Shodoshima Ferry: Fares, Crossing Times and Routes

Last checked against official sources on 2026-10-23

Several Shodoshima ferry details changed in 2026, as announced on the operators’ Japanese pages. The Takamatsu–Tonosho high-speed boat was cut to 8 sailings a day on 16 May 2026. The Himeji–Fukuda ferry raised fares on 1 August 2026 (adult now ¥2,100). The Okayama–Tonosho ferry added a fuel surcharge on 1 October 2026, so the adult fare is now ¥1,300. The standard Takamatsu–Tonosho ferry is ¥700 for adults and takes about 60 minutes.

What changed in 2026

The operators announced these changes on their own Japanese websites. If another guide shows older fares or a bigger high-speed timetable, trust the operator.

Routes at a glance

Each route lands at a different island port. Shodoshima Ferry belongs to the Shikoku Ferry Group. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry runs the Ikeda route and shares the Okayama route. Fares are one way, with tax.

“Child” means elementary school pupils. On Shodoshima Ferry routes, children below elementary school age travel free, one per adult. The Okayama fare includes the fuel surcharge for October to December 2026. The Takamatsu–Tonosho and Himeji–Fukuda routes are not covered by the surcharge.

Takamatsu to Tonosho: ferry and high-speed boat

Getting to the port. Takamatsu Port is a short walk from JR Takamatsu Station: about 7 minutes on the operator’s FAQ and about 10 minutes on its access page, where it recommends the connecting walkway and the signs to the port. From Takamatsu-Chikko Station it is also about 10 minutes: leave the ticket gate, turn right and follow the road for about 400 m. The airport limousine bus takes about 40 minutes to the ferry stop. Look for the Shodoshima and Naoshima terminal. Kagawa Prefecture lists the Tonosho ferry at berths 1 and 2 and the high-speed boat at berth 3. The port has no car park.

Ferry timetable. The ferry takes about 60 minutes. Foot passengers need no reservation, but a full ship can refuse boarding.

High-speed boat. The boat takes about 35 minutes and costs ¥1,400 for adults and ¥700 for children one way. It takes passengers only: cars, motorbikes and bicycles cannot board, and a bicycle in a carry bag is also refused. It cannot be booked, so buy a ticket at the terminal on the day. Cash only.

If you already hold the ferry return half of a Takamatsu–Tonosho ticket, you can take the high-speed boat by paying an extra ¥700 (adult) or ¥350 (child). A round-trip ticket gives 10% off the return fare. On the ferry the adult round trip is ¥1,330, and the return half is valid for 7 days.

Takamatsu to Ikeda (Kokusai Ryobi Ferry)

This ferry leaves from the same Takamatsu port, at berths 1 and 2, and takes about 60 minutes. A one-way ticket is ¥700 for adults and ¥350 for children, and a round trip is ¥1,330 and ¥670.

Booking. Online booking opens 60 days before the sailing and closes 24 hours before departure. The 06:50 from Takamatsu cannot be booked online. Ticket offices open about 30 minutes before each sailing (Takamatsu 06:15–20:30, Ikeda 05:00–19:00). Arrive 20 to 30 minutes before departure; boarding starts about 10 minutes before.

At Ikeda. The port has six coin lockers, open 05:00–19:00, and large suitcases can be left at the port office. Both cost ¥500 per item. Olive Bus has two stops near the port: “Ikeda Port Terminal Mae” and, about 3 minutes’ walk away on the main road, “Ikeda Naika Clinic (Ikeda Port Mae)”.

From Okayama and Himeji

Shin-Okayama Port to Tonosho. The crossing takes about 70 minutes. Three ships share the route and fares are the same on all of them.

The adult fare is ¥1,300 and the child fare ¥650 (base fare plus surcharge, October to December 2026). The 06:20 from Shin-Okayama is sold only from the ticket machine and cannot be booked. Online booking for the route opens 30 days before and closes at 23:59 two days before the sailing. On busy holiday weekends, arrive 30 minutes or more early.

Getting to Shin-Okayama Port. From JR Okayama Station, take the bus from stop 1 at the East Exit bus terminal to Shin-Okayama Port. It takes about 40 minutes via the Tenmaya bus station or about 35 minutes via the University Hospital stop. A taxi takes about 25 minutes and costs from about ¥5,000. From Okayama Airport, take the limousine bus to the west exit of Okayama Station (about 30 minutes) and change. A bus-plus-ferry ticket called Kamome Bus Kip costs ¥1,600 for adults and ¥800 for children, and it is valid for one week.

