Hankyu Ferry Yamato Cruise Review | Kobe to Shinmoji Travel Guide

16:30, JR Sumiyoshi Station in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture.
Today, I will board the Hankyu Ferry “Yamato”.
This is a roughly 12 hour 30 minute ferry trip from Kobe Rokko Island Port to Shinmoji Port.

I will now take the shuttle bus (fare 230 yen) from near JR Sumiyoshi Station to the port.

At 16:43, the bus arrived and departed 2 minutes later.
The rear seats of this bus felt unusually cramped; when I sat down, my knees hit the back of the seat in front of me.
When the bus stopped at a traffic light, I stood up quickly — standing was actually more comfortable.

17:05, arrived at Kobe Rokko Island Port.
There was a long line in front of the ticket counter.
After lining up for about 5 minutes, I completed the check-in and received my boarding pass.

The boarding gate is on the 2nd floor.
I headed up the stairs to the waiting room on the second floor.

After a while, an announcement for boarding was made, so I proceeded to the boarding gate.

As I approached the boarding gate, just before the end of the corridor, a staff member was waiting.
They tore the boarding pass.
I handed over my ticket, and the staff carefully returned the stub to me.

I then proceeded along the corridor and successfully boarded the ferry.
I headed to the reserved cabin on the 6th floor.

I arrived at my reserved cabin.
The room was a shared “Standard Western-style” room.
It was a compact space with bunk beds lined up, and my bed was the lower bunk.

Normally, someone would take the upper bunk, but luckily, no one did this time —
so I had the space all to myself.

The bedding consisted of a mattress, pillow, and futon.
There was also a small coin locker at the foot of the bed, which locks when you insert a 100 yen coin and returns the coin after use.
It’s small, so it seems perfect for storing valuables like a wallet.

After taking a moment to relax, I changed the mood by exploring the ship.
Walking slowly, I headed to the observation deck.

18:30, the ferry departed Kobe Rokko Island Port on time.
The 12 hour 30 minute voyage to Shinmoji Port begins.

The route crosses the Seto Inland Sea.
Unlike the Sea of Japan side, the waves are calm, and the ship hardly rocks.
It’s truly a relief not to worry about seasickness.

From the observation deck, I quietly watched the port gradually fade away.
After enjoying the view, I returned to my cabin briefly,
then prepared to go to the 6th-floor restaurant.

18:50, arrived at the restaurant on the 6th floor.

The ferry’s restaurant operates cafeteria-style.
You pick your food on a tray, pay at the checkout, then find a seat.

The menu was more abundant than I expected, and everything looked delicious.
First, I washed my hands, then took a tray and moved along the serving line, where small dishes and salad corners caught my eye.
Further along, there were large plates of side dishes.

Rice and soup sizes are ordered by speaking to the staff, with a size chart displayed near the start of the line.

After choosing my dishes by intuition, I paid and found a seat.
From the restaurant window, I could see the slowly moving night sea.
However, the bright interior reflected my own image in the window, so I squinted to enjoy the view while eating.

After finishing my meal, I headed back to the observation deck.

Around 7:30 PM, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge appeared from the observation deck.
The illuminated bridge faintly floated in the night sky, creating a magical scene.
The framework was barely visible, with only the silhouette standing out.

Before I could fully soak in the moment, the wind grew incredibly strong.
Other visitors’ hair was whipped wildly in every direction, resembling a typhoon broadcast.
While I wanted to say it felt refreshing out at sea, honestly, it was anything but.

My hands holding the camera were unstable, buffeted by gusts strong enough to nearly blow me away.
Although I wanted to admire the bridge a bit longer, I felt it was too much and quickly jogged back inside the ship.

Around 8:00 PM, I arrived at the large public bath on the 7th floor.
Passing through the noren curtain, I saw both the large bath and private shower rooms lined up.
It was the time when many passengers finished dinner and headed to the baths, so the large bath was somewhat crowded.
This time, I chose a private shower room.

The shower room had a changing space and a small window.
Although it was already completely dark outside, the distant city lights could be faintly seen through the window.

After finishing the shower, I stopped by the washbasin area in the large bath to dry my hair with a hairdryer.

On the way back, I bought a cola (180 yen) from a vending machine.
Looking forward to a post-bath drink, I stepped out onto the observation deck, but the wind was still fiercely strong and wild.

I opened the cola and took a sip but quickly realized I couldn’t handle the wind and hurried back inside.

At 10:00 PM, the lights went out simultaneously in the shared standard Japanese and Western-style rooms.
Only the faint light from the stairs softly illuminated the interior.
Everything else was almost pitch black, and a deep silence spread.

It was nearly time to pass under the Seto Ohashi Bridge.
I quietly headed to the observation deck, careful not to make any noise.

At 10:40 PM, I headed again to the observation deck to watch the passage under the Seto Ohashi Bridge.
However, a “No Entry” sign was hung on the door.

The sign read:
“Closed due to strong winds.”

Thinking back to the strong winds near the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, this decision was understandable.
Although it was disappointing for safety reasons, I accepted it.

With no choice, I viewed the Seto Ohashi Bridge through a window inside the ship.
The illuminated bridge floated beautifully over the night sea.

After watching the bridge pass, I returned to my room and quietly went to sleep.

At 5:30 AM, I woke up.
Still a little sleepy, I just took a shower as a wake-up call.

Around 6:00 AM, a ship announcement began:
“Good morning, everyone.”
“The restaurant on the 6th floor is now open.”
“Please feel free to use it.”

Hearing this, I headed to the restaurant for breakfast.

While eating breakfast, the outside gradually brightened.
The menu was more modest than dinner, but still featured appetizing dishes perfect for the morning.

There was mackerel on the menu, but I chose grilled salmon and a fried egg.
The grilled salmon was especially delicious and very satisfying.

After finishing my meal and returning to my room, I realized disembarkation time was approaching.
I hurried to freshen up by washing my face and brushing my teeth.

At that time, announcements for disembarkation started, and the atmosphere onboard became a bit hectic.
Many passengers gathered and waited in the central lobby on the 5th floor.

The voyage was coming to an end, and soon we would arrive at Shinmoji Port.

Around 7:00 AM, the announcement for arrival at Shinmoji Port was made.
About 10 minutes later, disembarkation began and passengers started to leave the ship.

I followed and exited the terminal.
A free shuttle bus bound for Moji and Kokura was waiting outside.
Once everyone boarded, the bus departed toward Moji and Kokura.

At 7:50 AM, we arrived at JR Kokura Station.
Since we arrived at this time, by the time I head to Hakata, it would be just after 9 AM.
This was a perfect time as shopping facilities start to open then.

It takes about 16 minutes to get to Hakata Station by Shinkansen, or about 1 hour 20 minutes by local rapid train.
Access to the city center is convenient, making this a very practical ferry trip.

Including the comfortable time onboard, overall it was a very satisfying journey.

■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
■ Opening Date: April 5, 1998
■ Location: Between Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, and Awaji Island
■ Length: 3,911 meters

■ Name: Seto Bridge
■ Opening Date: April 10, 1988
■ Location: Between Shikoku and Honshu
■ Length: 12,300 meters

■ Name: Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge
■ Opening Date: May 1, 1999
■ Location: Between Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, and Ōshima
■ Length: 4,105 meters