We’d planned the day around this train. From the TOTO Museum, a slow local train took us back to Kokura, and there it was.
The Pink Shinkansen
The Hello Kitty Shinkansen is a 500 series Kodama, the old pointy one, painted pink and white with ribbons along the side. Car 1 has a Hello Kitty display room with a photo spot, and the rest is a normal Kodama, so the JR Pass covers it. Minmin was very happy.
Beef Sushi
After a rest at the hotel, dinner was beef sushi, slices of seared wagyu on rice, with a cocktail and cake at a café after.
Nakasu at Night
Then a walk to Nakasu, Fukuoka’s nightlife island, between two rivers. The neon signs reflect on the water, and the yatai food stalls set up along the river every evening. We saved those for another night.
Tomorrow: the new Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen to Nagasaki.
Information About the Hello Kitty Shinkansen
A pink 500 series Kodama on the San'yo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, with a Hello Kitty display room and photo spot in car 1.
PS: It runs only about once a day each way, so check the timetable on JR West's site and plan around it. It's an ordinary Kodama, so the JR Pass covers it.