Review of Ferry Osaka II | Meimon Taiyo Ferry | Japan’s Overnight Ferry Experience | Fukuoka – Tsushima

You can enjoy a relaxing voyage in a space designed to evoke the natural beauty of the Seto Inland Sea. The illuminated Seto Ohashi Bridge, which you’ll pass under at night, is a highlight.

The walls of the staircase at the entrance were adorned with panoramic photos of the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.

Boarding Location – Osaka Nanko
Train – Approx. 4-minute walk from Osaka Metro New Tram Ferry Terminal Station
Bus – Immediate access from Nanko Ferry Terminal (Bus Stop)

About 23 minutes from Sakaihigashi Station (Bus Stop) to Nanko Ferry Terminal (Bus Stop) (Adult: 510 yen / Child: 210 yen)

Boarding Location – Shin-Moji Port Ferry Terminal
Bus – About 40 minutes by free shuttle bus from JR Kokura Station (North Exit)
Bus – About 20 minutes by free shuttle bus from JR Moji Station (North Exit)

If you plan to use the free shuttle bus with a wheelchair, you need to inform them by phone one week before boarding.

The most expensive room is the Suite at 23,100 yen, and the cheapest rate is for the Economy room at 7,480 yen.
For boarding, if you have made a web reservation, you can board by having the QR code displayed on your smartphone scanned.

Booking online offers a 20% discount, so it’s highly recommended!
Boarding fees vary depending on the season, so please check the official website for the latest rates.

▼ Official Meimon Taiyo Ferry Website – Fare Page
https://www.cityline.co.jp/fare

Available Locations – Public Spaces Only
Usage – 30 minutes per session, up to 3 times a day, reset at midnight

Ship – Meimon Taiyo Ferry Osaka II
Length – 183 meters
Gross tonnage – 14,920 tons
Service speed – 23.2 knots (42.96 km/h)
Passenger capacity – 713
Vehicle capacity – 105 passenger cars, 146 trucks

The entrance is a distinctive atrium space with a symmetrical design.
It is located right in front of the boarding gate.

In addition to a wide range of souvenirs from Kansai and Kyushu, the store also offers drinks and daily necessities.
You can find plenty of amenities like towels, slippers, shampoo, and razors, so even if you couldn’t prepare your shower items in advance, you’re covered.
Be sure to check out the original items available only on the ferry.

The promenade had many windows, rotating fixed chairs, and long tables.
Many people were eating food they brought with them in the promenade after boarding.

The TV lounge is a relaxation space equipped with a large LCD TV.
There were a few people spending time in the TV lounge during the voyage.

There was also one next to the observation lounge on the 7th floor.

There was also a place for children to play.
The kids’ room has a slide and a TV showing cartoons.

There is a sofa where parents can sit and watch their children.
The kids’ corner is accessible at any time from boarding until docking.

There are two men’s and two women’s toilets on both the 6th and 7th floors.
The toilets were very clean and well-maintained.

The space was impressively wide, making it easy to maneuver even in a wheelchair.
Inside the multipurpose toilet, there was a large diaper changing table for babies.
Though it’s labeled as a barrier-free toilet, it was also equipped with a shower room.

The shower room inside the multipurpose toilet was stocked with three types of products: shampoo, conditioner, and body soap.
A hair dryer was also available, so you can dry your hair (free to use as much as you like).

The game corner had a few crane game machines and slot machines.
It’s nice to have a place to play a bit, even on a long ferry ride where you might get bored.

The game corner is accessible at any time from boarding until docking.

Coin lockers are convenient for storing valuables and large items like souvenirs!

Smoking rooms are provided on each floor.
The rooms are simple, with no chairs, just ashtrays and trash cans.

There is a long, narrow ventilation vent on the ceiling.

The vending machines offer not only drinks but also cup noodles and ice cream.
The vending machine corner is equipped with a water dispenser, a machine to charge smartphones, and a microwave to heat up food.

