#Introducing Contest Entries for the Exciting Moments Contest (Part 1)
Until Wednesday, February 25, 2026, we are holding a submission contest on JR Kyushu's official web magazine, WAQ² JouRnal, and on note, with the theme of #ExcitingMoments!
We have already received over 12,000 entries. To everyone who has submitted, thank you so much!
You have shown us that you find "excitement" not only in special travel scenes but also in the little moments of everyday life.
This time, we would like to introduce six articles from those submissions that left a lasting impression on the WAQ² JouRnal team.
If you are wondering what to write about, please use these as a reference!
※These selections were picked separately from the contest judging process.
▼Please see this article for details on how to apply
① 12 hours on a sleeper train to the town where the Finnish Santa awaits (Kotomi Mizumoto)
The "excitement" of a special morning on a sleeper train in Finland comes through even in the beautiful photos. It makes me want to read the reports of the journey before and after as well! Thank you for sharing the wonderful travel mood with us.
② If you eat a Kiyoken Shumai Bento in Hokkaido, you too can become a hero (Jimuin G)
A piece filled with love for the travel companion, the Shumai Bento. The perspective of "the only Shumai Bento currently existing in Hokkaido" and "the only person eating it" was unique. That said, the "excitement" when peeling back that thin lid is the same whether you are in the sky, in Hokkaido, or in Kyushu!
③ The back of my daughter holding the steering wheel and the southernmost station in Japan. The answer to the excitement that arrived after 10 years (Kazuhiro Hanzawa)
This is a record of a trip aiming for Nishi-Oyama Station, the southernmost station in Japan, but the reason why it was "a trip to Kyushu where I never once rode a train" and what follows will bring a tear to your eye. Please come back to Kyushu with your family to find more "excitement."
④ Excitement in your 70s (fumika)
A piece that taught us that there is plenty of "excitement" in the daily life we take for granted. Being able to connect through posts and comments (even with people overseas!) is certainly a heart-fluttering moment. Please continue to enjoy sharing your thoughts.
⑤ Glow stick, are you ready? (Kumamomo)
Supporting your favorite idol is always an "exciting" experience. This piece makes you feel the heart-pounding anticipation just before the curtain rises. Through the glow sticks, strangers are sharing their "excitement," aren't they?
⑥ Curry rice is a hide-and-seek venue for happiness. (Inu no Wakusei)
A piece that overwhelmed me with its energy! There are those secret, personal "exciting" moments that you don't necessarily tell anyone else about, aren't there? I felt an extraordinary amount of love in the perspective that curry rice is just an "excuse to eat a lot of fukujinzuke pickles."
The #ExcitingMoments submission contest is being held until Wednesday, February 25, 2026. With about one week left until the end, we look forward to seeing more of your submissions!
▼ Click here for other entries