*This article confirmed the information in June 2023.
Summary
・Two ferry companies operate the route.
・Advance reservations are recommended, especially during peak seasons.
・Round-trip tickets offer better value than one-way fares.
・There are no trash cans on the remote islands—please take your trash with you.
Contents
♦ Ferries from Ishigaki to Nearby Islands
♦ Comparing Ferry Companies
♦ Taking a Ferry from Ishigaki Port: A Step-by-Step Guide
♦ Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal: Facilities and Services
♦ How to Take a Ferry from Ports on Islands Other Than Ishigaki
♦ Ferry Seats
♦ Discounted Ferry Tickets
♦ How to Check Ferry Operations
♦ Important Ferry Travel Tips
Ferries from Ishigaki to Nearby Islands
A major highlight of visiting Ishigaki Island is the opportunity to explore nearby islands like Iriomote and Taketomi, which can only be accessed by ferry from Ishigaki.
Ishigaki Island is surrounded by several beautiful islands, including:
・Iriomote Island
・Taketomi Island
・Hateruma Island
・Kohama Island
・Kuroshima Island
Together with Yonaguni Island, these islands form the Yaeyama Islands.
Ferries to these remote islands are a vital mode of transportation, not only for tourists but also for the local residents. They also carry mail and baggage for the islanders. As a result, residents’ baggage is loaded and unloaded first, followed by passengers boarding. When you witness this process, you’ll truly feel like you’ve arrived on a remote island.
Ferries to these remote islands (excluding Yonaguni Island) depart daily from Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal.
Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal
・Approximately 30 minutes by car from the airport.
・Located in the city center of Ishigaki Island.
This area is home to many hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and several convenience stores. Additionally, the bus terminal, serving as the departure and arrival point for Ishigaki Island’s route buses, is just a 1-minute walk from the ferry terminal.
If you’re unsure about where to stay, choosing a hotel in this area will ensure a convenient and comfortable stay.
Transportation options from Ishigaki Airport to the Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal are outlined in the section “How to get from Ishigaki Airport to Ishigaki Port.”
Comparing Ferry Companies
Two ferry companies, Anei Kanko Ferry and Yaeyama Kanko Ferry, operate services to the remote islands. Each company has its own tickets, schedules, and cancellation policies.
The number of ferries operated by each company varies depending on the destination island. Be sure to choose the appropriate ferry based on where you’re going.
*Information as of July 2023
Taking a Ferry from Ishigaki Port: A Step-by-Step Guide
There are two ferry companies, but the boarding procedure is the same for both.
・Buy at the ferry company ticket office
・Buy in advance online (E-Ticket Boarding)
We recommend purchasing your ticket online in advance. Without a reservation, you may not be able to board if the ferry is full.
Purchase your ticket at the ticket office of your chosen ferry company (Anei Kanko Ferry or Yaeyama Kanko Ferry).
Both ferry companies accept credit cards and various electronic payment methods.
Anei Kanko Ferry Ticket Office
Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Ticket Office
During the summer, when there are many tourists, ferries can get crowded. As a result, you may need to wait in line to purchase a ticket. To avoid this, it’s recommended to arrive at the ferry terminal early and buy your ticket. The ferry company suggests arriving at least 20–30 minutes before the departure time.
Anei Kanko Ferry has a ticket vending machine, which we recommend using. It supports both English and Chinese.
Both companies offer E-Ticket Boarding, a system that lets you board with your smartphone. It’s convenient because you don’t have to wait in line at the ticket office.
2. To the ferry boarding point
Please arrive at the ferry boarding area at least 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
Each boarding point at Ishigaki Port is clearly numbered.
If you’re traveling with Anei Kanko Ferry, your boarding point number will be written on your ticket.
If you’re using Yaeyama Kanko Ferry, the boarding point number will be displayed on the monitor near the ticket counter.
Anei Kanko Ferry – Boarding Point Information
Yaeyama Kanko Ferry – Boarding Point Information
In addition, boarding point information for each ferry company is also displayed on the monitor near the ferry boarding entrance.
You can check your boarding point number there as well.
The monitor located near the ferry boarding entrance
You can begin boarding the ferry 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Please be mindful of the departure time — ferries leave on time and will not wait.
All seats are non-reserved, so we recommend arriving early to secure your preferred spot.
3. Boarding the Ferry
Boarding begins 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
Please hand your ticket to the staff at the boarding point.
If you have a round-trip ticket, the staff will collect the outbound portion and return the return ticket to you.
If you are prone to motion sickness, we recommend sitting at the back of the ferry, where the movement is generally milder.
Non-alcoholic drinks are allowed on board, but eating is not permitted.
Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal: Facilities and Services
Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal is home not only to ferry companies, but also to travel agencies, restaurants, souvenir shops, and even a planetarium.
In addition, you’ll find ATMs, luggage lockers for storing suitcases, and shops that sell motion sickness medicine.
Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal Map
Travel Agency
The travel agency and ferry company offer tours to remote islands like Iriomote Island and Taketomi Island.
If you’re interested in joining a tour, you can sign up and get more information here.
We recommend Hirata Tourism because they always have English-speaking staff available.
Travel agency at Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal
Hirata Tourism
Ishigaki Dream Tours
Ishigaki Island Travel Center (In Japanese only)
Yamaneko Tours (In Japanese only)
Shops
The souvenir shop sells not only souvenirs but also various products such as sunscreen, sandals and bread. If you go to a remote island such as Iriomote Island, there are some products that you cannot buy. Therefore, you should buy the products you need on the remote island at here. Especially sunscreen is an essential item.
In addition, you can buy motion sickness medicine at a shop called “Sagaribana” and at pharmacies.
The Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal has drinks that are popular with Japanese travelers. It’s Mariya Shake. It tastes like rich milk. You must try it! You can buy it at a shop called Nanapito Hompo.
Lockers
Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal has 6 lockers in the photo above. You can even put a suitcase in it. It’s a good idea to leave your baggage here after checking out the hotel. In addition, you can leave your baggage at a ferry company or travel agency.
How to Take a Ferry from Ports on Islands Other Than Ishigaki
When taking the ferry back to Ishigaki Island from remote islands such as Iriomote Island there are a few things you should be aware of.
1. Buy a ticket
You buy the ticket at the ticket office of your ferry company (Anei Kanko Ferry or Yaeyama Kanko Ferry).
Ticket Office on Kuroshima Island
You cannot always buy a ferry ticket. The staff is not always there. In addition, there are ticket offices where you can only pay in cash. It is recommended to buy a round-trip ticket at Ishigaki Port because it is a good deal and convenient.
2. To the ferry boarding point
You should go to the ferry boarding point at least 15 minutes before your departure time. There will be no announcement when the ferry you board arrives. Therefore, you must go to the ferry boarding point by yourself by the ferry departure time.
Taketomi Island ferry boarding point
In addition, the ferry boarding point at ports other than Ishigaki Island aren’t numbered. Therefore, you should ask the ferry company staff where to board your ferry.
Ferries of two companies may depart at the same time. In that case, similar ferries stop side by side on the pier. The company logo and company name are written on the ferry, but it is difficult to find out which ferry you are going to board.
Anei Kanko Ferry
Yaeyama Kanko Ferry
We sometimes see people mistakenly trying to board another company’s ferry. At the time of boarding, people are lined up for each ferry company. Many people may be lined up on only one of the ferries. However, the line with many people is not always the ferry you board. In addition, there may be a ferry that goes to an island other than Ishigaki Island. You should confirm with the staff for the ferry boarding point for your ticket.
The ticket is different for each ferry company, so if you miss the ferry, you will have to buy the ticket again. In that case, you will not be able to get a refund.
3. Board the ferry
Boarding begins 15 minutes before departure time. You hand the ticket to the staff at the ferry boarding point.
Facility information of ports on small islands
The ports on the islands other than Ishigaki Island are not as large as the Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal. Therefore, the facilities are limited. The photo above is the Kuroshima Island Ferry Terminal. It’s about the size of two cars.
Locker and toilet information is especially useful when you visit there. There are no trash cans on islands other than Ishigaki Island, so you need to bring a bag to bring the trash back to Ishigaki Island.
Comparison of facility information of ports on each island
Ferry Seats
Ferry seats are non-reserved seats. There are not only inside seats but also outside seats, depending on the ferry. You should definitely sit in the inside seat. It seems that the wind feels good when you sit outside seats, but it is not recommended. Because the engine is noisy and ferry is a high-speed ferry, so the seats will be splashed with waves. If you sit in this seat, you will have to endure this condition for tens of minutes to about hour.
Outside seats
Inside seats
In addition, if you get seasick easily, you should take motion sickness medicine and sit in the back seat of the ferry. The back seats are recommended as the front of the ship will shake significantly. Depending on the sea conditions, the ferry will shake. Sometimes it shakes like a roller coaster so that your hips float.
You can buy motion sickness medicine at a shop called “Sagaribana” and a pharmacy in the Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal. In addition, you can also buy it at drugstores in the city.
Discounted Ferry Tickets
There are good deal ferry tickets. Each of the two ferry companies sells good deals ferry tickets.
Our best recommendation for you is to take a tour. You can go the cheapest. On that tour, you don’t act with other participants and you are free to choose which ferry to take.
The tour includes not only a round-trip ferry ticket, but also a rental bicycle or buffalo cart ticket on a remote island, which you can buy at a good price. There are various tours for each island.
Tour information is written for each island (Iriomote Island, Taketomi Island, Hateruma Island, Kuroshima Island, Kohama Island) on other pages.
Round-trip ticket
Ticket offices on islands other than Ishigaki Island may only pay cash or may have no staff. Therefore, we recommend buying a round-trip ticket on Ishigaki Island.
