Hankyu Ferry Settsu Cruise Review | Fukuoka to Hyogo Travel Guide

5:00 PM, at JR Kokura Station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Today, I’m boarding the Hankyu Ferry “Settsu”.
A 12.5-hour sea journey from Shinmoji Port to Kobe Rokko Island.

From a nearby bus stop at JR Kokura Station, I boarded the free shuttle bus to the port.
The bus departed on time at 5:20 PM.

We stopped at Mojiko Station where a few more passengers boarded,
and then continued on toward the port.

After about 35 minutes on the road, Shinmoji Port’s 1st Terminal came into view.

Getting off the bus, I was greeted by a magnificent building—
the 1st Terminal of Shinmoji Port for ferries bound for Kobe.

Completed in January 1991, the terminal was designed to resemble the Daigokuden Palace of Heijo-kyo from the Nara period.
Its commanding presence stood in stark contrast to the surrounding architecture.
You can’t miss it, even from afar.

Why this Nara-style design?
It reflects the Hankyu Ferry president’s wish:
“Let’s go from Kyushu to Kyoto and Nara.”

After completing the boarding procedure, I headed to the 2nd floor boarding gate.
A staff member was there checking boarding tickets.

Once my ticket was checked, I proceeded through the connecting passageway.
Another staff member stood ahead.
“This way to board~,” they guided.

Following their direction, I finally boarded the ferry and made my way to tonight’s sleeping quarters.

My room was the “Standard Western-style” type.
It’s a shared cabin with bunk beds—mine was the lower bed, number 135.

Someone was supposed to take the upper bunk…
But to my surprise, no one showed up.
So I had the whole space to myself.
It felt like a private room—perfect.

The bed came with a pillow, futon, and mattress.
There was a touch-activated reading light, an electrical outlet, and a small coin locker.
The locker uses a refundable 100-yen coin—lock it, and the coin returns when you open it again.
Ideal for storing valuables.

After a short break, I went for a stroll around the ship.
Eventually, I headed to the observation deck.

At 6:40 PM, the Hankyu Ferry “Settsu” departed Shinmoji Port on schedule.
The route travels through the calm Seto Inland Sea.
Unlike the Sea of Japan, there’s barely any rocking motion.
A big relief for those prone to seasickness.

After watching the ship set off, I returned to my room to prepare for a bath.
Then I made my way to the restaurant on the 6th floor.

At exactly 7:00 PM, I arrived at the 6th-floor restaurant.
It’s a cafeteria-style setup.
You pick your dishes, pay at the counter, and then find a seat.

I washed my hands first, then grabbed a tray.
Small dishes and salads lined the beginning of the lane,
followed by platters of side dishes in larger portions.

For rice and soup, you tell the staff the portion size you want.
There’s also a large menu board, so pointing works just fine too.

I wanted to choose by instinct, but couldn’t quite decide.
With a growing line behind me, I stepped aside to regroup.

In the end, I chose six items:
Mapo tofu, yurinchi (fried chicken with sauce), chicken liver, salad, pudding, rice, and miso soup.
Total: 2,540 yen.

After paying, I found a seat.
Everything was delicious, and I was quite full by the end.

After dinner, I returned to my room to grab a change of clothes,
and then headed straight to the large public bath on the 7th floor.

7:30 PM — I arrived at the large public bath on the 7th floor.
Past the noren curtain, there were both a large bath and private shower rooms.

Since it was crowded, I opted for a private shower room this time.
I turned the water-saving faucet and enjoyed a warm shower.

After drying my hair with a dryer, I grabbed a bottle of Squall (180 yen) for after-bath refreshment.
I slowly drank it while enjoying the night breeze on the observation deck.

Then I returned to my room and went to bed early.

12:05 AM — I woke up.
Lights go out in the standard cabin at 10:00 PM, and beyond the curtain it was pitch dark.
Only the stairwell lights gently lit the room.

Trying not to make noise, I quietly stepped out and headed to the observation deck.

Around 12:13 AM, we passed under the Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge.
There was no lighting — just the faint silhouette of the bridge in the dark.
I was the only one on deck. A private, luxurious experience.

After enjoying the view of the bridge, I returned indoors at 12:50 AM.
I connected to the free Wi-Fi and did some browsing on my phone.

Before long, I got a bit hungry — time for a midnight snack.

