4.0Shin Nihonkai Ferry from/to Otaru Port(146 reviews) - Food is fine, no problem if you don't speak Japanese, and make sure you go and soak in the outdoor bath Ferries
I read up on this before taking the ferry and was worried for various reasons... un-necessarily. People seem to have previously whinged that the food sucks. Wrong. Its much better than you standard University Cafeteria in Japan (although this is the first time I've had less-than-fresh sashimi in this country). There are also complaints that everything is in Japanese and if you only speak English you''re in trouble. ALso wrong. The info desk staff speak great English, and if you're travelling in Japan you should have already worked out the 'picture' feature of google translate. If you haven't... you should stick to travel in English speaking countries. That feature allows you to read the various signs that aren't in English - but most of them are already in English as well. My other advice is: make sure you go and soak in the outside bathouse tub. Awesome ;)See more..
Taking the ferry from Wakkanai to Rishiri or Rebun is quite a bit of fun, especially when you park yourself in the Japanese style section (seated on the floor...). The whole experience gives you a bit of a edge of the world feeling. See more..
4.0Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry(103 reviews) - ビューシートがお勧め Recommend View Seat Public Transportation Systems • Ferries
フェリーを使って北海道に行ってきました。青森た函館間はビューシートを利用。スタンダードより僅か数百円の差額でこの快適さは絶対お勧め！ 飛行機で言えばビジネスクラスのシートで、ゆったり倒して快眠出来るのはもちろん、最前列なので景色も180度全開、最高です。バイクでの旅だったので、帰りは疲れで爆睡しました。 Went to Hokkaido with my lovely partner Harley Havidson. Bought an upgrade seat of View Seat at sir charge only at a few hundred JP yen. It was like a business class of flat reclining chair over viewing ahead with 180 degree. After a long trip by bike I fell in sleep when coming back to Aomori.See more..
4.0Mol Ferry Sunflower(65 reviews) - A wonderful travel from Oarai near Tokyo to Tomakomai, Hokkaido Ferries
The trip lasted for 18 hours, and I enjoyed every minute of if. I was a little surprised to realize that the restaurant was only open during fixed meal times (breakfast, lunch and dinner). But the food they served was really good. The ferry offers many different standards of accommodation, from luxury to the 75 or 65 beds dormitory. I stayed in the latter, which I do not regret. The futon bed was really comfy, in fact better than many hotel beds. (But it was rather narrow sideways, so if you are a big person or the room is crowded, it might be difficult.) The ship has public spa.See more..
This is an interesting and quirky cruise around the lake. We went on the castle boat. Because it was winter we didn't stop at the island. It's fun.See more..
4.0Silver Ferry(21 reviews) - The priority is for commercial vehicles but not for passengers'. If you are in a hurry, manage your embarking well. Ferries
Clearly the priority is for commercial vehicles/trucks with this service. These vehicles are marshaled with high priority. Passenger/private cars are at a lower priority. Namely both of roll-on and roll-off are after commercial vehicles. On top of it, roll-off is on a LIFO (last-in first-out) basis. Indeed it is written on the instruction paper in the room that "Passenger cars / cars on the 4th deck would have to wait for about 30 min. for disembarking." If you are driving your passenger car and in a hurry at the disembarking port, you should be at the end of the embarking queue although you are marshaled after commercial vehicles on the 3rd deck. Arriving at the embarking queue earlier does not help you at all. I had to spend a little over one hour in my car after embarking call until I could get off my car even though I was at a very first part of the queue of passenger cars. And because of such position (and LIFO), I had to wait for about 40 min. until I could disembark after disembarking call. It was my first bad experience with many car ferry services between Hokkaido and Honshu. Comparing to real trip time (less than eight hours) these unnecessary wanting loss times are too much. Other than this line, passenger cars are handled first so that I had not to wait, especially for disembarking. If you are traveling without your car, it's fine. It should be a confortable voyage.See more..
The ferry is the preferred method of transportation to and from Okushiri. It offers entertainment in the form of scenic views and the opportunity to chat with locals and other visitors. The currently operating ferry, the Okushiri Calanthe, was released in 2017 and is equipped with a comfortable economy class that resembles a modern yoga studio, wifi, adequate luggage storage (I have transported bikes, skis, large bags, etc.), and a generally relaxing atmosphere. The fare is reasonable for budget travelers and the experience is definitely worth it - as long as the weather is good. Pay attention to local weather/wave reports or register to get alerts about delays or cancellations (which are more prevalent in the winter months) through Heartland Ferry. Cars may be brought on board for an additional fee.See more..
