Attack on Titan & One Piece: 3-Day Kyushu Anime Pilgrimage

Fukuoka Airport → Hakata Station

Take the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line from the domestic terminal, which connects directly to the station, to Hakata (approx. 5 min, 2 stops; check the subway timetable). From the international terminal, first ride the free shuttle bus to the domestic terminal.

Hakata → Hita by limited express

The JR Kyudai Line limited express (Yufuin no Mori or Yufu) runs Hakata → Hita in approx. 1 hr 20 min. Yufuin no Mori is all reserved seats, so book a seat when you activate your rail pass. At the time of writing the first Yufuin no Mori left Hakata around 9:17 and reached Hita around 10:37.

Hita Station → Oyama Dam

Hita Bus (Kojiryu line) to the Nakagawara stop takes approx. 30 min (approx. ¥460), then about 20 min on foot to the statues. Buses are few: when we checked, weekday departures from Hita Station were around 9:40, 10:45 and 14:05. A taxi takes approx. 20-30 min (approx. ¥3,000-4,500) and is the easy option if you miss the bus.

The dam statues

Eren, Mikasa and Armin stand in the plaza below the dam, looking up at the wall. The dam itself is the photo: shoot from low down to get the scale.

Attack on Titan in HITA Museum

The museum is inside the Mizube no Sato Oyama roadside station, about 1.5 km from the statues (approx. 20-25 min on foot along the river). It shows original manga art and the creator's childhood drawings. Approx. ¥500 for adults, free under 18. Hours follow the roadside station: approx. 9:30-16:00 on weekdays, 9:00-17:00 on weekends and holidays, irregular closing days.

Back to Hita town

Return by taxi or bus (ask the roadside station staff for the next bus), then walk the old merchant streets of Mameda-machi before dinner.

Hita → Kurume → Kumamoto

Take the JR Kyudai Line back west to Kurume (limited express approx. 45 min; JR Kyushu's own example is Kurume 9:51 → Hita 10:37 in the other direction), then change to the Kyushu Shinkansen for Kumamoto (approx. 20 min on Mizuho/Sakura, approx. 30 min on the all-stops Tsubame). Allow approx. 1.5-2 hr door to door including the change.

Kumamoto Station → Prefectural Office

Ride the Kumamoto City Tram to Suizenji-koen and walk approx. 12 min, or take the JR Hohi Line to Suizenji Station and walk approx. 15-20 min. Leave luggage in a coin locker at Kumamoto Station first.

Luffy statue

The life-size Luffy on the Prefectural Office promenade is where the One Piece Kumamoto Reconstruction Project starts. It is a working government office: keep the path clear and visit during the day.

Free time in Kumamoto

Kumamoto Castle, still being repaired after the 2016 earthquakes, and Suizenji Jojuen Garden (next to the tram stop) are the classic picks. Look for the other crew statues around the prefecture on the official project site if you want to extend the trip.

Kumamoto → Higo-Ozu

Take the JR Hohi Line east to Higo-Ozu (approx. 30-45 min on a local train, depending on the train). Ozu Central Park is a few minutes' walk from the station.

Zoro statue

Zoro stands in Ozu Central Park. It is a local park, so keep noise down in the morning.

Higo-Ozu → Aso

Continue on the Hohi Line up into the Aso caldera (local trains need approx. 45-50 min from Higo-Ozu, climbing the switchback near Tateno; Kumamoto → Aso is approx. 1.5 hr by local with one change at Higo-Ozu, less by limited express). Trains run roughly once an hour, so note the return times first.

Usopp statue

Usopp waits at the rotary in front of JR Aso Station. Have lunch near the station before heading back.

Aso → Kumamoto → Hakata → Fukuoka Airport

Back to Kumamoto on the Hohi Line (approx. 1-1.5 hr), Kyushu Shinkansen to Hakata (approx. 35-50 min), subway to the airport (approx. 5 min). Allow at least 4 hr from Aso to your check-in and book an evening flight.