The Kyushu Expressway (E3) is the island's main highway and toll road. It runs from Moji in Kitakyushu through Fukuoka and Kumamoto to Kagoshima. The Nagasaki, Oita, Higashi-Kyushu and Miyazaki expressways all branch off the Kyushu Expressway. If you rent a campervan from VanTrip Japan, the ETC card is free on advance request; the tolls are paid by you and deducted from your deposit after the trip. Choose your dates on the rental page and send the booking form. Then ask for the ETC card in a WhatsApp message: tap the WhatsApp button on the confirmation screen, or the "Ask on WhatsApp" button right below this article, and write "ETC card, please".
All tolls, distances and times below come from NEXCO West's official route search, checked on 23 October 2026 for a standard-sized car.
Kyushu expressway map: which road goes where
| Expressway | Section | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Kyushu Expressway (E3, 九州自動車道) | Moji IC → Fukuoka → Kumamoto → Kagoshima IC | The north-south spine: Fukuoka to Kumamoto and Kagoshima |
| Nagasaki Expressway (E34, 長崎自動車道) | Tosu JCT → Nagasaki IC | Saga and Nagasaki |
| Oita Expressway (E34, 大分自動車道) | Tosu JCT → Yufuin → Hiji JCT | Yufuin, then on to Beppu and Oita |
| Higashi-Kyushu Expressway (E10, 東九州自動車道) | Kitakyushu JCT → Oita → Miyazaki, in several sections | The east coast |
| Miyazaki Expressway (E10, 宮崎自動車道) | Ebino JCT → Miyazaki IC | Fukuoka or Kumamoto to Miyazaki |
| Fukuoka Urban Expressway | Network in and around Fukuoka City, linked to the Kyushu Expressway | Getting in and out of the city (separate toll) |
For a map you can click through, open the "Search by map" view of the NEXCO West route search. Pick two interchanges and it shows the route, the toll for your vehicle class and date, and the rest stops on the way.
NEXCO West also publishes a one-page schematic map of the Kyushu expressways (PDF in Japanese, dated 17 February 2026). It shows every interchange and marks the ETC-only toll gates and smart interchanges.
Fukuoka Urban Expressway and the Kyushu Expressway
"Fukuoka expressway" can mean one of two roads. The Fukuoka Urban Expressway is the network in and around the city, with its own tolls. The Kyushu Expressway is the NEXCO road that leaves the city; the two connect at the Fukuoka and Dazaifu interchanges.
Our base is in Hakozaki. Joining from the urban expressway near the base, the official search gave 105 km and 3,260 yen to Kumamoto IC on a weekday, and 2,430 yen with ETC on a Saturday.
Tolls and driving times from Fukuoka
| From Fukuoka IC to | Distance | Driving time (no stops) | Weekday toll | With ETC weekend or late-night discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumamoto IC | 103 km | about 1 h | 2,930 yen | 2,050 yen |
| Yufuin IC | 116 km | about 1 h 20 min | 3,190 yen | 2,230 yen |
| Beppu IC | 140 km | about 1 h 40 min | 3,670 yen | 2,570 yen |
| Nagasaki IC | 148 km | about 1 h 35 min | 3,840 yen | 2,690 yen |
| Kagoshima IC | 278 km | about 3 h 10 min | 6,330 yen | 4,430 yen |
| Miyazaki IC | 289 km | about 3 h 10 min | 6,580 yen | 4,610 yen |
"Weekday" is a Wednesday departure at 10:00, when cash and ETC cost the same. The discount column is a Saturday outside the excluded holiday periods; a drive between 0:00 and 4:00 gave the same figures.
These are standard-sized car tolls, the class of our Roof Tent Probox and both Bed Bongo Brawny vans. For the Pocket Loft, ask us which class to choose.
Tolls change, so check your own date before you go.
Fukuoka to Kumamoto
Straight down the Kyushu Expressway. Hirokawa SA (about 45 km from Fukuoka IC) and Kita-Kumamoto SA (about 94 km) are the service areas on the way. Ideas for the city: our Kumamoto Castle road trip guide.
Fukuoka to Yufuin and Beppu (Oita Expressway)
Take the Kyushu Expressway to Tosu JCT, then the Oita Expressway east. Yufuin IC comes first; Beppu IC is about 24 km further, with Beppuwan SA just before the exit. See the Fukuoka to Beppu 3-day itinerary.
Fukuoka to Nagasaki
Kyushu Expressway to Tosu JCT, then the Nagasaki Expressway west, past Kinryu SA and Kawanobori SA. More in our Nagasaki campervan guide.
Fukuoka to Kagoshima
The longest common run, all on the Kyushu Expressway. Miyahara SA, Yamae SA and Sakurajima SA (near the end) are on the route. Driving it on a Saturday or Sunday that is not excluded saves 1,900 yen with ETC. Route ideas: Fukuoka to Kagoshima by campervan.
The Kyushu Expressway on this run reopened to general traffic on 14 August 2026, after the Kumamoto earthquake of 28 July 2026. If you head south along the coast instead, on the Minami-Kyushu Expressway from Yatsushiro towards Minamata and Izumi, the section between Yatsushiro JCT and Yatsushiro-minami IC stays closed because the Myoken Daiichi Bridge was badly damaged. NEXCO West announced on 29 September 2026 (PDF, in Japanese) that it expects to reopen it around the end of 2028. On that coastal route, follow the signposted detour through Yatsushiro to Yatsushiro-minami IC. It is different in each direction, and NEXCO West adjusts the toll when you get back on; our road status update has the map and an example. Check NEXCO West's iHighway before driving south of Kumamoto.
