Yufuin no Mori Beppu - Hakata

I try to purchase the tix online but i think the ticket will be just released online 4 weeks in advance since I still could not choose my travelling date.
https://train.yoyaku.jrkyushu.co.jp/inbound/sp/Top#ntLeftCnt
My schedule would be Yufuin 4 at 14.43 from Beppu

Any recommendation on seating Beppu-Hakata?
Which side is more recommended since we are going to do 1 way trip only

When doing the online seating reservation, would it show the head or direction of the train?
Also could we do seating reservation together when buying the online tix?

What time does the reservation start so for example my travelling date is 1st December, so at what time does the reservation on 1st Nov start ie. Midnight Japan time?

Could i bring normal large sized luggages into Yufuin no mori?

Thanks in Advance

10am Japan time. One month in advance.

I tried to book with whatever dates currently in but it shows booking time only from 5.30am - 11pm JST not 10am. Am I in the right website? The link I gave previously was broken hopefully this one works
https://train.yoyaku.jrkyushu.co.jp/inbound/pc/Top/english

Well, I have to wake up in the middle of my sleep then if this is the right website.

Also I read that we could bring our luggages to the train but is it alright to have 2 large suitcases? I still have doubt of delivering them via Takyubin. So we'd head to Shin-Osaka from Beppu (Yufuin no Mori and Nozomi since I don't buy the already inflated price of Japan Rail Pass). The thing is we'd only stay for 1 night in Shin-Osaka so I have concern if we Takyubin the luggages, they won't be delivered on time.

Also, I find the train cart configuration. Please correct me that the front seat for Beppu - Hakata train would be in cart# 4. Is this correct ?
So I just assume the rear would be the front once arriving to its terminus in Beppu.

https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/train/yufuin_no_mori.html

The train configuration diagram on the JR Kyushu web site shows that car 4 (or 5) is in the front if you are going in the Hakata direction, as shown by the arrow and the label gHakata.h

Look at the pictures of the train interior. It has overhead compartments for bags that arenft very big. There is also limited storage for suitcases at the ends of some cars. However it is a wildly popular train and unlike the Tokaido-Sanyo shinkansen, they donft appear to have a reservation system for the luggage space. So the obvious question is, what are you going to do if the suitcase space gets filled up before you get your bags in it?

Herefs what AI says: You cannot reliably store large luggage on the Yufuin no Mori train c The limited luggage space on the train means you may not be able to bring large suitcases onboard.

Hi Kim
So when booking, would the website show exactly the same cart configuration or perhaps a different outlook, just cart number and no direction clue perhaps?

You make the point with the luggage storage. The concern is our flying date from Osaka is just a day after we arrive in Osaka and we are going to stay in Namba which is further down. Other option is from Aso and actually we plan to takyubin our luggages either from Aso or Kagoshima to Beppu. From Aso to Shin-Osaka there would be 5 days in between and not confident enough without the large suitcases we might forget here and there the things wefd need.

So I just try to book a date similar to my travelling date on a weekend. The system only gives option windows or aisle apparently but I just manage to fill in the form just before the personal information because they already ask for payment so I have no idea if perhaps later on itfd let choose the seats.

So the system would automatically assign the seating now? I have read another traveller that it seemed she could choose the seatings and recommending her seats. Perhaps the system has changed by then. Anyone recently board the train?

Also could we register our information first with JR Kyushu to save the time filling in personal information when booking the train? I could not see any member registration page though I might miss.

You have hit upon one of the issues with large suitcases in Japan. You canft always bring them with you everywhere. Bring a duffel bag or something to hold the items you need for the periods when you will not have access to the suitcase. You can also send luggage directly to airports if you want, but then the lead times for delivery are even longer.

I heard something about JR Kyushu having a luggage storage and delivery service of its own but I donft know anything about it.

I have no idea how the Kyushu reservation system works. It sounds challenging!

Why not send your bags a bit earlier and just travelling with your carry on or backpack?

There is close to no luggage storage on those sightseeing trains - the normal train had a bit of storage which was a struggle to find space back in 2023

JR Kyushu interface in mobile is pretty good actually. Itfs just not what I expect for the seatings reservation. I havenft tried in laptop yet so it might be different or do we need to still reserve seatings in Yufuin no Mori even after purchasing the ticket (individual purchase without any pass)? I see a reservation tab next to purchase ticket.

Also I try to register as member but I only have kana name and not kanji so I guess if you are not Japanese, they donft allow you to register as members