Saga: Hot Springs Area in Japan Thriving as Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Marks 3rd Year Since Opening

By Ken Nakao / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:09 JST, October 25, 2025

SAGA — The Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen, which opened on Sept. 23, 2022, has boosted the local economy along the 66-kilometer line between Takeo-Onsen and Nagasaki stations.

In particular, Ureshino, Saga Prefecture, has seen remarkable development, with the construction of the first train station in 90 years, Ureshino-Onsen Station. The city, which is famous for its hot springs and Ureshino-brand tea, and the surrounding hot spring areas have seen a surge in investments, such as for the renovation of inns and the construction of residential buildings.

On the afternoon of Sept. 13, I visited the Uchiroji inn in the Ureshino hot spring area. There, I saw Ureshino-brand tea and Hizen Yoshida-yaki ceramic ware products being sold at a souvenir section located on the first floor of the newly constructed inn. There was also a cafe, which seemed popular among tourists.

The inn, which opened in November 2023, is operated by the long-established Yoshidaya inn in the city.

Seizing the opportunity presented by the Shinkansen station opening, Yoshidaya decided to open a new accommodation facility. The company purchased a local inn, which had closed. The new inn, which has 39 guest rooms, was constructed on the site of the closed inn.

Yoshidaya also bought another inn to open another new inn in June 2023. The original inn’s building is still operating while partial renovations are underway. Yoshidaya plans to eventually renovate the entire building. It also intends to expand its aesthetic treatment business.

“We have increased our investment in our facilities, and it has broadened our customer base,” said Yoshidaya’s executive director Rumi Soejima. “All three inns are doing well, with occupancy rates at more than 80%. We’ll keep investing to contribute to the revitalization of Ureshino.”

Other inns are also investing in improving their facilities.

Taishoya inn renovated its large bath area and guest rooms. Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, 53, the vice president of Taishoya inn, said the number of guests from the Kanto and Kansai regions and overseas has increased by 50%-100% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

“Previously, most of our guests traveled by car from Fukuoka Prefecture to Nagasaki Prefecture,” Yamaguchi said. “Recently, many of our guests tour Nagasaki and Ureshino by Shinkansen.”

Business loans from the Bank of Saga’s Ureshino Branch totaled ¥6.3 billion as of April 2022, which was before the Shinkansen line opened. As of April 2025, the figure had grown to ¥6.9 billion.

The increase is only ¥600 million, but this is due to the overlapping of repayment periods for loans provided by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. The branch thinks the Shinkansen’s opening has had more of an impact than what the numbers suggest.

The Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen

The Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen line has five stations. According to Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu), the Shinkansen has had about 7,581,000 passengers since the line opened. It is currently not connected with other Shinkansen lines as there has been no construction for the section between the line’s Takeo-Onsen Station and the Kyushu Shinkansen line’s Shin-Tosu Station. Nevertheless, the fastest travel time between Hakata and Nagasaki stations is now one hour and 20 minutes, about 30 minutes quicker than before, by riding the Relay Kamome limited express service.

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