Ferries to Tsuruga

Tsuruga lies in Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast and is the westernmost ferry port on the Hokkaido routes: from Kansai it is the nearest place to board. From here you can reach Akita and Niigata along the Honshu coast, as well as Tomakomai Higashi on Hokkaido. Together the services add up to as many as 6 departures a day. Crossings take between 12 and 20.5 hours. The port is served by Shin Nihonkai Ferry.

Getting there and the terminal

The terminal stands in the New Port of Tsuruga at the address Maruyama 95-4. From the Tsuruga exit of the Hokuriku Expressway it is around 4.2 kilometres, about six minutes: take the National Route 8 bypass towards Fukui and Echizen, then turn left to the ferry terminal after the two tunnels. From Osaka, via the Meishin and Hokuriku expressways, reckon on about 170 kilometres, and from Kyoto about 130. Without a car, a shuttle bus runs from the west exit of JR Tsuruga station, stand 6, to the terminal in around 15 minutes; a taxi needs about ten minutes for the 5.5 kilometres. The desk is closed between 12 and 1pm.

Check-in

Shin Nihonkai Ferry expects you at the terminal 60 minutes before departure. During Golden Week, the summer holidays and over New Year it is 90 minutes. The deadline applies to foot passengers and vehicles alike.