Both ferry companies have round-trip tickets, both with a 5% discount. But you have to take the same ferry company on your way back.
It is valid for 14 days for both companies.
How to buy
You can buy it ticket office of Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal. In addition, E-Ticket Boarding System, you can also buy it on the website.
How to use
In the case of Anei Kanko Ferry, this ticket is a set of two as shown in the photo above. If you hand the ticket to the staff at the ferry boarding point, the staff will only return the return ticket to you.
In the case of Yaeyama Kanko Ferry, you will get two tickets as shown in the photo below. One is a ticket for going to another island, and the other is for returning to Ishigaki Island.
Reservation discount
If you book it on the website, you will get a 5% discount. This is a discount offered only by Anei Kanko Ferry. You can make a reservation from that website.
Anei Kanko Ferry Reservation
If you can’t catch the ferry you booked, don’t worry. In that case, you can change to another ferry without any cancellation fee. Therefore, it is recommended to make a reservation.
However, you need to make a reservation on the web and complete the credit card payment at the same time.
Unlimited-ride ferry tickets
This is a ticket that allows you to take the ferry as many times as you like within the expiration date. It is recommended for those who plan to visit various island.
Each of the two companies sells unlimited-ride ferry tickets.
Their prices are different. This is because whether the price includes a fuel surcharge or not depends on the company. Anei Kanko Ferry is cheaper, but it doesn’t include the fuel surcharge. Therefore, you will need to pay extra for each trip. On the other hand, the price of Yaeyama Kanko Ferry includes a fuel surcharge.
You may be wondering which one is better, but if you go to Hateruma Island, you have to take the Anei Kanko Ferry. Yaeyama Kanko Ferry does not operate a ferry to Hateruma Island. The price of the ticket is quite different depending on whether it includes Hateruma Island or not.
Anei Kanko Ferry Ticket Information
Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Ticket Information
How to buy
You can buy this ticket at the ticket office of Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal. You cannot buy it at the ticket offices on other islands.
You must use it continuously from the start date of use. If the ferry is canceled due to bad weather while you are using it, the expiration date will not be extended.
If you show this ticket at the ticket office of the port of each island, you will get a boarding ticket. You will need this boarding ticket to get on the ferry and you will not be able to get on just by showing your unlimited-ticket.
You can get on the ferry just by showing this ticket.
Anei Kanko Ferry discount ticket
If you take Azuma Bus (route bus No.4 or 10) from Ishigaki Airport, you can get a coupon that gives you a 10% discount on the round-trip ticket for the Anei Kanko Ferry. You should get it from the driver when you get on the bus.
It’s not always there, but sometimes it’s in the bus terminal or at the airport’s leaflet area, so you should check it out.
For more information about Anei Kanko Ferry discount coupons are summarized on another page.
Leaflet area of Bus Terminal
How to Check Ferry Operations
You can check the ferry operation status on each company’s website.
Operation status of Anei Kanko Ferry
Operation status of Yaeyama Kanko Ferry
The operation status may be “undecide” in addition to “normal operation” and “canceled”. Be careful when this is “undecide”. It may be judged as “canceled” as a result of the weather survey. Even if you can go to a remote island, in the worst case you may not be able to return to Ishigaki Island.
Ferries are canceled not only when a typhoon is approaching, but also in winter (December – February).
You can avoid typhoons by looking at the weather forecast, but you cannot predict the cancellation in winter. In winter, it seems that there is a high probability that some routes will be canceled due to the influence of wind.
These two routes will be canceled with a probability of about 50% in winter. However, other routes are rarely canceled throughout the year.
Iriomote Island has not only Uehara Port, which is often canceled, but also Ohara Port, which does not cancel even in winter. Therefore, you can go to Iriomote Island even in winter. If the Uehara Port route is canceled, each ferry company operates a free shuttle bus from Ohara Port to Uehara Port.
Important Ferry Travel Tips
You cannot put a car or motorbike on the ferry. You should rent a car or motorbike on each island.
You can put your bicycle on the ferry for an additional fee. However, there seems to be a condition to put it on the ferry, so you should confirm with the ferry company. There are rental bicycle shops on each island. Therefore, we recommend you to rent it on each island.
There is a toilet on the ferry. However the ferry shakes, so you should go to the toilet before getting on the ferry.
Eating on the ferry is prohibited. You can take a drink except alcohol, but there are no vending machines or shops on the ferry.
Some islands do not have lockers. You should leave your large baggage at the Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal. The Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal has several lockers large enough to put a suitcase. In addition, you can leave your baggage at a ferry company or travel agency.
You cannot board with wet clothing. If you plan to get in the sea on the island, you will need to bring a change of clothing.
There are no trash cans on remote islands. You should bring a trash bag and bring the trash back to Ishigaki Island. There are several trash cans at the Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal.
There are several ferries available in wheelchairs. You can enjoy sightseeing in remote islands with a wheelchair. You should confirm with the ferry company.
