Crossing by Boat in Imabari: The Local Ferry from Hashihama Port to Kurushima, Oshima and Umashima

The Shimanami Kaido is a route you cross by bridge, but in Imabari there is also a way to cross by boat.

A small local ferry leaves from Hashihama Port.

It links three islands in the Kurushima Strait: Kurushima, Oshima and Umashima.

The fare is about 220 yen for an adult, plus 90 yen if you bring a bicycle.

Here is how to use it, as of August 2026.

Why take the boat at all

On a bicycle, the bridge is faster and, right now, free.

So the ferry is not about saving money or time.

It is about what you see.

From the bridge you look down at the sea.

From the boat you look up at the bridge.

The Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge is the same structure either way, but the two views have almost nothing in common.

Getting to Hashihama Port from JR Imabari Station

Take the Setouchi Bus “Namikata Loop” line from JR Imabari Station.

The ride takes about 20 minutes.

Get off at the Watashiba stop, and the port is about a minute on foot.

Hashihama is a shipbuilding town, so the first thing you see is a row of cranes and a hull under construction.

For many visitors, that view alone is worth the bus ride.

Open Hashihama Port on Google Maps

The ferry calls at three islands, in this order

Leaving Hashihama, the boat stops at Kurushima, then Oshima, then Umashima.

Hashihama to Oshima takes roughly ten minutes.

It is a short crossing, but it cuts straight through the Kurushima Strait, so you feel how fast the tide runs here.

Fares and buying a ticket

A one-way adult fare from Hashihama to Oshima is about 220 yen.

Children pay half, rounded up to the nearest ten yen.

Bringing a bicycle adds about 90 yen.

Hashihama Port is unstaffed.

There is no ticket window, so buy your ticket from the vending machine before you board.

The boat itself is about this size.

There are not many sailings

The ferry runs about nine times a day, from around 7 a.m. to just after 5 p.m.

Sailings come closer together in the morning and late afternoon.

In the middle of the day, gaps of one to two hours are normal.

The sailing to watch is the last one.

Miss the final boat, at around 17:10, and there is no other way back from the island.

On a day you plan to cross, decide your return sailing before you decide your outbound one.

Timetables are revised from time to time, so check the current one on the Imabari City website before you travel.

Enquiries go to the Kurushima ferry office on 0898-41-8425.

What people cross for

Most visitors are heading for Oshima.

The whole island is covered with the remains of a Meiji-era coastal fortress, and entry is free.

The walking trail is about 1.8 km and takes roughly two hours to loop.

The other destination is Umashima.

That island sits directly under the middle of the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, and you can also reach it by taking a lift down from the bridge itself.

So Umashima is the one island here you can reach either by boat or from above.

Questions visitors ask

Can I bring a bicycle? Yes.

Pay the extra 90 yen and wheel it aboard.

Do I need to book? No.

Go to the port in time for a sailing on the timetable, buy a ticket from the machine and board.

Are there shops on the islands? Do not count on it.

Umashima has no shops and no vending machines at all.

Buy your drinks before you cross.

What happens in bad weather? Sailings are cancelled when the sea is rough.

Some sailings are also suspended over the New Year period.

A half-day built around the timetable

Because the boat times are fixed, it is easiest to plan backwards from them.

Take a morning sailing to Oshima, walk the fortress loop, and come back on an early afternoon boat.

There is a well-known udon shop near the port, so lunch after you land works nicely.

Then head back to the station and finish at the hot spring by JR Imabari Station.

If you would rather cross by bridge on the same trip, the tolls are covered here: bridge tolls on the Shimanami Kaido.

Getting from the station out to the bridge is covered here: Imabari Station to the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge by bicycle.

Information correct as of August 2026.

Timetables and fares can change, so please check the Imabari City website for the latest details.

Original article in Japanese: 来島海峡の渡船の使い方｜波止浜港から来島・小島・馬島へ渡る（2026年）

 - English