ACCESS
Three ferry options
The more common mode of transport to Yakushima is to take the ferry from Kagoshima. There are three operators sailing to Yakushima and the range is from super fast (2 hours) upon the Toppy jet foil to super slow (13 hours) upon the Hibiscus freight ferry.
The slow ferries (Yaku II and Hibiscus) do not require pre-booking unless you are bringing your own transport. Bringing your own transport on the ferry is only worth the expense if you plan to stay more than 6 days on the island otherwise vehicle rental on Yakushima is a much more economical option. YES can arrange Yakushima vehicle rental upon request.
VEHICLE RENTAL BOOKING SERVICE
YES can arrange vehicle rentals ranging from small 660cc cars to 8 person vehicles.
Toppy / Rocket Jet Foil
One of the most popular ways to get to Yakushima is by the Toppy & Rocket hydrofoil service. There are around five round trips daily between Kagoshima’s high speed ferry terminal and Yakushima (Miyanoura or Anbo Port). Some travel directly to the island, but others go via the neighboring Tanegashima Island or Ibusuki. Voyages take between 2 – 3 hours depending on the number of stops.
A one-way fare costs 12,200 yen and a round trip ticket costs 22,300 yen and the return journey must be used within seven days. Children between 6 – 12 years are 50% and children less than 5 years are free, but are not allocated a seat. Standard tickets allow for multiple changes between the time of reservation and the day of departure. As travel arrangements often change then we recommend the standard tickets.
If travelling during the high season, at the weekend or during national holidays such as Golden Week or Obon, then pre-booking your tickets is strongly recommended.
Guests booking accommodation with YES are entitled to our jet foil ferry reservation service. For guests interested in transferring their current accommodation booking to YES so that you can benefit from this ferry reservation service then please contact YES. We reserve ferry tickets, but YES do not cover the cost of the tickets.
In the case of typhoons or very high waves then the service may be delayed or cancelled. If you are concerned whether your scheduled jet foil will depart or not then check this link. A circle next to the timetable means it will depart on time; a triangle means it may be delayed or cancelled and 欠 means that the ferry is cancelled.
TOPPY TICKET BOOKING SERVICE
YES can reserve your Toppy jet foil tickets for visitors booking a YES tour and/or booking Yakushima accommodation with YES. Once the tickets have been reserved then YES send the guest the reservation number and the guests pay for and collect the tickets when arriving to the Kagoshima Port on the day of departure. Simple as that!
TIMETABLE - Toppy / Rocket
October 1st 2024 to March 1st, 2025 Winter timetable(Toppy& Rocket)
No. | KAGOSHIMA | → VIA → | YAKUSHIMA |
---|---|---|---|
111 | 07:30 | Tanegashima | 10:20 Miyanoura |
112 | 07:45 | Ibusuki | 09:45 Miyanoura |
114 | 10:10 | Tanegashima | 12:55 Anbo |
127 | 13:00 | Tanegashima | 15:30 Miyanoura |
117 | 13:20 | 15:10 Miyanoura | |
118 | 14:45 | Tanegashima | 17:15 Anbo |
No. | YAKUSHIMA | → VIA → | KAGOSHIMA |
---|---|---|---|
121 | 07:00 Anbo | Tanegashima | 09:40 |
112 | 10:00 Miyanoura | Tanegashima | 12:45 |
111 | 10:40 Miyanoura | 12:30 | |
128 | 13:10 Anbo | Tanegashima | 15:55 |
