Meimon Taiyo Ferry Kitakyushu II Review | Fukuoka to Osaka

14:50 — JR Kokura Station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka.
Today’s ferry is the Meimon Taiyo Ferry “Ferry Kitakyushu II.”
It’s a 12.5-hour voyage from Shinmoji Port to Osaka Nanko.

I’m about to board the free shuttle bus from Kokura Station to the port.

Today is December 31 — New Year’s Eve.
For the first time in my life, I’ll be ringing in the New Year aboard a ferry.

Looking down from Kokura Station toward the bus stop, I saw a long line of passengers already waiting.
Normally, this spot would still be quiet even 10 minutes before departure — but with an hour to go, there was already a long line.
It truly feels like New Year’s.

15:15 — The shuttle bus arrived far earlier than scheduled.

“Wait, isn’t it too early?”

The original departure time was supposed to be 15:40, but it showed up 25 minutes ahead of schedule.

To handle the year-end crowds, they seemed to be running two buses today.
As expected, New Year’s Eve brings in a huge number of passengers.

I got on the first bus that arrived, which departed at 15:22.
The second bus would depart at the originally scheduled time of 15:40.

15:53 — Arrived at Shinmoji Port.
The terminal wasn’t as crowded as I had expected.

After completing the boarding process and receiving my ticket, I headed to the second-floor boarding gate.

I arrived at my reserved room.
It was a shared “Tourist” room, the second most affordable type, with a design similar to a capsule hotel.

It came with a mattress, pillow, and comforter.
A curtain provides privacy, making it feel like a semi-private space.

The ferry interior was filled with New Year’s spirit.
In the central lobby, the Japanese flag and Meimon Taiyo Ferry flag were proudly displayed.
Between them hung a banner reading “Happy New Year.”

One minute before departure,
a gong sounded at the boarding gate next to the lobby, signaling departure throughout the ship.

At that sound, I made my way to the observation deck.

17:30 — The ferry quietly departed Shinmoji Port,
marking the start of a 12.5-hour voyage to Osaka Nanko.
“Hotaru no Hikari” played over the ship’s speakers,
and from the observation deck, I could see staff members waving large flags to send us off.

I felt grateful, and at the same time,
wondered if their arms were okay — they were waving with such gusto.

I caught sight of the second ferry, “Ferry Fukuoka.”
Framed by the setting sun, it looked like a perfectly staged scene.

The ferry I boarded is the first of the day, arriving in Osaka before sunrise.
But the second ferry allows you to greet the New Year’s sunrise at sea.

Someday, I’d love to take the second ferry for a New Year’s voyage.

This ferry route goes through the Seto Inland Sea.
Unlike the Sea of Japan, the waters are calm, with hardly any of the typical large swaying motions.
With no risk of seasickness, you can fully enjoy your meal.
After watching the departure from the observation deck, I headed to the 6th-floor restaurant.

I arrived at the 6th-floor observation restaurant.
At the entrance was a sign that read:
“Year-end soba on sale from 20:30 (¥420).”

“Toshikoshi soba” is a Japanese year-end tradition, and I eat it every year.
But I never really knew why — so I looked it up again.
There are two main reasons:

First, the long, thin noodles symbolize a wish for long life and prosperity.
Second, because soba breaks easily, it represents cutting off the hardships of the past year.

“Toshikoshi soba” is a seasonal offering, available only on year-end sailings.
But before that, it was time to enjoy the dinner buffet.

One of the joys of a buffet is being able to take as much of what you like as you want.
French fries, fried chicken, boiled shrimp, yakisoba—
and mimiga, a dish made by slicing and boiling pig’s ear.
Everything looked delicious and appetite-inducing.

After grabbing my food, I took a seat and enjoyed a slow, relaxed meal while watching the sunset.

While I was eating, an announcement came over the ship’s speakers:
“Tomorrow morning’s breakfast will feature a special New Year’s set meal.”
“Reservations are being accepted at the information counter until 8:00 p.m. today.”
“We hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity.”

Spending New Year’s Eve aboard a ferry and now a special New Year’s meal? I couldn’t resist.
So, after finishing my dinner, I immediately headed to the information counter.

I successfully reserved the New Year’s set for ¥750.
A special meal to mark the start of the year.

I couldn’t wait to see what it would include.

At 20:30, it was finally time for toshikoshi soba.
After paying at the entrance of the restaurant, I went inside where staff were handing out soba.

I handed over my receipt and was given a pair of chopsticks, a wet towel, and the soba.
But the moment I picked up the disposable bowl of soba, I noticed it immediately.

“Wait… it’s lukewarm…”

Through the bowl, I could feel that it was only faintly warm.
It was clear the soba had been sitting for a while.
I’d imagined a steaming hot bowl, so I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed.

Still, this was toshikoshi soba.
The act of eating it holds meaning.

With that in mind, I quietly picked up my chopsticks.

On top of the soba were two slices of fried tofu, two slices of fish cake, and generous portions of wakame seaweed and green onions.
Surprisingly hearty.

The noodles, however, were still lukewarm.
They were soft from sitting too long, and they broke apart easily when lifted with chopsticks.
They were so tender, even baby teeth could manage them.

If soba symbolizes cutting away the struggles of the past year, then these easily broken noodles were oddly convincing.