Himeji to Fukuda. The ferry takes about 100 minutes. For Himeji Port, take a Shinki Bus from the north exit of JR Himeji Station (the Himeji Castle side); ask the bus company for times and fares. The adult fare is ¥2,100 one way, and a round trip is ¥3,990. Web booking gives 5% off the outbound fare for cars and their passengers, but foot passengers cannot reserve.

Tickets, bikes, luggage and bad weather

• Walk-on passengers: Shodoshima Ferry does not take reservations for passengers without a vehicle on any of its routes. Buy a ticket at the terminal. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry does take online passenger bookings on the Ikeda and Okayama routes.
• Bicycles: The bicycle fare includes the rider. It is ¥1,070 for adults (¥720 for children) on the Takamatsu–Tonosho ferry, ¥1,070 on the Ikeda ferry, ¥1,690 on the Okayama ferry and ¥2,720 for adults (¥1,670 for children) from Himeji. Bicycles cannot be reserved or taken on the high-speed boat.
• Bad weather and bicycles: Motorbikes may be refused in rough seas or crowds. On the Himeji route, bicycles and motorbikes are refused when the wind speed at Oga Island Lighthouse reaches 7 m/s.
• Cancellations: Kokusai Ryobi Ferry tells passengers to check the operating status on its top page during typhoons, fog or strong wind. Shodoshima Ferry asks high-speed boat passengers to call the boarding point about delays. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry says the Seto Inland Sea is relatively calm, but crossings can be rougher in bad weather and sells no seasickness medicine.

Getting around the island: Olive Bus

Shodoshima Olive Bus is the island’s main bus operator. Its office is inside the Tonosho Port terminal. Its lines connect Tonosho, Ikeda and Fukuda ports. From Fukuda, the bus toward Tonosho and the southern route takes about 50 minutes. The timetable was revised on 1 April 2026.

A one-day pass costs ¥1,600 for adults and ¥800 for children. It is sold at the bus office, on the buses, at Ikeda, Fukuda and Sakate ports and at Shin-Okayama Port. In November 2026 the price rises to ¥2,000 and ¥1,000, as noted above; the notice was published on 21 October 2026. Children aged 6 to under 12 pay half the adult fare. Transport IC cards issued in other regions have been accepted since 1 October 2021.

What we could not confirm

• Whether and when the Takamatsu–Kusakabe ferry and high-speed boat will resume; the prefecture’s page only marks them as suspended.
• When the Takamatsu–Tonosho high-speed boat will return to its former number of sailings; the operator gives no date.
• The Okayama–Tonosho fuel surcharge from January 2027; the operator says it is due in late November.
• The bus timetable and fare between JR Himeji Station and Himeji Port; the ferry company refers readers to Shinki Bus.
• Official cancellation criteria for the Takamatsu and Okayama routes; the operators only point to their live status pages.
• Any free luggage allowance for walk-on passengers on the ferries; the pages describe only paid freight and lockers.
• Current timetable dates for Ikeda and Okayama: both timetable pages still carry a March 2021 revision note, although the times agree with the operator’s downloadable timetable.
• An English-language timetable or fare page from the operators.

Sources

1. Shodoshima Ferry: Takamatsu–Tonosho ferry timetable and fares (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
2. Shodoshima Ferry: Takamatsu–Tonosho high-speed boat (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
3. Shodoshima Ferry: Himeji–Fukuda route (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
4. Shodoshima Ferry: Okayama–Tonosho route (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
5. Shodoshima Ferry: news list (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
6. Shodoshima Ferry: Himeji–Fukuda fare revision notice (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
7. Shodoshima Ferry: fuel price adjustment on the Okayama route (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
8. Shodoshima Ferry: high-speed boat reduction notice (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
9. Shodoshima Ferry: credit card notice (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
10. Shodoshima Ferry: designated sailing days for 2026 (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
11. Shodoshima Ferry: substitute ship notice (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
12. Shodoshima Ferry: FAQ (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
13. Shodoshima Ferry: discount tickets (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
14. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry: Takamatsu–Ikeda timetable and fares (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
15. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry: Shin-Okayama–Tonosho timetable and fares (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
16. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry: Takamatsu and Ikeda port access (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
17. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry: Shin-Okayama and Tonosho port access (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
18. Kokusai Ryobi Ferry: FAQ (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
19. Kagawa Prefecture: regular ferries and passenger boats from Takamatsu Port (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
20. Shodoshima Olive Bus: home page (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
21. Shodoshima Olive Bus: November one-day pass notice (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
22. Shodoshima Olive Bus: tickets and passes (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23
23. Shodoshima Olive Bus: fares and lines (Japanese) — checked 2026-10-23