Illuminates Bus Ceilings in Northern Kyushu Region

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:56 JST, September 20, 2025

SOEDA, Fukuoka — Passengers can look up and enjoy the Milky Way even during the day — providing they’re riding one of the special buses in the mountainous areas of the northern Kyushu region.

In August, Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) launched a special bus service to celebrate the second anniversary of the Hikoboshi Line’s launch. The 40-kilometer-long line is part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and connects Soeda, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Hita, Oita Prefecture.

Special sheets cover the ceilings of the buses, allowing illustrations of stars and cityscapes to appear when illuminated by black light as the buses enter an about 4-kilometer-long tunnel between Fukakura Station in Soeda and Chikuzen-Iwaya Station in Toho, Fukuoka Prefecture.

The Hikoboshi Line primarily covers a section of the JR Hitahikosan Line ravaged by torrential rain that hit northern Kyushu in July 2017. The stretch was restored in the form of the BRT in August 2023, taking the place of the railway. Buses run along 14 kilometers of dedicated roads and public routes, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes to travel between Soeda and Hita.

The special bus service will be available through the end of November. The daily service comprises five outbound and inbound trips, and the schedule is available on the JR Kyushu website.