There is something just magical about a long boat trip.  You are neither here nor there.  You are just in between -- in a place where time and space stand still for you to contemplate where you have been, and where you are going.  Sometimes it makes you wonder who you are, and what's in store for you...  I love it!

The Japanese Archipelago is a great place for boat trips!  There are dozens and dozens of ferries around all the islands of Japan.  Click Here for a very busy map showing most of the Internal Japanese Ferry Routes!  A few short runs are on smaller boats, and there are a few fast hydrofoils on others,  but many of these are large car ferries that are very stable (= smooth), modern, and comfortable, with a variety of accommodations, restaurants, and much more (see some photos, below).  Passengers can just roll their bicycles on board for a small extra fee (easier than on the train where it must be packed up), and of course there's a significant charge for motorized vehicles. 

Some smaller ferries are the only (reasonable) way to get to outlying islands of interest.  But many of the big ferries hop around the main Japanese islands, that you could cover more quickly by train (or airplane!) -- see the map link above. But these long-distance ferries provide an interesting -- slower and cheaper -- alternative to travel around Japan at more leisure. If you haven't already been "befriended" by enough Japanese people, a long over-night ferry trip is a very good way to get acquainted with young and middle-class Japanese people from rural areas. Now that's a real Getaway!

Read Bill Macher's Recommendation on Japanese Ferries  for the Bicyclist.

All of the ferry schedules and maps are in the National Timetable (Ji-Koku-Hyo) book, but most non-Japanese people can't decifer it.  There used to be at least one place on the web with some of this information, but I can no longer find a web site with good Japan ferry information in English.  So I put something together myself, to give you just an idea of what long-distance ferry travel in Japan is like. 

This page begins of with information on the most accessible and popular ferry routes that may be used by any Tourists with a couple of extra days in their vactaion schedule.  Then there are some photos to show you what these ferries are like.  Farther down the page  are more details on various ferry routes all around the many islands of Japan, for the adventurous traveler and those who live in Japan.  See This Map as an example of where that information may take you.

There is even a ferry from the new Kansai International Airport (KIX) directly to Sumoto and Tsuna ports, both on the island of Awaji-shima in the Inland Sea -- seven times a day between 7:50 and 21:05 (9pm) -- 45 minutes, ¥2,500.  Info: click here.

FYI:  I also have a separate page dedicated to information on International Ferries from Japan to/from China, Russia, Korea, and Taiwan.

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A Few Main Routes in the Inland Sea
on the 'Kansai Kisen' Ferry Line

                                              Passenger Fare P.P. One Way
        LEAVE                 ARRIVE         2nd A.  2nd B.   1st     Top
___________________________________________________________________________
1. Osaka     18:50pm ==> Beppu     06:20am   ¥7400   ¥9900   ¥14000  ¥22900

2. Osaka     21:00pm ==> Kobe      22:15pm
                     ==> Matsuyama 06:15am   ¥5200   ¥6900   ¥10200  ¥17700
                     ==> Beppu     10:10am   ¥2600*  ¥3600   ¥ 5000  ¥ 9600

3. Matsuyama 21:55pm ==> Kokura    05:00pm   ¥3700   ¥5200   ¥ 7300  ¥12200

4. Osaka     08:00am ==> Kobe      09:15am
                     ==> Sakate**  12:30pm   ¥3000   ¥4000   ¥ 5800  ¥11000
___________________________________________________________________________

Comparable railway fares, Osaka to Beppu:
        Bullet Train:    = ¥16,800 (¥22,800 1st Class); about 4 hours.
        Express Train: = ¥11,200; about 13 hours.

The schedule information above is just taken -- and translated -- from the Kansai Kisen Ferry Company page (in Japanese).

How much is that in Real money?...  Click here for a Currency Converter.

JTB

To get more specific details and actually book a ferry passage in Japan, visit a JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) office in many large railway stations throughout the country, or at the international airports. In addition, there are 12 JTB city offices in Tokyo alone, as well as in other major city areas, open regular business hours only. JTB's phone number in Tokyo is (03)-3276-7777.  Or go through a travel agent in a large tourist hotel in Japan; many travel agents can sell these tickets, you just need to find one who speaks English!

