What’s about Tokai Kisen
Tokai Kisen is a shipping company that operates mainly between the Izu Islands and Takeshiba, Tokyo. It operates large cargo and passenger vessels and high-speed boats.
Place of departure
There are several departure points, but the most popular is probably Takeshiba Pier here. The nearest station is Hamamatsucho Station on the JR Yamanote Line. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from the station. From here, marked by the ship’s mast, you can go to the Izu Shichito Islands and the Ogasawara Islands.
Tokai Kisen SARUPIA MARU Takeshiba Pier – Niijima – Takeshiba Pier
Niijima is one of the seven Izu islands. The Izu Islands (Izu Shichito) are remote islands belonging to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Oshima Island
Toshima Island
Niijima
Kozushima
Miyakejima
Mikurajima
Hachijojima
The islands are relatively large and inhabited. The northern part of the Izu Islands, bounded by Kozushima, is called the northern part of the Izu Islands, while the southern part from Miyakejima to the south is called the southern part of the Izu Islands. South of Hachijojima is Aogashima (about 390 km from the mainland).
Further south, 1,000 km south of Tokyo Bay, are the Ogasawara Islands (Chichijima and Hahajima).
To reach these remote islands, it is common to take either a high-speed jet ship or a large passenger ship.
- High Speed Jet Boat
Jet boats make a round trip once a day between Tokyo – Oshima – Toshima – Niijima – Shikinejima – Kozushima. (For August 2019 schedule, Saturday and Sunday) The boat departs from Takeshiba Pier in Tokyo at 7:35 AM and arrives at Kozushima at 10:40 AM (return trip departs from Kozushima at 3:30 PM). It takes only 2.5 hours one way to get to Niijima, which is very convenient. The fare to Niijima is also slightly higher than that of large passenger boats, but it ranges from 9,000 to 11,000 yen.
(Jet boats departing from Tokyo to Niijima are only available during peak season.) - Large Passenger Boat
Like the jet boats, the large passenger boats make a round trip once a day from Tokyo to Oshima, Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima, and Kozushima, departing from Takeshiba Pier at 11:00 PM and arriving at Niijima at 7:30 AM the next morning. The fare is about 6,000 yen one-way to Niijima-Kozushima for a second-class cabin, which is quite reasonable.
The ship is divided into tiers A-E, with rooms divided according to each tier. In terms of tickets, special class is the highest level.
Second-class rooms include “reclining” type seats and “Japanese-style” seats. The reclining type seats are exactly like airplane seats. The reclining angle is only a little, but compared to the angle of an airplane, it gives the impression of being much higher.
If you want Tokyo Subway Ticket – Unlimited Rides 1/2/3 Days, first make a ticket reservation!
If you have a discount coupon, you can make a reservation and purchase tickets online at a discount price.
Incidentally, there are moments when the ship is completely full during the late-night sleeping hours, but there are also some people sleeping on seats in other corridor spaces or on the ship’s deck. Furthermore, some groups party on board until morning. It is a tough situation, but there are many moments when there are no seats available, so it does not feel that crowded.
