Ferry Umiterashi Cruise Review | Tsushima to Fukuoka Travel Guide

1:40 p.m., Hitakatsu Port (bus stop), Tsushima.
Today’s ride is on Kyushu Yusen’s “Umiterashi.”
The destination is Hakata Port in Fukuoka.
A sea journey of about five hours.

The boarding terminal is the “Hitakatsu Port Domestic Terminal.”
It’s about a 13-minute walk from the bus stop.
You’ll need to cross the bridge you can see from here.

It’s also possible to take a bus, but services are infrequent, and the timing might not line up well.
It would be helpful if Kyushu Yusen officially provided bus timetables, but this time I opted to walk.

If walking feels a bit tiring, taking a taxi is also an option.
The distance is short, but if you’re carrying luggage or it’s a hot summer day, it’s quite convenient.

2:05 p.m., I arrived at the domestic terminal.
I completed the boarding procedure at the counter and received my boarding ticket.

Boarding was scheduled to begin at 3:40 p.m., so I might’ve arrived a bit too early.
I still had about an hour and a half before departure.

I spent the time strolling around the terminal area and quietly gazing at the sea near the port.

At 3:40 p.m., a boarding announcement was made inside the terminal.

At the gangway leading to the ship, a crew member was tearing boarding passes.
After handing mine over, I received the stub in return.

I proceeded up the gangway and entered the ship.
From there, I climbed the stairs to the passenger cabin.

This ship has only shared seating, but a wide variety of room types—
large tatami rooms, chair seating, lounges, and salons—making it easy to find a spot that suits you.

At boarding, most corner spots were already taken, but I managed to secure an open corner in one of the large shared rooms.
I grabbed a loaner pillow and laid down to rest.

After placing my luggage, I did a light walk-through of the ship and headed for the observation deck.

4:00 p.m., the ferry departed Hitakatsu Port right on time.
The five-hour voyage to Hakata Port had begun.

Shortly after departure, an onboard announcement played:
“Thank you for traveling with Kyushu Yusen’s Umiterashi today.”
“There are some waves at sea, so please watch your step when moving around the ship.”

With the waves in mind, I had to be careful about seasickness.
After watching the departure scenery for a while, I returned to my room and lay down to rest.

4:30 p.m., I bought some water and a pack of CalorieMate from the vending machine.
It’s not a good idea to stay on an empty stomach if you want to avoid seasickness.
I moved to the chair seating area and ate while enjoying the view outside.

It had been a while since I last had CalorieMate, and I forgot how dry it was—
I ended up drinking a lot of water just to get it down.
As a result, I felt overly full. A definite miscalculation.

After relaxing in the chair seating area for a while, I headed back to the large room
and decided to sleep before the ship started rocking more heavily.

8:30 p.m., I woke up.
I hadn’t slept at all.

There was some rocking, but what was worse was the sound—
Waves constantly crashed against the hull with explosive, bell-like booms that echoed through the ship every few seconds.

It seemed like other passengers hadn’t slept much either.
It wasn’t just loud—it reverberated through your body, making you flinch involuntarily.
We’d been warned about the waves during the departure announcement,
but I hadn’t expected to be woken up by the sound itself.

Totally unexpected.

A few minutes later, another onboard announcement was made.
At Hakata Port, the uppermost observation deck would be used as the disembarkation exit.
Hearing the announcement, passengers began gathering at the deck.

9:02 p.m., we arrived at Hakata Port, seven minutes behind schedule.
A movable ramp was quietly connected, and disembarkation began.

After getting off the ship, I headed to the Hakata Pier bus stop.
From Hakata Pier to Hakata Station, it’s about a 15-minute bus ride (¥240).
The ship offers great accessibility to the city center.

This ferry is also popular among anglers—
since it departs Hakata at night and arrives in the morning, it perfectly lines up with the early morning fishing window.

According to my research, during winter, you can catch black porgy, Spanish mackerel, yellowtail, longtooth grouper, blackthroat seaperch, and squid.

Man, boarding a ferry with a fishing rod sounds like a great idea.
I’d love to ride this ferry to Tsushima again someday, just for fishing.