For more help before you leave home, take advantage of the info on JTB's website, and get lists of JTB offices in the US and around the world.  I keep these links current on my Japan Links page section for JTB.

Photos of Top class (left) and 1st Class (right) cabins on the Kansai Kisen ferries.

This information copied and translated from the Kansai Kisen website at http://www.kanki.co.jp/

Lots More Ferry Info!

Iino Bldg., 2-1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
100-0011    JAPAN

(telephone: 03-3501-0806)

Note that the ferries are run by many different private companies, and the facilities do vary from route to route.  I have summarized some of the internal ferry route information, below.

Links to Japan Domestic Ferry Companies -- in Japanese!

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Summary of Selected Routes and Fares

From the Japan Long Distance Ferry Service Association brochure

• Fares are Passenger fares for ordinary 2nd Class and ordinary 1st Class, one way; Special Class and Suites available for more money; some fares are higher during July and August.
• Numbers refer to the Route Maps, below.
• See farther below for ferry routes to Okinawa from other parts of Japan.

Route	Schedule	Time	Pass. Fare
1. Maizuru - Otaru (Hokkaido)	6/week	29 hrs.	¥6,700 - ¥13,400
2. Niigata - Otaru	6/week	18 hrs.	¥5,400 - ¥10,700
3. Tsuruga - Tomakomai-East (Hokkaido)	Daily	~20 hrs.	¥8,000 - ¥14,700
4. Tsuruga - Niigata - Akita - Tomakomai	4/week	32 hrs.	¥7,000 - ¥14,100
5. Naoetsu - Muroran (Hokkaido)	3/week	17 hrs.	¥7,030
6. Oarai - Tomakomai (2 companies)	12/week, xSun	~20 hrs.	¥6,500 - ¥13,000
7. Hachinohe - Tomakomai	3/day	9 hrs.	¥3,970 - ¥7,950
9. Nagoya - Sendai - Tomakomai	Every 2nd day	38 hrs.	¥8,400 - ¥16,300
12. Tokyo - Tokushima - Kitakyushu	Daily	34 hrs.	¥12,600 - ¥28,260
14a. Kawasaki - Nachi-Katsuura - Miyazaki	3/week	22 hrs.	¥18,050 - ¥36,120
14. Kawasaki - Kochi - Hyuga (Kyushu)	3/week	23 hrs.	¥18,050 - ¥36,120
15. Osaka - Miyazaki	Daily	13 hrs.	¥8,380 - ¥16,780
17. Osaka - Shibushi (Kagoshima)	Daily	14.5 hrs.	¥9,000 - ¥15,000
19. Kobe - Shinmoji (Kitakyushu)	8/week	12 hrs.	¥6,200 - ¥12,200
21. Kobe - Imabari - Matsuyama - Oita	3/day	13 hrs.	¥7,400 - ¥16,200

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Maps translated from the Japan Long-Distance Ferry Association.

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To Okinawa:

There is regular ferry service from Kagoshima, at the far southern tip of Kyushu, to Okinawa.  It takes 24 hours 40 minutes, leaving most evenings at 6pm. These are run by the Marix Line Co. Fares to Okinawa are ¥13,200 in second class, ¥19,200 in special second class, ¥26,400 in first class.

For the location of Okinawa, and it's main city Naha, refer to the International Ferry Map on my International Ferries Page.

Oshima Transportation (Oshima Unyu,  site in Japanese) also runs ferries to Naha, Okinawa via Yoron Is. from:

• Tokyo (Ariake Pier)  4 to 7 times a month.  44-46 hours.  ¥22,000-44,000
• Osaka (Nanko Pier)  4 to 7 times a month.  39 hours.  ¥17,300-43,300
• Kobe (Rokko Is. Pier)  4 to 7 times a month.  43 hours.  ¥17,300-43,300
• Miyazaki 4 to 6 times a month.  24 hours.  ¥14,200-35,500
• Kagoshima (Honko Pier)  Every other day at 6pm.  24 hours.  ¥13,000-30,000.  Here's the Schedule Page in Japanese.

There is also an international ferry from Nagoya and Osaka via Okinawa to Taiwan.  Details on that route are on my International Ferry page.

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