Ferry & high-speed boat · Chubu & Hokuriku
Sado Kisen: Niigata ⇄ Sado (jetfoil & car ferry)
佐渡汽船 新潟～両津航路（ジェットフォイル・カーフェリー） · Sado Kisen
Niigata ⇄ Ryotsu (Sado Island)
Sado Island from Niigata: the jetfoil takes 1 h 07 min (¥8,310), the car ferry 2 h 30 min (2nd class ¥3,630). Book online for a QR ticket, or buy at the port if seats remain — IC cards work at the counter.
- Jetfoil
- 1 h 07 min · ¥8,310 one way, ¥16,620 return (child ¥4,160) · all seats reserved
- Car ferry
- 2 h 30 min · 2nd class ¥3,630 (child ¥1,820); 1st class ¥6,070
- Sailings
- 5 round trips a day of each (November 2026)
- Booking
- Online from 0:00 two months ahead; same-day tickets if seats remain
Sado Kisen runs two kinds of boat between Niigata Port and Ryotsu on Sado Island: the jetfoils Ginga, Tsubasa and Suisei, which fly on underwater wings and take 1 hour 7 minutes, and the car ferries Okesa Maru and Tokiwa Maru, which take 2 hours 30 minutes and let you out on deck.
In November 2026 there are 5 round trips a day of each. Niigata departures: jetfoil 7:55, 9:40, 11:30, 13:35 and 15:30; car ferry 6:00, 9:25, 12:35, 16:05 and 19:30. The timetable changes with the season, with more jetfoils in spring and summer.
乗り方の流れ
Step by step
01Bus from Niigata Station
Take the Niigata Kotsu bus on the Sado Kisen line (signed for Toki Messe and Sado Kisen) from stand 17 at Niigata Station — about 15–17 minutes, ¥260. A taxi takes about 10 minutes (about ¥1,500).
02Book online (recommended)
Online booking opens at 0:00 on the same date two months before travel (free membership needed) and closes 30 minutes before departure. Pay by credit card or at a convenience store; you get a QR digital ticket and can choose your seat on the jetfoil.
03Or buy at the port
If seats are left, buy at the ticket machines or counter on the day. The counter takes cash, credit cards and IC cards (Kitaca, Suica, TOICA, ICOCA, SUGOCA); the machines take cash and credit cards. Arrive 30–40 minutes early if you're buying at the port, 10–20 minutes with a digital ticket.
04Scan your QR at the gate
Gates open 15–20 minutes before departure. Scan the QR code on your phone (turn the brightness up) and walk on board.
05Jetfoil: seat belt on
On the jetfoil you must wear your seat belt while under way, and you can't go outside or open the windows. The forward windows have been replaced by aluminium panels, so there's no view ahead. On the car ferry you can go out on deck.
Luggage
Up to 2 pieces per person, each up to 2 m in total of three sides and 30 kg, travel free. Bigger items cost ¥600 each one way (buy a baggage ticket on the day). A bicycle in a bike bag is ¥600; un-bagged bicycles go on the car ferry only. On the jetfoil, the luggage area is by the entrance on the 1st floor.
Good to know
- Sailings can be cancelled for rough seas or poor visibility. Sado Kisen posts the day's car-ferry and first-jetfoil status at 0:00, and other jetfoils from about 6:00; decisions are sometimes made only 1 hour before. No cancellation fee if the company cancels.
- Fares change every three months with the fuel surcharge — the fares above apply from 1 October to 31 December 2026.
- Sado Kisen has an English website.
Sources
- Sado Kisen: Jetfoil fares Niigata – Ryotsu (Oct–Dec 2026) (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: Car ferry fares (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: 2026 timetable (PDF) (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: How to book (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: Boarding without a car (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: Payment methods (FAQ) (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: Seat belts and deck access (FAQ) (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: Luggage (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: Cancellations for weather (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen: Niigata terminal access (Japanese)
- Niigata Kotsu: Bus to the Sado Kisen terminal (Japanese)
- Sado Kisen (English) (English)
Fares and timetables change and boats can be cancelled in bad weather — last checked 8 Nov 2026. Confirm on the operator's site before you travel.