Airport conquest series. Hagi-Iwami Airport (Masuda, Shimane Prefecture) and Saga Airport (Saga, Saga Prefecture) in a single day. These two airports seem far apart — San’in and Kyushu — but connecting them by local trains via the Yamaguchi Line → San’yō Main Line → Kanmon Tunnel makes a day trip possible.

The full series index is here.

Route Design

Fly into Hagi-Iwami in the morning, fly out of Saga on the last flight home. The overland journey between the two airports is the core of this plan.

The route from Masuda to Saga: take the Yamaguchi Line from the San’in side to the Seto Inland Sea side, the San’yō Main Line to Shimonoseki, cross to Kyushu through the Kanmon Tunnel, then head from Kokura to Saga via Hakata. Using the Shinkansen from Shin-Yamaguchi would save time, but I chose local trains to save money. The trade-off: within Kyushu, time was too tight for local trains, so I used Limited Express Sonic (Kokura → Hakata) and Limited Express Kamome (Hakata → Saga).

The transfer at Hakata was only 3 minutes. This was the biggest risk point in the plan — but it worked.

Itinerary (as of April 2022)

08:10 - 09:45Haneda → Hagi-Iwami Airport ANA 725 (SUPER VALUE 75N)¥22,870
10:05 - 10:17Hagi-Iwami Airport → Masuda Station Iwami Kōtsū (shuttle bus)¥340
11:23 - 13:12Masuda Station → Yamaguchi Station JR Yamaguchi Line¥7,320
13:16 - 13:39Yamaguchi Station → Shin-Yamaguchi Station JR Yamaguchi Line(included above)
14:07 - 15:15Shin-Yamaguchi Station → Shimonoseki Station JR San'yō Main Line(included above)
15:16 - 15:30Shimonoseki Station → Kokura Station JR San'yō Main Line (Kanmon Tunnel)(included above)
15:39 - 16:28Kokura Station → Hakata Station Limited Express Sonic 36(included above)
16:31 - 17:16Hakata Station → Saga Station Limited Express Kamome 19(included above)
17:35 - 18:10Saga Station → Saga Airport Saga Municipal Bus¥600
18:55 - 20:35Saga Airport → Haneda ANA 458 (SUPER VALUE 75K)¥25,570

Timetables are subject to change. Check the latest schedules before traveling.

One Hour at Masuda Station

After arriving at Masuda Station by shuttle bus from the airport, there’s about an hour before the Yamaguchi Line departure. Masuda Station serves both the San’in Main Line and the Yamaguchi Line, but there’s not much around the station. I waited at the station.

3-Minute Transfer at Hakata Station

The most nerve-wracking point in this plan. Arriving at Hakata at 16:28 on Limited Express Sonic, transferring to Limited Express Kamome departing at 16:31. Only 3 minutes, but the transfer is between JR Kyushu conventional line platforms in the same station. Knowing the platform layout in advance makes it feasible.

Alternative Route Considered

Using the Shinkansen from Shin-Yamaguchi to Hakata would eliminate the need to go via Shimonoseki and Kokura by local train, and avoid the 3-minute Hakata transfer entirely. However, it adds the Shinkansen fare. The extra time could be used for eating or shopping in Hakata. This time, I prioritized saving money and chose local trains.