Ferry Yakushima 2 Trip Experience! How to Book

■ Ferry Terminal: South Wharf Passenger Terminal
■ Address: 6 Honkō Shinmachi, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, 892-0814

■ Ferry Terminal: Miyano-ura Port
■ Address: 1208-1 Miyano-ura, Kamiyaku Town, Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture, 892-0814

12:10 PM, Miyanoura Port, Yakushima.
Today, I’m taking Orita Kisen’s “Ferry Yakushima 2” to Kagoshima Port.
The journey will take approximately 4 hours.
On the first floor of the Miyanoura Port Ferry Terminal, there is a ticket counter, with a waiting area behind it.
I first purchased my ticket at the counter and then went to the waiting room.
However, the room was filled with port staff who appeared to be lying down, so I hesitated to enter.
I decided to head upstairs to the second floor of the terminal, where I found a worker lying down on a bench resting.
Finding a quiet place to sit was a bit of a challenge, so in the end, I spent about an hour outside sitting on a bench.

At 12:41 PM, Ferry Yakushima 2 arrived from Kagoshima Port with passengers.
The staff, who had been resting in the terminal, quickly stood up, put on helmets, and made their way toward the dock.
As the ferry neared the shore, a “hawser gun” was fired from the bow, and a rope was quickly thrown toward the port.

At 12:56 PM, boarding began.
The gangway was set up a minute’s walk from the waiting area, and passengers boarded the ship.
The gangway was surprisingly steep, and it was quite challenging to carry my heavy suitcase up it.
Additionally, the gangway was a little wet due to the rain, and the rusty metal steps felt slippery, making me cautious as I climbed.
I carefully made my way up and successfully boarded the ship.
At the boarding area, a crew member approached me and said,
“You can leave your luggage at the bottom of the stairs. If you’re in a shared room, please place your luggage there.”
Since the second-class room is shared, it seems the rule is to store large luggage in the common area to maximize space.
Following the instructions, I placed my suitcase at the luggage storage area near the stairs and headed to the shared room.

The cabin was a large shared second-class room, the cheapest type of cabin on this ship.
In a shared room, securing a good spot is crucial.
Since it’s first-come, first-served, arriving early is the key to a comfortable stay.
I was lucky enough to grab a corner spot in the room.
There was also a fitting room in the corner for changing clothes.
A CRT TV was available, but it was playing old Japanese movies.
The pillows provided in the cabin were leather-type, but they had holes and tears, so I placed a towel on the pillow to make it more comfortable.
After stowing my things, I headed to the wooden deck outside the ship.

The deck on Ferry Yakushima 2 is made of wooden planks, giving it a warm, rustic feel.
However, due to aging, there were some signs of decay in places.
On the day of the trip, it was raining, and some parts of the flooring felt a bit soft, as if they were sinking when stepped on.
While wooden decks have a great aesthetic, their durability has limitations, which can lead to divided opinions.
Regular maintenance, such as applying preservatives, anti-insect treatments, and repainting to prevent fading, is essential.
Ferry Yakushima 2 has been in service for over 30 years, and the wooden deck may soon be reaching its limit.
Recently, the ferry has been conducting a crowdfunding campaign, so check it out for more information.
(As of April 11, 2025, the crowdfunding ended with a total of 5,817,055 yen raised.)

At 1:30 PM, Ferry Yakushima 2 departed from Miyanoura Port on time.
Although the weather was cloudy, the rain had stopped just as we left the port, and the mountains could be faintly seen in the distance.
The udon corner inside the ship would open in about 30 minutes, so I decided to return to my cabin and relax until then.

At 2:00 PM, the udon corner opened, so I ordered the beef udon (680 yen).
The noodles were soft, almost like they had been cooked for a long time, and lacked much firmness.
However, the broth was rich, and it turned out to be tastier than I expected.
The udon corner was only open for 30 minutes, so I had to eat quickly and didn’t have much time to relax.

At 2:40 PM, after finishing my udon, I wanted to go outside for a change of scenery, but the deck was closed.
When I asked a crew member, they explained,
“The sea conditions are bad, and the wind is getting stronger, so the deck is closed for safety reasons.”
“There’s no set time for when it will reopen, but it’s expected to be opened in about an hour.”
Indeed, after being informed, I noticed the ship was starting to rock quite a bit.
Since I wanted to avoid seasickness, I decided to go back to my cabin and take a nap.

4:30 PM — I had taken a nap for about two hours.
By the time I woke up, the observation deck had already been reopened, so I stepped outside.
From the wooden deck, I could see Mt. Kaimon in Kagoshima.
At just the right moment, a Tane Yaku Jetfoil ferry passed by, bathed in the orange glow of the sunset.
It was probably the 3:45 PM departure bound for Tanegashima.
About two hours before arrival, the scenery around Kagoshima in the sunset light was breathtaking — a moment I’d personally recommend not to miss.

4:37 PM — A shipwide announcement came on:
“We are now opening the Sea Turtle Room.”
On the first floor of Orita Kisen’s Ferry Yakushima 2, there is a space called the “Sea Turtle Room.”
Here, you can see baby sea turtles swimming in a large aquarium.
It was originally scheduled to open around 4:00 PM, but today’s opening was slightly delayed.
A sign on the entrance door stated that opening times may vary depending on the weather, so the delay was likely due to sea conditions.
Inside the tank, two baby sea turtles swam around peacefully.
One of them was resting quietly on a patch of seaweed, and its adorable appearance had me mesmerized for a while.
The Sea Turtle Room also features panel exhibits about sea turtle conservation, offering a learning experience as well.
Though a small space, it was a calm and heartwarming place that conveyed the value of life and the importance of environmental awareness.

5:28 PM — As the sun began to set, the lights on the observation deck gradually turned on.
The ferry was originally scheduled to arrive at Kagoshima Port in about 10 minutes, but delays had occurred due to rough seas.
In the distance, I could faintly see the silhouette of Sakurajima.
I spent the time quietly gazing at the twilight scenery and returned to my room just before nightfall fully set in.

6:03 PM — We arrived at Kagoshima Port.
At that moment, I realized I had completely forgotten one thing.
This ferry uses a hawser gun launched from the bow to deliver the mooring rope to the dock.
While I was absentmindedly watching the quiet Kagoshima Port from the bow deck, a loud bang suddenly rang out right in front of me.
I jumped and muttered a startled “Whoa…” to myself, left stunned in place.
Five minutes later, disembarkation began, and I left the ship.

After disembarking, several taxis were waiting just outside.
Since there’s quite a distance to the nearest stations, taking a taxi is convenient.
I opted to walk about 15 minutes to Izuro-dori Station and then took the streetcar to Kagoshima-Chuo Station.
The ride from Izuro-dori to Kagoshima-Chuo took 16 minutes and cost 170 yen.
It had been a 4.5-hour ferry journey, during which I enjoyed experiences unique to this ship — like observing sea turtles and trying the limited-time udon corner.
Thank you for reading to the end.