I finally did something I’ve wanted to do ever since I first started writing a blog about two years ago.
What is it?
Boat trip.
I have always been interested in boat trips.
Watching many videos about boat trips on YouTube
further heightened my desire to travel by ship.
It is difficult to get long consecutive holidays because of the shift work.
But thankfully,
in late May, for the first time in about five years and five months, I had five consecutive holidays*.
*Excludes absences due to illness.
Using the first three days of my five-day weekend,
I traveled to Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, by ship.
I will let you know how it went.
This article is intended for the following people.
・People who are interested in boat trips
・People who like to travel alone
・People who have difficulty taking long vacations due to shift work.
By reading this article,
Even those who are struggling to get long consecutive holidays,
will learn how you can have an enjoyable boat trip by yourself with a little ingenuity.
Because there are many contents to introduce,
I plan to post the article in three installments.
I hope you will find this information useful in planning future trips.
Please read to the end.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Shikoku Orange Ferry
I used Shikoku Orange Ferry for my trip to Ehime.
This ferry is operated by Shikoku Kaihatsu Ferry Co, located in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture.
It has two routes in operation. One is Ehime to Kansai (Osaka and Kobe). The other is Ehime to Ohita.
The former is from Toyo, Ehime~Nanko, Osaka/Niihama Higashi~Rokko Island, Kobe.
The latter is Yawatahama, Ehime – Usuki, Oita.
Take a look.
*This is a pamphlet I received on board.
There are two types of vessels available.
“Orenji Ehime” and “Orenji Osaka”.
This time I used “Orenji Ehime”.
The Orange Ferry, which runs between Osaka and Ehime, is extremely popular.
It should be noted that even if you choose the cheapest plan, you will be assigned a private room.
Private space is secured and comfortable.
Long-haul truck drivers engaged in the transportation industry and
travelers of all ages favor this ferry.
The itinerary for this trip is as follows
Board the Toyo-bound ship at 22:00 on Monday, May 26.
Arrive in Toyo at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27.
Then, I will take a bus to Matsuyama.
Sightseeing in Matsuyama City.
Board the 10:00 p.m. departure to Nanko on the same day.
Arrive at Nanko at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28.
I will travel to Matsuyama, Ehime for 3 days and 0 nights.
In the next section,
let me show you the route from the nearest station to the Nanko Ferry Terminal
and the process of boarding the ship.
Steps to embarkation
Let’s take a look at the process of boarding the ship.
The nearest station to the Osaka Nanko Ferry Terminal where the Orange Ferry arrives and departs,
Ferry Terminal Station on the Osaka Metro Nanko Port Town Line (New Tram).
This is where the journey begins.
Exit the ticket gate and turn left.
At the end of a very long walkway….
you can see Osaka Nanko Ferry Terminal.
I enter the terminal and quickly go through the boarding procedures.
On the left is the Orange Ferry reception desk.
On the right is the reception desk of Meimon Taiyo Ferry.
Meimon Taiyo Ferry connects Nanko, Osaka with Shin Moji, Kitakyushu (Fukuoka).
This is one of the ferries I would like to take in the future.
Embarkation procedures begin at 18:00.
Fill out the boarding list.
However, I hiikun had already made a reservation online.
So I did not fill it out.
I was issued a round-trip boarding ticket and a liaison bus ticket.
Here is the boarding ticket for the destination.
The room is the cheapest single.
The normal fare is ¥8,200-.
A 5% discount was applied due to online booking.
The bus fare to Matsuyama is ¥1,250-.
The total is ¥9,040-.
Here is my return ticket.
I chose a deluxe single room.
The normal fare is ¥10,000-.
A 5% discount was applied due to online booking.
Bus fare to Toyo Port is ¥1,250-.
The total cost is ¥10,750-.
Fares vary depending on the type of room, time of year, and other factors.
*Caution
The fares shown here are as of May 26, 2025, the day of the trip.
According to information on the official website, fares will be revised on July 1 of the same year.
If you would like to check the revised fares and each room,
please refer to the official website of Shikoku Orange Ferry.
This is a breakfast ticket.
We can choose between Japanese and Western cuisine.
Breakfast tickets for the return trip can be purchased at the ship’s information desk.
There is a Lawson nearby.
I usually pay by debit card.
However, I hear that we cannot pay by card on board.
I withdrew some cash from the ATM there.
The sun is setting.
The sunset is very beautiful.
Two large ships are anchored in the back.
I, hiikun, will be on the boat on the left.
The large orange chimney is the landmark.
Docked on the right side,
is the boat which departs at 19:50 for Shin Moji on Meimon Taiyo Ferry.
The ship leaves at 22:00,
Boarding is available at 20:00.
After a long passageway, we come into view.
Orenji Ehime.
Up close,
I was overwhelmed by its size, which was much larger than I had imagined.
There were also a certain number of people who boarded the ship on bicycles.
Finally, I enter the ship.
I am looking forward to it.
Inside the ship
Now, let’s get on board.
I was really surprised.
Are we really in a boat?
I had heard rumors,
but the ship was more luxurious and beautiful than I had imagined.
It is no exaggeration to say that the hotel runs on the sea.
As soon as I entered the ship,
the attendant politely showed me the room.
On the right are deluxe single rooms.
Single rooms are on the left.
