How Do You Get to Shodoshima by Ferry from Takamatsu, Okayama and Himeji?
This guide is for visitors who want to reach Shodoshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea in Kagawa Prefecture. There is no bridge to the island, so every route ends with a boat. It covers the ferry and high-speed boat from Takamatsu, the routes from Okayama, Himeji and Kobe, and how to reach the ports by train, bus and plane.
We used the Shodoshima Tourism Association's access page, which lists the routes, times and fares. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. The association warns that fares can change and tells visitors to check before they travel, so use this guide as a map and confirm the details with the ferry company.
The main route: Takamatsu to Tonosho or Ikeda
The association says the usual route is from Takamatsu Port. The ferry to Tonosho or Ikeda takes about 60 minutes. The adult fare is 700 yen and the child fare is 350 yen. Two companies run these routes: Shodoshima Ferry to Tonosho, and Kokusai Ryobi Ferry to Ikeda.
The timetable we read starts with a departure at 06:25 for Tonosho, arriving at 07:25. Boats then leave roughly every half hour to an hour through the day. The last departures we read are at 20:20 for Tonosho and 20:30 for Ikeda, arriving an hour later. Check the live timetable, because seasonal extra trips run on some dates.
The association adds a rule for walk-on passengers. Some trips are designated for vehicles carrying dangerous goods. On weekdays, those trips take only cars, so you cannot board on foot. On weekends and holidays walking on is allowed, but on long holiday weekends it may not be. Ask the ferry company if you are unsure.
The high-speed boat
A high-speed boat runs from Takamatsu to Tonosho in about 35 minutes. The adult fare is 1,400 yen and the child fare is 700 yen. The association lists it under the Shikoku Ferry group's Shodoshima Ferry. The first boat we read leaves at 07:40 and arrives at 08:15. Because the trip is shorter than the ferry, it suits a tight schedule, but it costs twice as much.
The Jumbo Ferry to Sakate
From Takamatsu East Port, a ferry runs to Sakate Port on the island's south side. The association gives the trip as about 70 minutes, with an adult fare of 700 yen and a child fare of 350 yen. The Jumbo Ferry company also runs a longer route from Kobe, listed at about 180 minutes and an adult fare of 1,990 yen.
From Okayama, Uno and Himeji
- Okayama to Tonosho: a ferry from Shin-Okayama Port takes about 70 minutes. The adult fare is 1,200 yen and the child fare is 600 yen. A bus and ferry set called the Kamome Bus Skip costs 1,500 yen and is sold at the Okayama Station bus information center and the Tonosho port ticket counter.
- Uno to Tonosho: the association lists about 90 minutes by ferry, with an adult fare of 1,260 yen. Boats from Uno also reach the Teshima islands.
- Himeji to Fukuda: a ferry takes about 100 minutes. The adult fare is 2,100 yen and the child fare is 1,050 yen.
Getting to the ports
By train from Tokyo or Fukuoka, the association routes you by Shinkansen to Okayama. From there, the Marine Liner reaches Takamatsu in about 55 minutes, and a local train takes about 60 minutes. From Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, it shows the Shinkansen to Shin-Kobe or Himeji, then a bus or a walk to the port and a ferry to Sakate or Fukuda. We did not confirm train fares.
By plane, it lists about 80 minutes from Haneda or Narita to Takamatsu Airport. From the airport, a limousine bus takes about 53 minutes to Takamatsu Port, or about 50 minutes to Takamatsu Station. From the station, the port is about a one-minute walk or a five-minute bus ride.
By highway bus, it lists about 12 hours from Tokyo, about 7 hours from Nagoya, about 4 hours 20 minutes from Osaka and about 3 hours 30 minutes from Kobe, all to Takamatsu Station. From there the port is a 10-minute walk or a 10-minute bus ride.
Bringing a car
The association lists car fares by vehicle length. The prices run from about 5,000 yen for a small car on the Takamatsu route to well above 10,000 yen for larger vehicles, and it warns that holiday, late-night and fuel surcharges can apply. Reservations are handled by the ferry companies. Because rental cars and bicycles are available on the island, many visitors do not need to bring their own.
What we could not verify, and therefore left out
- Train fares, and the exact stop where each bus leaves.
- Whether any trip on your travel day is cancelled by weather.
- Reservation rules for cars on each route.
- Fares for Uno and other minor routes beyond the headline ferry fare.
Related guides
- How do you get around Shodoshima by bus, taxi and bicycle?
- What is Shodoshima? Olives, soy sauce, stone and the sea
Sources
All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.
- Access (Shodoshima Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (routes, times and fares)
- Shodoshima Tourism Association (official site, in Japanese) — (language menu and contact page)