What really got to me was the broth — it was unexpectedly flavorful.
Annoyingly good, in fact.

After finishing the soba, I left the restaurant.

Just a little bit left of the year.
I returned to my room, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed to the large communal bath.

I arrived at the 6th-floor large bath.
The monitor displayed “Moderately Crowded.”
Out of a 12-person capacity, 10 were currently using it.

…Wait, isn’t that basically full?
I couldn’t help but think so.

Honestly, instead of calling it “moderately,” just labeling it “crowded” would’ve been more helpful.

With that in mind, I headed to the shower room one floor up.
But that too was fully occupied.

I gave up and returned to my room.

Around 22:00, the lights were turned off in the room.
Only the “Economy” and “Tourist” shared room types are subject to this lights-out policy.
The room became pitch black — so dark I couldn’t even see my hands.

The only light came from the emergency exit sign above the doorway.

I quietly stepped out of the room and headed to the observation deck.

At 22:30, we passed under the Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge.
The illuminated structure stood out sharply against the night sky, creating a dreamlike scene.

On the observation deck, there were about 4 or 5 of us, including myself.
Some silently took photos. Others gazed up at the bridge.
And one person looked on the verge of going mad from the cold.

Honestly, I completely understood how they felt.
The perceived temperature was probably around 3°C.
The sea breeze pierced right through to your ears.

After thoroughly taking in the sight of the bridge, I jogged back inside.
To warm my chilled body, I grabbed a change of clothes and made for the shower room.

At 23:30, I arrived at the shower room.
At this hour, it was finally empty — I had the place all to myself.

Through the small window, I could see nothing but pitch-black sea.
In complete silence — not even the sound of waves — I took a long, 20-minute shower.

After drying my hair, I headed back to the observation deck for a change of pace.

I arrived at the observation deck.
Fresh out of the shower, the cold air actually felt just right against my skin.

I checked my watch — 11:59 p.m.
The countdown to the New Year had begun.
Alone, beneath the deck lights, floating above the frigid black sea, I quietly welcomed the moment.

—Happy New Year!!!

I wasn’t saying it to anyone in particular. I simply looked up at the dark sky.
No overwhelming emotions, no one to celebrate with.

Just a calm, matter-of-fact feeling as I thought, *“Well, it’s officially a new year.”*
Even this subtle sense of emptiness might be part of what makes a ferry trip so unique.

When the cold became unbearable, I returned to my room and went to sleep.

At 3:47 a.m., I woke up.
I was *exhausted*.
But it was almost time to pass under the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge.

Give in to sleep or get up to see the bridge?
Not much of a choice — I dragged my drowsy body to the sink, washed my face, and forced the sleepiness away.

Then I headed for the observation deck.

The deck was completely still in the middle of the night.
And—wow—it was *freezing*!!!

At 3:57 a.m., the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge came into view.
A massive structure glowing vividly in the darkness.
Beyond it, the softly lit cityscape of Kobe stretched into the distance.

There were around 7 or 8 people on the deck, including me.
Some snapped photos, then left satisfied. Others stood silently and stared.

I did neither — just stood there with my camera in hand, unmoving.

The freezing wind stung my ears.
Once I’d taken in the view, I hurried off to the shower room.

At 4:30 a.m., the observation restaurant opened.
I gave my name, paid, and received my food.

First, I picked up a tray of *osechi* (traditional New Year’s dishes), followed by *ozōni* soup and rice.
There was a choice between white rice and red rice — I picked the celebratory red without hesitation.

Kamaboko fish cake stamped with “Kotobuki” (congratulations), burdock root, and candied sardines—
all traditional dishes meant to bring good luck.

The broth of the *ozōni* was piping hot — unlike last night’s lukewarm soba, it actually felt warming.

Satisfied, I left the restaurant with a full belly and a good feeling.

At 5:15 a.m., an announcement came over the speakers: we had arrived at Osaka Nanko.
The ferry journey was nearing its end.

Passengers began gathering in the lobby.
I hadn’t realized so many people had been on board.

As I got ready to disembark, I took in the moment.

At 5:33 a.m., disembarkation began.
The walk to the terminal was longer than expected — it took 3 to 4 minutes just to reach the waiting area.

Finally, I arrived at the terminal.
Passengers scattered like spiders, quickly disappearing into the city of Osaka.

I followed the flow and headed toward the Ferry Terminal Station.

For the record, the walk from the ferry terminal to the station was also quite the trek.

This first-ever New Year’s ferry journey turned out to be a truly memorable experience.

■Ferry Terminal: Osaka South Port Ferry Terminal
■Address: 2-2-24 Nanko Minami, Suminoe-ku, Osaka 559-0032
■Business Hours: Open year-round, 9:00 AM to 7:50 PM
■Phone Number: 06-6613-1402

■Ferry Terminal: Shinmoji Port Ferry Terminal
■Address: 1-6 Shinmoji, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 800-0115
■Business Hours: Open year-round, 9:00 AM to 7:50 PM
■Phone Number: 093-481-1780

■ Name: Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
■ Opened: April 5, 1998
■ Location: Between Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture and Awaji Island
■ Bridge Length: 3,911 meters

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

■ Name: Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge
■ Opened: May 1, 1999
■ Location: Between Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture and Oshima
■ Bridge Length: 4,105 meters