Ferries to Miyanoura

Miyanoura ferry port is the main port of Yakushima and lies on the north coast of the island. From here you can reach Kagoshima on Kyushu and Nishinoomote on the neighbouring island of Tanegashima. Together the services run up to 11 departures a day, and crossings take between 45 minutes and 1.75 hours. The port is served by Tane Yaku Jetfoil.

Getting there and the terminal

Miyanoura is the island's transport hub. The hydrofoils from Kagoshima dock here, as do the car ferry Yakushima 2 and the freight ferry Hibiscus, which sails overnight and arrives early in the morning. In Kagoshima the car ferries leave not from the same quay as the fast boats but from the New Port.

Some of the hydrofoils call at the port of Anbo on the east coast instead of Miyanoura. So check before booking which of the two ports is in the timetable, or you will land on the wrong side of the island. Miyanoura port has car hire desks, and buses run from here into the interior, for example to the Shiratani Unsuikyo gorge. In high season, at weekends and over holidays such as Golden Week or Obon you should book the crossing in advance.