Ferries to Kobe

Kobe ferry port lies on Osaka Bay on Honshu and is one of the departure points for the Inland Sea and overnight ferries to western Japan. From here you can reach Takamatsu on Shikoku, the island of Shodoshima and Shinmoji on Kyushu. Together the services run up to 16 departures a day, and crossings take between 3.25 and 12.5 hours. The port is served by Hankyu Ferry and Jumbo Ferry.

Getting there and the terminal

Kobe has two ferry berths, and they lie far apart. The Jumbo Ferry to Takamatsu and Shodoshima leaves from the Kobe Sannomiya Ferry Terminal, Shinko-cho 3-7 in Chuo ward. It is about 1.7 kilometres from Sannomiya station, 20 to 30 minutes on foot; the shuttle bus from the bus terminal at MINT KOBE is more comfortable. Two paying car parks lie at the terminal, one of them in front of the customs office. The Hankyu Ferry to Shinmoji, by contrast, leaves from Rokko Island. By car you take the Hanshin Expressway: from the direction of Osaka via the Uozaki exit and Route 43 to the Rokko bridge, about 15 minutes; from the direction of Himeji via the Mayasan exit, about 20 minutes; on the Wangan line you come off directly at the Rokko Island Kita exit. Shuttle buses link the terminal with the surrounding stations.

Check-in

Hankyu Ferry wants vehicles at the terminal no later than 60 minutes before departure, and lowered cars and fuel-cell vehicles 90 minutes before. At Jumbo Ferry the ticket desk opens an hour before departure.