How to board an express train from an unmanned station

About online reservations

If you would like to make a reservation in advance for JR Kyushu's "Limited Express Yufu", reservations can be made online.
The photo is JR Kyushu's "Internet Train Reservation Information" page.

If you would like to make a reservation in multiple languages, please click on "Language" at the top right and select from English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, or Korean.

In this case, you will need to register your credit card, but you can be sure to reserve a train departing from the station.
However, you should be aware of the following points, such as collecting your ticket at a manned station in advance.

Precautions

JR Kyushu's information page lists several points to note, which are as follows:

Once the reservation is complete, payment will be made in one lump sum.
・Reservations may not be possible due to full capacity.
・If the operation is interrupted due to communication conditions or device performance, please check the status of your reservation by clicking "Reservation confirmation/QR display/changes/refunds."
・To collect your ticket, you will need your reservation number and the credit card you will be using. Please note that you will not be able to collect your ticket if you are using a credit card that does not have a physical card, such as a virtual card, or a credit card that does not have an IC chip.
・Ticket collection times are during the operating hours of the Midori counter (4:30-23:30) and reserved seat ticket machines (4:30-23:20). Operating hours vary depending on the station. Passengers using early morning or late night trains should be aware of the collection times.
・QR ticketless is not supported. You must collect your ticket in person.
・Changes and refunds can be made between 5:30 and 23:00.
・You can make any changes you like online up until the departure time of the designated train on the day of travel before collecting your ticket. However, you cannot make changes to a ticket-only reservation.
*If you change a reservation that has been paid for by credit card, the credit card will be charged again, and the original reservation amount will be refunded to your account via the credit card company without any processing fees.
(If a fee is incurred when making changes, such as when the number of people in a reservation is reduced, the fee will be deducted before the refund is made to your account.)
・Changes can only be made once after receiving your ticket.
・A refund fee is required for refunds. The fee differs depending on whether you collect your ticket before or after receiving it.
(From the JR Kyushu website)

When boarding from an unmanned station

The most frequently used section of JR Kyushu's "Limited Express Yufu" is between Yufuin and Hakata .
For example, if you are staying overnight in Yufuin the previous day and plan to board the "Limited Express Yufu No. 2" departing at 9:08 the next day from Yufuin Station, you can pick up your ticket in advance at Yufuin Station, which is a manned station, and then board the train, as described above.

However, if you are staying at the neighboring Yunohira Onsen , which is also in the same Yufuin (the town name), the nearest station is the unmanned Yunohira Station .

By the way, the Limited Express Yufu No. 2 , which departs from Yufuin Station at 9:08 , departs from Yuhira Station at 8:54 .
In other words, it is the same train. (Surprisingly, many people do not know this.)
The departure times from Oita Station are as follows:

Departing Oita 08:20 ⇒ ⇒ Yunohira 08:54 ⇒ Yufuin 09:08 ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ Hakata 11:20 (15 stations in total)

You can also board the same "Limited Express Yufu No. 2" from Yunohira Station, but you cannot pick up tickets at unmanned stations.
So what should we do?

Pick up your ticket at Yufuin Station the day before

If you have made a reservation online, you must collect your ticket in advance at a manned station or ticket machine.
Therefore, if you are boarding at an unmanned station, you must collect your ticket at a manned station in advance.
In this case, the nearest manned station is Yufuin Station, so be sure to exchange your ticket when you arrive from Hakata the day before.

If you are unable to make an online reservation

If you arrive at the station without being able to make an online reservation, you can purchase your ticket at the ticket counter if you are boarding at Yufuin Station, but what about Yunohira Station, which is an unmanned station?
rest assured.
There are no ticket gates, so simply board the train.
After boarding, the conductor will come around to inspect your ticket, so please pay the fare on the spot.

In this case, there is no reservation, so you will have to ride in an "unreserved seat," but don't worry.
Yunohira Station is located just before Yufuin Station, which has a large number of passengers, so there are relatively many empty seats in the unreserved seating cars.
You will definitely be able to get a seat at Yunohira Station.