For the first time since the service was discontinued in 1994, JR Kyushu will offer one round-trip between Fukuoka and Hirado City (Nagasaki Prefecture) on its Beetle high-speed ferry this August. JR Kyushu is offering the one-off trip on Aug. 22 in response to demands from Hirado locals hoping to boost tourism, and it will consider the possibility of adding more temporary trips or even relaunching regular service. The Beetle began in 1990 connecting Hakata to Hirado and was later extended to Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo, but the service was discontinued less than four years later due to competition from highway buses and trains. Since then, JR Kyushu has focused solely on the Hakata-Pusan, Korea route. More recently, the number of trips to Pusan has been reduced in light of tension between Japan and Korea and reduced demand since the Sewol ferry tragedy. This, in turn, led to the decision to restart the Hirado service. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 6/3
