Ferry Chikushi Cruise Review | Iki & Tsushima Travel Guide

9:50 p.m., Hakata Station in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Tonight’s ship is Kyushu Yusen’s “Ferry Chikushi.”
The destination is Izuhara Port on Tsushima Island.
This route goes via Iki Island and then heads to Tsushima.
It’s about a 5-hour ferry journey.

The boarding terminal is “Hakata Port 2nd Terminal.”
From here, I will take a bus bound for the port departing from in front of Hakata Station.
The bus left at 10:05 p.m.
The ride to Hakata Port took about 15 minutes (240 yen).

10:20 p.m., arrival at Hakata Port.
It was about a 1-minute walk from the bus stop to the terminal.
I entered on the first floor and went up to the ticket counter on the second floor.

Hakata Port 2nd Terminal houses two ferry companies: Nomo Shipping and Kyushu Yusen.
Nomo Shipping operates to the Goto Islands from Nagasaki,
while Kyushu Yusen serves Iki and Tsushima routes.

I completed the procedures at the Kyushu Yusen counter and received my boarding pass.

In the terminal waiting room, several people in camouflage uniforms were also waiting.
Since there is a Self-Defense Forces base on Tsushima,
this ferry is apparently also used by SDF personnel.

Then, at 11:57 p.m., boarding began.
The departure time was 12:05 a.m., so boarding started almost immediately.
It was a pretty last-minute start.

Tonight’s sleeping quarters is the ship’s only private room, the “First Class Room.”
It is the most expensive room but comes with a somewhat unusual feature.

On days with high occupancy, you might have to share the room with others.
Even though you pay a premium for a private room, depending on the situation, you may end up sharing it.
What kind of private room is that…?

That made me wonder if it might be better to choose a cheaper shared room from the start,
but that’s also a tricky decision.

The room was equipped with pillows and blankets for four people,
plus hangers, a full-length mirror, and an air purifier.

While organizing my luggage in the room,
a crew member came by with a binder in hand.
Apparently, they were going room to room to inform passengers about late check-out.

The ship is scheduled to arrive at Izuhara Port at 4:45 a.m.
Normally, passengers disembark at that time,
but if you request late check-out, you can stay onboard until 7 a.m.

Since I planned to take the first bus at 7:03 a.m.,
the timing was perfect.
I immediately requested late check-out.

After that, I headed to the observation deck.

At 12:05 a.m., the ship departed Hakata Port on schedule.
Shortly after, an announcement was made onboard.

“Thank you very much for choosing Kyushu Yusen’s Ferry Chikushi today.”
“The ship is scheduled to arrive at Iki (Ashibe Port) at 2:15 a.m. and Tsushima (Izuhara Port) around 4:45 a.m.”
“At 12:30 a.m., the lights in the cabins will be dimmed.”
“Please relax and rest until we arrive at each port.”

After the announcement, I took a short walk around the ship,
then returned to my room for about an hour’s nap.

At 2:15 a.m., the ship arrived at Ashibe Port on Iki Island.
Disembarking began immediately, but only a few passengers got off.
In just about five minutes, the disembarkation was quickly completed.

At 2:25 a.m., the ship departed Ashibe Port on schedule,
heading toward the final destination, Tsushima.

I returned to my room and took another two-hour nap.

At 4:45 a.m., the ship arrived at Izuhara Port, Tsushima.
Once the first disembarkation started,
many passengers began to get off one after another.

Afterward, I looked around the ship,
and the large shared cabin that had more than 30 passengers at boarding was now completely empty.

Once the first disembarkation was done,
the gangway was detached temporarily, and no one could disembark for a while.

Then, at 5:06 a.m., all power on board suddenly went out for a moment.
It was restored a few seconds later,
but the air purifiers and lights stopped working,
leaving the room in complete silence.

Before I knew it, I had slept for about an hour.

Around 6:20 a.m., I bought cup noodles (250 yen) and water (150 yen) from the vending machine for a light breakfast.
However, since hot water was only available on the first floor,
it was a bit inconvenient having to go fetch it.

Breakfast was in a special area accessible only to first class passengers —
the top-floor “Sky Lounge.”
This open space with 360-degree glass windows lets you enjoy the outside view from every seat.

After eating, I went out onto the adjacent outdoor deck to get some fresh air and refresh myself.
After a while, a crew member announced, “You may disembark now.”

I returned to my room, packed my belongings, and quietly left the ship.

In front of the terminal, a bus bound for Hitakatsu was already waiting.
I boarded the bus and headed further north on Tsushima.

At 7:03 a.m., the bus departed Izuhara Port on schedule.
The trip to Hitakatsu takes about 2 hours and 25 minutes.
It’s surprisingly a long journey.

I wanted to leisurely enjoy the island scenery,
but I was just too sleepy.
I spent most of the ride leaning against the wall, almost asleep.

This time coincided with the school rush hour.
Students in uniforms kept boarding at the stops along the way.

Tsushima has three high schools — Kamitsushima High School, Toyotama High School, and Izuhara High School.
Especially, commuting from Izuhara to Toyotama takes about an hour by bus,
so you need to catch the first bus to make it on time.

The Tsushima Kotsu buses that run this route every morning are truly the lifeline of the island.

At 9:28 a.m., I arrived at Hitakatsu bus stop.
Just before getting off, I had a casual chat with the driver.

Me: “Does this bus stop at Hitakatsu Port?”
Driver: “No, it doesn’t. The last stop is the International Terminal.”
Driver: “…By the way, where did you come from?”
Me: “I came from Fukuoka!”
Driver: “No, no (laughs), where did you board?”
Me: “Oh, from Izuhara Port!”
Driver: “Then a free pass would be cheaper for you. It’s 1,040 yen and valid all day.”
Me: “Oh! Thank you so much!”
Driver: “Since this bus ends at the International Terminal, please keep that in mind.”

The driver kindly suggested the cheapest ticket to me,
which was a big help since I was quite sleepy and spaced out.

By the way, the regular one-way fare from Izuhara to Hitakatsu is 3,380 yen,
but with the one-day free pass (1,040 yen),
the difference is huge.
That really improved my impression of Tsushima.

You can buy this free pass directly on the bus.
Just tell the driver, “One-day free pass, please.”

I hope this info helps anyone planning to travel around Tsushima.
For now, I’m going to buy breakfast at a nearby supermarket.