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With some exceptions, Japan Rail base fare tickets allow stopovers. There is an excellent answer that explains when a ticket is eligible for stopovers, but it is not clear from either that answer or the linked JR website whether skipping forward is allowed during a stopover.

Suppose I were to take the train from Nagasaki to Fukuoka and stop to visit the Yoshinogari Historical Park on my way. The park is located between two train stations on the line that connects Nagasaki and Fukuoka, so my most efficient route would be to board the train at Nagasaki, alight at Kanzaki (the station closer to Nagasaki), tour the park, board another train at Yoshinogarikoen (the station closer to Fukuoka) and proceed to Hakata (or another station within the Fukuoka city zone).

Can I do this with a single base fare ticket from Nagasaki to Hakata? Or do I have to return to the same station where I exited the ticket gates to resume my journey?

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Interpreting Article 150 of the JR Kyushu Conditions of Carriage, no you don't have to board at the same station. You can board on any station that is ahead of the station where you made a stopover and that is on your specified route.

Say I have a ticket from Nagoya to Kanazawa via Tokaido Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line. I can choose to get off at Sabae, then re-board at Awaraonsen to continue my trip to Kanazawa. However, I will not be refunded the fare between Sabae and Awaraonsen.

第150条 旅客は、第148条の規定により乗車券類の券面に表示された発着区間内の途中駅から旅行を開始し、又は同区間内の途中駅で下車した後に前途の駅から乗車した場合の不乗区間については、乗車の請求をすることができない。

"If a passenger starts their journey at a station that lies on the route as indicated on the ticket in accordance with Article 148, or if a passenger makes a stopover at a station, then resumes their journey at a station that is ahead [of the station where the passenger makes a stopover], the passenger forfeits the right to request travel on the unused interval."

So it seems that this is acceptable - you just don't get refunded for the interval that you don't travel.

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  • Perfect, thanks! For completeness, I’d include article 148 part 3 too: 乗車券類は、次の各号に掲げる場合は、前条の規定にかかわらず、使用することができる。[…](3)乗車券類の券面に表示された発着区間内の途中駅から乗車する場合 In the following cases, tickets can be used notwithstanding restrictions placed in previous articles: […] 3. when boarding at a station in the middle of the route shown on the ticket
    – Chortos-2
    Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 12:39

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