It’s great to be able to warm up meals like bento and bread.
By the way, there’s also a vending machine for alcohol! (mostly beer)

The shower rooms are located inside the large bath area.
The men’s and women’s areas are separate, with blue curtains for men and red curtains for women.

The shower rooms are equipped with conditioner, shampoo, and body soap.

There are no amenities like towels or toothbrushes, so make sure to bring your own!

The shower room uses a water-saving mechanism where the duration of hot water flow depends on how hard you press the faucet.
When I used the shower, the maximum duration of continuous hot water flow was about 20 seconds.

There are only two hair dryers, so you might need to take turns if it’s busy.
The shower rooms are available from boarding until just before arrival.

From the bath in the large bath area, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the vast ocean during the voyage.
The large bath areas are separated for men and women, with blue curtains for men and red curtains for women.

It’s nice that you can check the congestion level via a monitor in the hallway!

The observation lounge is a relaxation spot with large windows to view the outside scenery.
The lounge is furnished with sofas and chairs.

The lighting here is dimmer compared to other areas, creating a calm atmosphere.

You can see a variety of views, including the starry sky over the Seto Inland Sea, illuminated bridges and cityscapes at night, and the vast ocean at dawn.

The deck can get lively when passing under the three large bridges or during departure.

The observation restaurant is spacious, with sofa seating towards the back.
If you purchase breakfast and dinner together, the usual 2,600 yen is reduced to 2,400 yen, saving you 200 yen!

▼ Details about the Meimon Taiyo Ferry Observation Restaurant
https://www.cityline.co.jp/attraction/restaurant

The dinner had a wide variety of dishes.
There was delicious Chinese food, fried dishes, stews, and more.

The katsuo tataki was all-you-can-eat, but the boiled shrimp was particularly tasty!

Some people peeled the shrimp, but I ate them with the shells on.
There was a slight hint of salt, which was great. I recommend it!

Breakfast was not a buffet like dinner but rather a light meal.
There were two types of bread: butter rolls and toast. There’s a conveyor oven near the bread section, so you can toast them.
Place the bread on the conveyor and it will come out from the back after a while. Toasting it twice can burn the bread, so once is usually enough.

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi) connects Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture with Awaji Island.
Bridge Length – Total Length: 3,911 meters

Opened in 1998, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is currently the second longest suspension bridge in the world (the longest is the Çanakkale Bridge in Turkey at 4,608 meters).
Known for its impressive beauty and advanced technology, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is a prominent tourist attraction both in Japan and internationally.
It also serves as a crucial regional transportation infrastructure linking Honshu and Awaji Island.

The Seto Ohashi Bridge connects Kurashiki City in Okayama Prefecture with Sakaide City in Kagawa Prefecture.
Bridge Length – Total Length: 12,300 meters

Opened in 1988, the Seto Ohashi Bridge functions as a vital transportation infrastructure linking Shikoku and Honshu by land.
It is a collective term for six connected bridges:

– Shimotsui Seto Ohashi (Shimotsui Seto Ohashi) Okayama – Hitsuishi Island
– Hitsuishi Island Bridge (Hitsuishi Jima Bashi) Hitsuishi Island – Iwaguro Island
– Iwaguro Island Bridge (Iwaguro Jima Bashi) Iwaguro Island – Hasajima
– Yosima Bridge (Yoshima Bashi) Hasajima – Yoshima
– Kita Bisanseto Ohashi (Kita Bisanseto Ohashi) Yoshima – Mitsugo Island
– Minami Bisanseto Ohashi (Minami Bisanseto Ohashi) Yoshima – Ban-no-shu

The Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge connects Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture with Oshima.
Bridge Length – Total Length: 4,105 meters

The Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge is the world’s first triple-span suspension bridge connecting Oshima and Imabari.
Designed to accommodate the fast and complex tidal currents in the area, it combines the experience from the Seto Ohashi and Akashi Kaikyo Bridges with the latest technology.