Explore Southern Japan: Self-Launched

Land at Kansai Airport (KIX) and take the Nankai Airport Express train to Namba (~£5, 45 min) or the limousine bus to Namba OCAT (~£5.50). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Namba or Shinsekai. Spend the evening eating your way through Dotonbori — takoyaki, kushikatsu and okonomiyaki are the local specialities. Pick up your Japan Rail Pass exchange voucher (order online before you fly) and a Japanese SIM/eSIM.

🚌Nankai Airport Express KIX–Namba, ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or budget business hotel, Namba/Shinsekai (~£22/night)

• →Dotonbori street-food wander
• →Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku at night

Free morning in Osaka: Kuromon Market for breakfast, Osaka Castle grounds or the Umeda Sky Building. Mid-afternoon, activate your 7-day JR Pass at Osaka Station and ride the Sanyo Shinkansen to Okayama (~45 min, covered by pass). Okayama is a low-key base for Naoshima — a cheap station-area guesthouse is perfect. Optional: Korakuen Garden (~£2) and Okayama Castle.

🚌Shinkansen Osaka–Okayama, ~45 min (JR Pass)

🛏Station-area guesthouse or business hotel, Okayama (~£25/night)

• →Kuromon Ichiba Market
• →Osaka Castle park
• →Korakuen Garden (optional)

Train to Uno Port (~1 hr) then the ferry to Naoshima (~20 min, ~£3). Rent a bike (~£10) or use the town bus to reach the Benesse Art Site — buy the Benesse House Museum ticket (~£6) and hunt down Yayoi Kusama's yellow and red pumpkins. The Chichu Art Museum (book ahead, ~£12) is the highlight for many. Catch an evening ferry and train back to Okayama.

🚌JR train Okayama–Uno + ferry, ~£6 return

🛏Same Okayama guesthouse (~£25/night)

• →Naoshima ferry crossing
• →Benesse House Museum
• →Yayoi Kusama pumpkin photo stop
• →Chichu Art Museum (optional, pre-book)

A long rail day southwest to Kyushu: Shinkansen to Hakata/Fukuoka then limited express to Nagasaki (~4.5–5 hrs total, all on the JR Pass). Check into a guesthouse in the Chinatown/Shianbashi area. Evening: eat Chanpon or Sara Udon and take the Mt Inasa ropeway (~£8) for one of Japan's best night views.

🚌Shinkansen + limited express Okayama–Nagasaki (JR Pass)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, central Nagasaki (~£25/night)

• →Mt Inasa night view
• →Nagasaki Chinatown food crawl

Walk or take the tram (~£1.20/ride) to the Peace Park, Hypocentre Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum (~£3). Afternoon options: Glover Garden (~£4), Ōura Catholic Church (~£6), Dejima, or a boat trip to the UNESCO-listed ruins of Hashima 'Gunkanjima' island (book direct with a local operator, ~£25–35). Seafood dinner at a harbour-side izakaya.

🚌Nagasaki tram day pass, ~£3

🛏Same Nagasaki guesthouse (~£25/night)

• →Nagasaki Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Museum
• →Glover Garden
• →Hashima Island boat tour (optional)
• →Ōura Catholic Church

The long haul south: limited express to Kagoshima (~2 hrs), then the high-speed Toppy hydrofoil from Kagoshima Port to Miyanoura, Yakushima (~2 hrs, ~£45 one way — the one big cost not covered by the rail pass). Alternatively the slower car ferry (~4 hrs, ~£22). Settle into a minshuku or guesthouse and eat a local flying-fish dinner.

🚌JR limited express Nagasaki–Kagoshima + Toppy jetfoil, ~£50

🛏Yakushima minshuku/guesthouse, Miyanoura or Anbo (~£28/night)

• →Kagoshima harbour stopover
• →Yakushima ferry crossing

Take the public bus (~£6 return, or ~£2 with the island bus pass if staying multiple days) to Shiratani Unsuikyo gorge. Hike the Taikoiwa Rock loop (3–4 hrs) through the mossy ravine that inspired Princess Mononoke. If you're fit and up for a big day, continue to the Jōmon Sugi cedar on the Arakawa trail (10 hrs, early start). Bring rain gear — Yakushima sees rain 35 days a month.

🚌Public bus to Shiratani Unsuikyo, ~£6 return

🛏Same Yakushima minshuku (~£28/night)

• →Shiratani Unsuikyo gorge hike
• →Jōmon Sugi ancient cedar hike (optional, full day)

Choose your own adventure: hike the Yakusugi Land boardwalk trails, cycle the coast road, swim at Isso or Kurio beach, or soak in Hirauchi Kaichu Onsen — a seaside rock pool that fills with hot spring water at low tide (~£1). Check if your guesthouse will let you shower on day 9 morning as you'll be on an overnight ferry.

🚌Local bus or rental car share, ~£8

🛏Same Yakushima minshuku (~£28/night)

• →Yakusugi Land trail
• →Hirauchi seaside onsen
• →Coastal beach time

Morning jetfoil back to Kagoshima (~£45) — or the cheaper car ferry. Then take the Shinkansen to Osaka (~4 hrs, JR Pass) and board the evening Osaka–Kagoshima 'Sunflower' ferry from Osaka Nanko port for the return leg... note: the classic route is Kagoshima→Osaka, so if you booked that direction, board in Kagoshima and sail overnight across the Inland Sea. The ferry has a restaurant, public bath and dorm-style cabins (~£55–70 including a bunk bed in second class).

🚌Jetfoil Yakushima–Kagoshima ~£45 + overnight ferry Kagoshima–Osaka ~£65

🛏Overnight ferry, second-class multi-share

• →Ferry across the Inland Sea
• →Onboard sentō bath

Disembark in Osaka in the morning and take a JR special rapid train to Kyoto (~30 min, JR Pass). Check into a hostel or guesthouse near Kyoto Station or Gion. Spend the afternoon on a self-guided walk: Fushimi Inari's torii gates (free), Kiyomizu-dera (~£2), and the Gion lanes at dusk. Optional Zen gardens: Ryōan-ji (~£2.50) and Kinkaku-ji (~£2.50).

🚌JR Osaka–Kyoto special rapid (JR Pass)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Kyoto (~£28/night)

• →Fushimi Inari shrine walk
• →Kiyomizu-dera
• →Gion evening stroll
• →Ryōan-ji / Kinkaku-ji (optional)

Last-morning options: Nishiki Market breakfast, a walk along the Philosopher's Path, or Arashiyama bamboo grove if you're on a later flight. Take the Haruka limited express direct from Kyoto Station to Kansai Airport (~75 min, covered by JR Pass if still valid) or the cheaper JR Special Rapid + Nankai connection (~£15).

🚌JR Haruka Kyoto–KIX, ~£15

🛏None (departure day)

• →Nishiki Market
• →Arashiyama bamboo grove (optional)