Ferries to Iriomote Uehara

The ferry port of Iriomote Uehara lies in the north of Iriomote, the second-largest island in Okinawa. From here you can reach Ishigaki and the small neighbouring island of Hatoma. Together the routes add up to as many as 10 departures a day, and crossings take between 15 and 45 minutes. The port is served by Yaeyama Kanko Ferry.

Getting there and the terminal

If you were planning to use the local bus, think again: since the timetable change of 1 March 2023, Iriomote Kotsu buses no longer call at the Uehara port area. On the island that leaves you with a hire car or a pick-up arranged by your accommodation. Book a hire car in advance; for Japan you need an international driving permit.

More important than any directions is the second quirk: Iriomote has two ferry ports, Uehara in the north and Ohara in the south. Uehara faces the open sea, and northerly winds cancel sailings there, regularly so in winter. Ships then call at Ohara instead, and the operators lay on a free connecting bus to the north. For the return leg to your flight from Ishigaki that means building in a buffer and checking the departure the evening before.

Check-in

You are processed at the operator's counter. With Yaeyama Kanko Ferry the ticket must be bought or collected no later than 15 minutes before departure. For the opposite direction from Ishigaki, the operator recommends being at the counter in the ferry terminal 20 minutes before departure, or 30 minutes for the heavily booked morning sailings.