126 | 15:45 Miyanoura | Tanegashima & Ibusuki | 18:30 |
137 | 16:00 Miyanoura | Ibusuki | 18:00 |
March 2nd 2025 to March 31st, 2025 Spring Timetable(Toppy& Rocket)
No. | KAGOSHIMA | → VIA → | YAKUSHIMA |
---|---|---|---|
111 | 07:30 | Tanegashima | 10:20 Miyanoura |
112 | 07:45 | Ibusuki | 09:45 Miyanoura |
114 | 10:10 | Tanegashima | 12:55 Anbo |
127 | 13:00 | Tanegashima | 15:35 Miyanoura |
117 | 13:20 | 15:10 Miyanoura | |
118 | 15:45 | Tanegashima | 18:20 Anbo |
No. | YAKUSHIMA | → VIA → | KAGOSHIMA |
---|---|---|---|
121 | 07:00 Anbo | Tanegashima | 09:40 |
112 | 10:00 Miyanoura | Tanegashima | 12:45 |
111 | 10:40 Miyanoura | 12:30 | |
128 | 13:10 Anbo | Tanegashima | 15:55 |
126 | 15:50 Miyanoura | Tanegashima & Ibusuki | 18:40 |
137 | 16:10 Miyanoura | Ibusuki | 18:10 |
April 1st 2025 to August 31st, 2025 Summer timetable(Toppy&Rocket)
No. | KAGOSHIMA | → VIA → | YAKUSHIMA |
---|---|---|---|
111 | 07:30 | Tanegashima | 10:30 Miyanoura |
112 | 07:45 | Ibusuki | 09:45 Miyanoura |
114 | 10:10 | Tanegashima | 12:55 Anbo |
*124 | 11:30 | Tanegashima | 14:10 Miyanoura |
127 | 13:00 | Tanegashima | 15:35 Miyanoura |
117 | 13:20 | 15:10 Miyanoura | |
118 | 16:00 | Tanegashima | 18:35 Anbo |
No. | YAKUSHIMA | → VIA → | KAGOSHIMA |
---|---|---|---|
121 | 07:00 Anbo | Tanegashima | 09:40 |
112 | 10:00 Miyanoura | Tanegashima | 12:45 |
111 | 10:40 Miyanoura | 12:30 | |
128 | 13:10 Anbo | Tanegashima | 15:55 |
*136 | 14:25 Miyanoura | Tanegashima | 17:10 |
126 | 15:50 Miyanoura | Tanegashima & Ibusuki | 18:40 |
137 | 16:10 Miyanoura | Ibusuki | 18:10 |
*124 & *136 only operate on April 26th, May 3rd – 6th, August 9th – 12th
Yaku II car ferry
Since October 2024 the Yaku II ferry has not been operating. The current forecast is that it may return to service in late March 2025.
The Yaku II car ferry leaves every morning from Kagoshima Port (just south of the main Kagoshima Port) to Miyanoura Port on Yakushima. It returns to Kagoshima in the afternoon. The one way sailing takes four hours and costs 6,000 yen. A return ticket costs 12,000 yen. The cost for bringing an average sized car onto the ferry is about 40,000 yen return. You can also bring pets or bicycles on this ferry, though there is a fee for both.
The Yakushima II ferry leaves Kagoshima at 08:30am and arrives at Miyanoura Port at 12:30. The return voyage leaves Miyanoura at 13:30 and arrives at Kagoshima at about 17:40. For more details see the Yakushima II Ferry website.
Hibiscus overnight freight ferry
Another option is to take the Hibiscus freight overnight ferry. This leaves Kagoshima (Taniyama Port) at 18:00 and arrives at Miyanoura Port the next morning at 07:00. The ferry stays overnight in the Tanegashima Port, but Yakushima passengers cannot disembark. The return journey leaves Miyanoura at 08:10 and arrives at Kagsoshima (Taniyama Port) at about 14:40. Return fares are 7,800 yen and cars can be booked onto the ferry.
The Hibiscus ferry departs from the Taniyama Port in the south of Kagoshima, so give yourself plenty of time to get there and find the port. One further word of caution regarding the Hibiscus is that this is a freight ferry and comfort is the last thing they consider. You will sleep on the floor and blankets are available. There are no bathing facilities and no food. In the summer the heat within the cabin can be stifling and in the winter the cold can keep you awake.
For more details visit the Hibiscus website.