Fukuoka to Miyazaki
Kyushu Expressway south to Ebino JCT, then the Miyazaki Expressway. From Miyazaki, the Nichinan coast road runs south past Aoshima: see our Aoshima and Miyazaki coastal drive.
Fukuoka to Aso (spring to autumn)
Take the Kyushu Expressway to Kumamoto IC, then National Route 57 east into the Aso area. Viewpoints are in our Aso grasslands guide.
From December to February we do not recommend Aso, the Yamanami Highway, Kuju or Kurokawa, which are all mountain roads. In winter, choose coastal and lowland routes, such as Nagasaki or the northwest coast through Itoshima and Karatsu on Route 202.
The usual expressway route from Fukuoka to Kagoshima and Miyazaki crosses the mountains on the Kyushu Expressway between Yatsushiro and Ebino, a section that heavy snow closed in January 2023. The same cold wave also closed the Nagasaki and Oita expressways, so check NEXCO West's traffic information before any winter drive. Our winter driving guide lists the sections that have closed in snow.
Our Bed Bongo Brawny vans have no heater (we lend a free electric blanket, sleeping bags and blankets on request); the Pocket Loft has a cabin heater.
ETC on Kyushu expressways
An ETC card saves stopping at booths and gives 30% off on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (outside the excluded periods) and between 0:00 and 4:00. It is also becoming necessary. NEXCO West has made a series of Kyushu toll gates ETC-only, among them Nankan, Ureshino and Tsukumi, and every smart interchange (SIC) is ETC-only.
Drive through ETC lanes at 20 km/h or less.
The details of each discount, and what to do if the bar stays down, are in our Japan toll roads and ETC guide and the ETC card guide.
Kyushu Expressway Pass
The Kyushu Expressway Pass (KEP) is sold by NEXCO West to foreign visitors through designated rental car companies, for their own standard-size ETC cars. VanTrip Japan is not a designated company, so the pass cannot be used with our campervans. You pay the normal tolls on our free ETC card instead. NEXCO West plans to stop selling the KEP on 31 March 2027.
Free roads instead of the expressway
The main national routes are free and go through the towns and coastlines the expressway skips. They are slower. A few bypasses and tunnels on national routes charge tolls, so set your navigation to avoid toll roads if you want a free route.
- Route 3: Kitakyushu and Fukuoka to Kumamoto and Kagoshima.
- Route 10: Kitakyushu to Beppu and Oita, then down the east side to Miyazaki.
- Route 202: Fukuoka to Itoshima and Karatsu along the northwest coast.
- Route 220: the Nichinan coast south of Miyazaki, past Aoshima.
Our suggestion: expressway for long transfers, free roads for the short scenic parts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main expressways in Kyushu?
The Kyushu Expressway (E3) from Moji to Kagoshima is the main expressway. The Nagasaki and Oita expressways branch off it at Tosu JCT, the Miyazaki Expressway leaves it at Ebino JCT, and the Higashi-Kyushu Expressway follows the east coast.
How long is the drive from Fukuoka to Kagoshima on the expressway?
It is 278 km from Fukuoka IC to Kagoshima IC, about 3 hours 10 minutes without stops by NEXCO West's estimate. The weekday toll for a standard-sized car is 6,330 yen; with an ETC card on a Saturday or Sunday outside the excluded holiday periods it is 4,430 yen.
What is the Fukuoka Urban Expressway?
The Fukuoka Urban Expressway is a separate toll road network in and around Fukuoka City. It connects to the Kyushu Expressway at the Fukuoka and Dazaifu interchanges, and its toll is added to the NEXCO toll. The Kyushu Expressway Pass does not cover the Fukuoka Urban Expressway.
Do VanTrip Japan campervans come with an ETC card?
Yes, free of charge on advance request. After sending the booking form, ask for the ETC card in a WhatsApp message, because the card has to be registered before your trip. Tolls are not in the rental price: they are charged to the card and deducted from your ¥50,000 deposit after you return.
Can I use the Kyushu Expressway Pass with a VanTrip Japan campervan?
No. NEXCO West sells the Kyushu Expressway Pass only through designated rental car companies, for their own standard-size ETC cars, and VanTrip Japan is not one of the designated companies. With our vans you pay the normal tolls on a free ETC card, with the ETC discounts.
Where can I find an official Kyushu expressway map?
NEXCO West publishes a one-page schematic map of the Kyushu expressways as a PDF in Japanese, dated 17 February 2026, which also marks the ETC-only toll gates. For the route, toll and rest stops between two interchanges, use the Search by map view of NEXCO West's English route search.
What if I miss my exit on a Kyushu expressway?
Drive on to the next interchange. Stopping, reversing or turning around on the main lanes of an expressway is prohibited under Japan's Road Traffic Act.
Related Articles
- Japan Toll Roads, ETC Cards & the Kyushu Expressway Pass
- ETC Card in Japan: What It Is and How Foreign Drivers Get One
- Rest Areas (SA/PA) Guide
- 5 Kyushu Drives That Locals Love
- Kyushu Road Trip Budget
- Winter Campervan Driving in Kyushu
Free ETC card on advance request (tolls are paid by you)
Weekday rates from ¥22,000/day for the Probox and the Bongo (¥25,000 for the Pocket Loft; Sat/Sun are 150% of the weekday rate). Insurance (CDW, with a deductible), navigation and bedding are in the rate. Tolls and fuel are extra.
View Rental Options →As of late October 2026, most December to February dates are still open. See vans for 15 to 22 February or send the booking form.