Open the red door on the left…
many small rooms are available.
This is where I sleep tonight.
The rooms are small.
I am grateful enough for the privacy.
Single rooms are not provided with keys.
It can be locked only from the inside, like a toilet door.
There are no coin lockers on board.
A valuables box is available on the 4th floor next to the ship’s information desk.
Make sure you know where the life vests are located.
I was a little hungry,
I decided to have a meal.
There is a restaurant across from the ship’s information desk.
Cafeteria system.
The selection is more extensive than I expected.
Salmon Salad,
Deep fried octopus,
Scallops sauteed in butter.
Draft beer.
The total cost is ￥2,100-.
It was not so crowded at the time I, hiikun, was ordering.
But as soon as I took my seat and started eating,
there was a long line at the order counter.
I made a good decision to come early.
After the meal, I strolled around the ship for a while.
A number of vending machines are also available.
Drinks, snacks, instant food, etc. are available for purchase.
Massage chairs and a game center are also available.
Less than an hour before departure.
While having ice cream and tea
I spent the time before the ship’s departure reading a book.
Let’s go outside.
This is the chimney as seen from a distance about 3 hours ago.
Up close, I was overwhelmed by its sheer size.
This is the symbolic part of Orange Ferry.
I wanted to witness the moment of departure.
I needed to head for the restroom.
It’s hard to believe I am on a boat.
The restrooms were really clean.
*Of course, I took pictures while no one was there.
While in the bathroom,
the ship had sailed.
We sailed and went outside for a while to enjoy the night view.
The large building in the back is,
Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building (Sakishima Cosmo Tower).
In this article previously posted here,
I show you my visit to Sakishima Cosmo Tower.
Please take a look if you like.
Further on, we saw,
“Yumeshima”, the site of Expo ‘2025 Osaka/Kansai.
The yellow line in the middle,
is the symbol of the Expo site, the “Great Roof Ring”.
I had actually intended to see the moment it passed under the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.
But tomorrow morning to get up early,
I decided to take a bath and go to bed.
I would like to see the moment of passing under the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
when I get on another boat again.
Just after 23:00,
I took a bath.
Luckily, no one was bathing.
It was a private party.
Thanks to that, I was able to spend a relaxing time.
Pamphlets and advertisements related to Ehime and other parts of Shikoku are available on board.
The door is locked!
Then I will go to bed.
Good night.
In the next section, I will tell you about the process from waking up to disembarkation.
Wake up and disembark
I was so excited that I could not sleep well.
I woke up around 4:30 without using alarm clock.
What I did first was the morning bath.
It was also before 5:00 pm.
No one was bathing but me.
By the way, in Orange Ferry,
Bathing is available at any time during the cruise.
After bathing, I took a short walk around the ship.
I saw almost no one.
Go to the observation area on the 6th floor.
The wind was so strong that I refrained from going outside.
I went outside as the wind was weakening.
The Seto Inland Sea is really full of small islands.
The sun is rising.
Sunrise from the boat,
It is really beautiful.
There was a lot of fog.
The cityscape of Ehime is now in view.
We will arrive shortly.
The time is 5:30.
I headed back to the dining hall for breakfast.
Here is breakfast.
You can choose between Japanese and Western cuisine.
After disembarking the ship, I wanted to get ready to take the express bus to Matsuyama,
I wanted to have breakfast early.
Therefore, I chose Western food this time.
The bread was slightly warm.
It was branded with the Orange Ferry branding.
This bread was delicious even without any garnish.
It tastes even better with this lime & yuzu marmalade.
Ehime is known for Pon Juice.
The yogurt here was also delicious.
After breakfast, I went outside again.
We will soon arrive at Toyo Port.
The boat slowly backs up and comes to shore.
Finally, I have landed in Ehime, Shikoku.
Prepare to disembark.
Disembarkation and then bus to Matsuyama.
We can take a break on board until 7 a.m., though,
I disembarked to catch the bus.
Be careful not to forget anything.
Now, we have arrived in Ehime.
In no time at all, we arrived in Ehime.
It was a nice boat trip.
Until we return about 13 hours later,
we will say goodbye to “Orenji Ehime” for a while.
Buses heading in various directions were waiting in front of the ferry terminal building.
I hiikun take the bus here.
Head for Dogo Onsen via JR Matsuyama Station.
It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Despite being a weekday, the car was almost full.
I didn’t sleep well on the ship,
I planned to take a nap on the bus.
However, I was so excited that I could not sleep after all.
We arrived at Dogo Onsen.
The building in front of you is Dogo Onsen Station of Iyo Railway Co.
This is where my half-day tour of Matsuyama, Ehime, begins.
Summary
I have introduced the itinerary from Nanko to Dogo Onsen by Orange Ferry.
How was it?
Because I had already made an online reservation,
I did not need to fill out a boarding list. Immediately I got the boarding tickets at the counter.
It was only 8 hours,
but it was a comfortable boat trip.
The food was also delicious.
I could relax in the bath.
Connecting to the bus to Songshan was very easy.
Everything has gone well so far.
In Next Article,
I will show you my visit to Dogo Onsen and several other places of interest in Matsuyama City.
I will also introduce some of the local dishes and souvenirs I had on this trip.
We hope you will read our next article.
Thank you very much for reading to the end.
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