Ferry Kuniga Cruise Review | How to Travel to Oki Islands

12:54 p.m., at JR Sakaiminato Station in Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture.
Today’s ferry is the Oki Kisen “Ferry Kuniga.”
The destination is Oki no Shimacho’s Saigo Port.
The route calls at Sakaiminato, Chibu Village, Nishinoshima Town, and finally Saigo Port in Oki no Shimacho.
It’s about a 4 hour and 30-minute journey.

I headed to the ticket counter, but a sign said sales would start at 1:00 p.m.
While waiting, I filled out the boarding documents and checked the wave heights for the day.

At 1:00 p.m. the counter opened, and I completed the boarding procedures smoothly.
The ticket was made of thick paper, with a nostalgic texture and size like old-fashioned hard tickets.

1:25 p.m., passengers from Oki no Shima were steadily disembarking from the ship.
Today the sea was rough, with waves over 4 meters.
Many looked tired and walked heavily.

Some passengers looked pale and unwell, with a mother gently stroking one’s back.

Oki Kisen’s cancellation threshold is waves of 4 to 5 meters.
This time, the ferry sailed despite the rough sea.

Whether lucky or unlucky, this was my first visit to the Oki Islands.
I felt like I had already received a baptism by the sea.

This time, I stayed in the cheapest shared room, the “second class room.”
It’s a large room with bunk-style sleeping, where securing a spot is first-come, first-served.

In a dormitory-style room, how quickly you board determines your comfort.
Where you can secure a place makes a big difference, so it’s a race to get a spot.

Fortunately, I secured a spot by the window, so I put down my luggage and felt relieved.
I then headed to the outdoor deck.

2:10 p.m., the ship departed Sakaiminato on schedule.
If all goes as planned, the first stop at Chibu Village should be about two and a half hours later.

After walking around the ship for a while, I returned to my room and lay down.

Back in the large dormitory room, most passengers were already asleep.
The TV volume was very low, almost inaudible.

It was February, so the ship interior was cold.
Many passengers borrowed blue blankets.
The blankets cost 30 yen each and can be used by inserting money into the box at the entrance.

I chose to rest quietly, wearing my coat,
avoiding walking around the dormitory while everyone else was asleep.

4:40 p.m., arrival at Kurii Port, Chibu Village.
Despite the rough waves, the delay was only about 5 minutes.

Due to the waves, the usual second-floor rampway was not used,
and the gangway was connected to the first-floor disembarkation door.

For that reason, disembarkation was done with some caution,
but passenger movement was very smooth.
Boarding and disembarking were completed in about 2 minutes.

At 4:46 p.m., the ship set off again toward the next stop, Nishinoshima Town.

5:10 p.m., arrival at Beppu Port, Nishinoshima Town.
The ship arrived on schedule.

On the shore, there was a large illustration featuring a yokai from Mizuki Shigeru’s famous work “GeGeGe no Kitaro”:
“Itan-momen” with “Medama Oyaji” sitting on top.
The words “Thank you” welcomed visitors warmly.

I was a bit surprised at the relatively large number of passengers boarding at Beppu Port.
I’m sure the cheapest dormitory room is fully booked…
With that thought, I absentmindedly watched the terminal corridor.

At 5:25 p.m., the ship departed with a 5-minute delay.

I stopped by the onboard shop for an early dinner.
That’s because I had traveled from Tokyo to Tottori on a rocking sleeper train this morning,
getting almost no sleep.
Then came the voyage over 4-meter high waves.
I had no energy left to walk around after arriving at Oki Islands.

The shop also offered boxed meals with meat.
I chose a lunch box containing mackerel and croquettes.
It cost 750 yen.
I thought it was a bit expensive for the contents, but I had no choice and ate it for dinner.

It tasted good.

After finishing my meal, the 4-meter waves really started.

The ride was relatively calm from Chibu Village to Nishinoshima Town,
so why did it suddenly get rough here?
That’s because the Oki Islands act as a natural breakwater.

The islands of Chibu Village, Ama Town, and Nishinoshima Town (Shimane’s “Shimamae” islands) are arranged to reduce swell penetration.
On the other hand, the Sea of Japan outside these islands is easily affected by wind and currents, making the waves rough.
The stretch from the mainland to Chibu Village, and then from Nishinoshima to Oki no Shimacho,
is the high-wave area.

The ship started to rock heavily, so I set an alarm and fell asleep.

6:35 p.m., arrival at Saigo Port, Oki no Shimacho.
When I went out to the observation deck, snow was quietly falling and accumulating.
Oki no Shimacho was covered in a layer of snow.

It looked like it would be a cold night.

Although the voyage was rough due to high waves,
the ferry arrived safely and on schedule.
Thanks to the captain’s precise navigation and smooth boarding and disembarkation at ports,
I felt the good coordination of Oki Kisen.
There were about 5 minutes of delay at each port,
but the ferry ultimately arrived as planned.
I was surprised that the rough waves did not cause a major delay.

After arrival, the rampway on the second floor was connected,
and passengers disembarked in order.

I was already tired, so I decided to explore Oki no Shima starting tomorrow.
I now head along the snowy streets of Oki no Shimacho to the inn I booked.

■ Ferry Terminal: Sakaiminato Passenger Service Office
■ Address: 215 Taishōmachi, Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture 684-0004, 1st Floor Minato Sakaiminato Exchange Center
■ Phone: 0859-44-4281

■ Ferry Terminal: Shichirui Service Office
■ Address: 3246-1 Shichirui, Mihonoseki Town, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture 690-1311
■ Phone: 0852-72-2215

■ Ferry Terminal: Kurii Service Office
■ Address: 1730-6 Chibu Village, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture 684-0100
■ Phone: 08514-8-2359

■ Ferry Terminal: Nishinoshima Service Office
■ Address: 4386-3 Mitahachiman-mae, Nishinoshima Town, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture 684-0303
■ Phone: 08514-7-8024

■ Ferry Terminal: Saigo Service Office
■ Address: 61 Nakamachi Mekun no Shi, Oki no Shima Town, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture 685-0013
■ Phone: 08512-2-2266

■ Ferry Terminal: Saigo Service Office
■ Address: 61 Nakamachi Mekun no Shi, Oki no Shima Town, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture 685-0013
■ Phone: 08512-2-2266