Ferry Yakushima 2 Cruise Review | How to Travel to Kagoshima

12:10 p.m., Yakushima Miyanoura Port.
Today’s boarding ship is Orita Kisen’s “Ferry Yakushima 2.”
The destination is Kagoshima Port in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The voyage takes about 4 hours.

On the first floor of the Miyanoura Port ferry terminal is the ticket counter, and beyond it, the waiting room.
I first purchased my ticket at the counter.
When I headed to the waiting room, a person who seemed to be a port staff was lying across the bench, making it a bit awkward to enter.
Trying to stay positive, I went up to the second floor of the terminal, but there a worker was lying down resting on a bench.

In a good way, it showed the island’s relaxed vibe… a sight you rarely see in the city.
In the end, I couldn’t find a comfortable place to sit, so I went outside, sat down, and spent about an hour there.

12:41 p.m., Ferry Yakushima 2 arrived at Miyanoura Port from Kagoshima Port, carrying passengers.
The staff who had been lying down in the terminal quickly got up, put on helmets, and headed to the pier.

As the ferry approached the dock, a line-throwing gun was fired from the bow,
and the rope was forcefully thrown to the port.

12:56 p.m., boarding began.
Leaving the waiting room, I walked about a minute to the gangway and boarded the ship.

The gangway was steep, and carrying a heavy suitcase up was tough.
The surface was wet from rain, and the rusty iron steps felt slippery, making my footing uncertain,
but I climbed carefully and boarded safely.

At the boarding gate, a crew member instructed me, “Please leave your luggage under the stairs.”
I placed my suitcase under the stairs and headed to the large shared cabin.

The cabin was the cheapest economy class large shared room on this ship.
In a large room, securing a good spot is important.
Since seating is first-come-first-served, boarding early is the key to a comfortable trip.

Luckily, I managed to secure a corner spot in the room this time.
There was also a fitting room for changing clothes in the corner.
An old CRT TV was playing classic Japanese movies.

The pillows provided in each room were leather type, but some had tears and holes.
I used a towel I brought as a pillow cover.

After placing my luggage, I headed to the wooden deck outside.

The deck of Ferry Yakushima 2 is made of wood, giving it a warm feel unique to wooden decks.
However, probably due to age, some parts showed signs of rot.
It was raining that day, and when I stepped on some of the floorboards on the right side of the bow deck, I felt them give way slightly.

Wooden decks have their charm in texture, but their durability is limited, so opinions vary.
Regular maintenance such as applying preservatives, insect repellents, and paint against fading is essential.
Ferry Yakushima 2 has been in service for over 30 years, so its wooden deck may be reaching its limit.

The ferry has recently been running a crowdfunding campaign for donations, so please check it out.
(*Donation ended on April 11, 2025* Total support amount: 5,817,055 yen)

1:30 p.m., departed Miyanoura Port on schedule.
It was cloudy over Yakushima, but the rain had just stopped,
and faint mountain outlines were visible from the ship leaving the port.

The onboard udon corner will open in about 30 minutes, so I decided to return to the cabin until then.

2:00 p.m., the udon corner opened, and I ordered the meat udon (680 yen).
The noodles were soft, as if simmered for a long time, with almost no firmness.
However, the broth was rich and flavorful, making it surprisingly delicious.

The business hours are only about 30 minutes, so I ate quickly as there was no time to relax.

2:40 p.m., after leaving the udon corner, I tried to go outside, but the deck was closed off.

When I asked a crew member, they said, “Due to worsening sea conditions and strong winds, the deck was closed for safety.”
They explained it was expected to reopen in about an hour.

Around that time, I started to feel the ship’s rocking.
To avoid seasickness, I returned to my cabin to sleep.

4:30 p.m., I woke up after about two hours of nap.
The observation deck was already open, so I went outside.

From the wooden deck, you can see Mt. Kaimon in Kagoshima.
Just at the right moment, I passed by the Tanegashima-Yakushima high-speed ferry Toppy,
which was probably the 3:45 p.m. departure bound for Tanegashima.

About two hours before arrival, the scenery around Kagoshima lit by the sunset was very beautiful,
and personally, it was my recommended moment.

4:37 p.m., a ship announcement was made.
“We will now open the Sea Turtle Room.”

On the first floor of Orita Kisen Ferry Yakushima 2 is a space called the “Sea Turtle Room.”
Here, you can see baby sea turtles swimming in a large aquarium.

Originally, it was scheduled to open around 4 p.m., but this time the announcement was a bit delayed.
A sign on the door said “Exhibit times may change depending on the weather,”
so it was probably affected by sea conditions.

Inside the tank, two baby sea turtles were swimming together.
One of them was resting quietly on the seaweed inside the tank.
Their appearance was very cute, and I watched them for a while.

The Sea Turtle Room also has panel exhibits about sea turtle conservation activities,
making it an educational and fulfilling experience.
Although small, it is a quiet and warm space where you can feel the preciousness of life and respect for the natural environment.

5:28 p.m., the sun began to set, and the observation deck lights were turned on.
Originally, the ferry was scheduled to arrive at Kagoshima Port in about 10 minutes,
but it seems the rough voyage caused a delay.

In the distance, Sakurajima was faintly visible.
I gazed quietly at the twilight scenery and returned to my cabin just before it got dark.

6:03 p.m., the ferry docked at Kagoshima Port.
Here, I suddenly remembered something I had completely forgotten.

On this ship, a line-throwing gun is used from the bow to deliver the rope to the port.
I had totally forgotten this, and while quietly gazing at the calm port,
a loud bang suddenly sounded right in front of me, making me involuntarily shout “Whoa…”.

I was shocked and stunned, but just as I recovered, disembarkation began, and I got off the ship.

After getting off the ferry, several taxis were waiting.
Since the stations are quite far from the port, taking a taxi is convenient.

I walked about 15 minutes to Izuro-dori tram stop,
then headed to Kagoshima-Chuo Station.

From Izuro-dori Station to Kagoshima-Chuo Station takes 16 minutes,
and the fare was 170 yen.

I took the Shinkansen from Kagoshima-Chuo Station to return home.

■ 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