I bought a cup noodle from the vending machine on the 5th floor, then took the elevator to the 6th.
There, in the closed restaurant space, I quietly enjoyed my meal.

After closing, part of the restaurant was opened as a free space.
The place was empty and completely quiet — perfect for concentrating.

I took my laptop out of the coin locker and got into the zone.
Before I knew it, it was 2:00 AM.
I wrapped up my work and headed to the observation deck to see the Seto Ohashi Bridge.

At 2:12 AM, I caught sight of the Seto Ohashi Bridge.
It was scheduled for around 2:20 AM, but the timing can vary due to weather and sea conditions.
So aiming for about 10 minutes before or after is just right.

There’s a monitor onboard that shows the ship’s current location in real-time,
so you won’t miss anything if you check it.

After seeing the bridge, I went back to my room and got some sleep.

5:35 AM — I woke up.
Still half-asleep, I washed my face and headed to the observation deck.
Several passengers were already there waiting to see the bridge.

At 5:46 AM, we passed under the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge.
It looked completely different from the ones I’d seen during the night.
Under the bright morning sky, the massive structure loomed right in front of us — overwhelmingly powerful.

After watching the bridge, I went back to my room and lay down for a bit.

6:00 AM — I arrived at the restaurant.
A few breakfast sets were available, all of them tempting.

This time, I chose the mackerel set meal.
After placing the items on my tray, it was automatically recognized as a set — slightly cheaper than ordering individually.

The passenger in front of me picked a simple morning combo: coffee, bread, vegetable salad, and a boiled egg.
I thought, “That looks good too…” but proceeded to the checkout and took a seat.

While enjoying breakfast, I gazed out the window at the sea lit by the sunrise.

After the meal, I returned to my room to brush my teeth and get ready.

15 minutes before arrival, a disembarkation announcement was made:
“We are 15 minutes away from disembarkation. Please prepare to disembark.”

The lobby was already filling with passengers.

Outside the window, giant gantry cranes were unloading cargo.
Surrounded by stacks of containers, the port looked like a vast mechanical forest.

7:03 AM — Disembarkation began.
Passengers exited the ship one after another.

In front of the terminal, the shuttle bus bound for Kobe City was waiting.
It stops at four locations: Island Kitaguchi Station, JR Sumiyoshi Station, and Hanshin/Hankyu Mikage Station.

At 7:32 AM, once everyone was on board, the bus departed.

7:54 AM — I arrived at JR Sumiyoshi Station.
The walk from the bus stop to the station takes just 2 minutes — very convenient.

It’s about a 10-minute train ride (200 yen) from JR Sumiyoshi to Sannomiya,
making access to downtown Kobe excellent.
And only about 27 minutes (410 yen) to Osaka Station — highly convenient.

Next time, I’d love to try the reverse trip — departing from Kobe Port and heading to Shinmoji.
To once again arrive at that Nara-style ferry terminal.

■Ferry Terminal: Hankyu Ferry Izumiotsu Port Terminal
■Address: 1-3 Ozushima-cho, Izumiotsu City, Osaka Prefecture, 595-0074
■Business Hours: 9:00 AM – until the last ferry departs

■Ferry Terminal: Kobe Rokko Island Port
■Address: 3-2-1 Kōyō-chō Higashi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, 658-0031
■Business Hours: 9:00 AM – until the last ferry departs

■Ferry Terminal: Shinmoji Port
■Address (Kobe-bound 1st Terminal): 1-1 Shinmoji Kita, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, 800-0113
■Address (Izumiotsu-bound 2nd Terminal): 1-1 Shinmoji Kita, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, 800-0113
■Business Hours: 9:00 AM – until the last ferry departs (Tickets for the 2nd Terminal to Izumiotsu are sold from 3:00 PM until the last ferry departs)

■ Name: Akashi Kaikyō Bridge (アカシカイキョウオオハシ)
■ Opening Date: April 5, 1998
■ Location: Between Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, and Awaji Island
■ Total Length: 3,911m

■ Name: Seto Ohashi (セトオオハシ)
■ Opening Date: April 10, 1988
■ Location: Between Shikoku and Honshu
■ Total Length: 12,300m

■ Name: Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge (クルシマカイキョウオオハシ)
■ Opening Date: May 1, 1999
■ Location: Between Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, and Ōshima
■ Total Length: 4,105m