Ferries to Oarai

The ferry port of Oarai lies on Honshu in Japan, north-east of Tokyo in Ibaraki Prefecture. From here you can reach Tomakomai on Hokkaido. Ferries leave up to 4 times a day and the crossing takes around 17.75 hours. The port is served by MOL Ferry.

Getting there and the terminal

The terminal stands at Minato-chūō 2 in Ōarai. By car you take the Mito-Ōarai IC exit; from the Misato IC junction on the Jōban Expressway the operator reckons on around 90 minutes. A car park belongs to the terminal, with marked areas for motorcycles, bicycles and travellers with reduced mobility. By train you go to Mito and continue on the Kashima Rinkai line to Ōarai; from Shinagawa that takes about 110 minutes in total. From Ōarai station it is a 20 to 30 minute walk to the terminal, or about five minutes by taxi; the Kaiyūgō circular bus is more comfortable. There is also an Ibaraki Kōtsū bus from Mito station that takes 17 to 35 minutes to the port.

Check-in

For the evening departure from Ōarai, MOL Ferry gives fixed times rather than a deadline in minutes: if you are taking a vehicle you should be at the terminal at about 17:30, and foot passengers at about 18:00. Because the crossing takes a night, it is worth planning around that time rather than around the departure time.