A story about Sakurajima Ferry

First, a few words of pride about the Sakurajima Ferry. The Sakurajima Ferry boasts the highest passenger and vehicle transport volume in Japan and one of the highest in the world, with 3.13 million passengers and 1.17 million car users in 2019. The number of services is also very convenient, with about 100 cruises per day, running every 20 minutes.

 

The average gross tonnage of the Sakurajima Ferry's ships is about 1,200 tons. It is so large compared to other ships, which are typically about 300 tons, for a 15-minute shorthaul service, but there is a good reason. It is because the Sakurajima Ferry connects two peninsulas, so it has a lot of car users. Each ship can carry up to 60 passenger cars. Sakurajima Port has six movable bridges for vehicles and three for passengers. The Sakurajima Ferry is also famous for having operated Japan's first car ferry in 1941 and now, moving the largest electric-propulsion car ferries in Japan.

 

On board, there are observation decks, telescopes, an udon noodle corner, a store, and so on. Udon and soba noodles served on the sea are exceptional. I hope you will try them. The voyage time is only 15 minutes, so be careful if you aren’t good at eating hot food!