Ferry · Kyushu
Sakurajima Ferry (Kagoshima)
桜島フェリー · Kagoshima City
Kagoshima Port ⇄ Sakurajima
A 15-minute crossing to the active volcano across Kagoshima Bay, up to every 15–20 minutes from early morning to late evening. ¥250 — and you pay only on the Sakurajima side, by cash, IC card or contactless card.
- Crossing time
- About 15 minutes
- Sailings
- 94 a day on weekdays, 104 on weekends and holidays; every 20 minutes in the daytime (every 15 on weekend afternoons)
- Fare
- ¥250 (child ¥130), paid on the Sakurajima side
- Booking
- Not needed — just walk on
Kagoshima City runs the Sakurajima Ferry between Kagoshima Port and Sakurajima every day of the year. The crossing takes about 15 minutes (up to about 20 in bad weather).
The ferry used to run 24 hours a day. Since 1 October 2025 there are no boats between midnight and 3:59: the first boat leaves Sakurajima at 4:00 and Kagoshima at 4:30, and the last boats leave Sakurajima at 23:00 and Kagoshima at 23:30.
乗り方の流れ
Step by step
01Get to Kagoshima Port
From Kagoshima-Chuo Station, take the Kagoshima City View bus from stop East 4 to Kagoshima Suizokukan-mae (1 minute's walk), or the tram towards Kagoshima-Ekimae to Suizokukan-guchi (about 5 minutes' walk). Suizokukan-guchi and Suizokukan-mae are different stops. From JR Kagoshima Station it's a 7-minute walk.
02Board on the 2nd floor — no ticket yet
In Kagoshima, go up to the passenger entrance on the 2nd floor of the terminal and board. Nothing is collected on this side.
03Pay when you arrive at Sakurajima
Pay at the passenger gate at Sakurajima Port: cash, IC cards (Suica, ICOCA, PASMO, SUGOCA, nimoca and the other nationwide cards), or a contactless credit card or phone. For a child fare or several people, ask the staff first.
04Coming back: pay first, then board
From Sakurajima, pay at the same gate and board on the 3rd floor. Boarding closes 30 seconds before departure, so don't cut it fine.
Passes
The SUNQ Pass (All Kyushu, and All Kyushu + Shimonoseki) covers the ferry — show it and no fare is collected. Kagoshima City's CUTE digital day pass (¥1,400 for one day, ¥2,100 for two) covers city buses, trams, the City View bus, the Sakurajima Island View bus and the ferry; show it to the staff on the Sakurajima side.
Good to know
- The Sakurajima Island View bus leaves Sakurajima Port every 30 minutes from 9:30 to 16:30 — the easy way to see the volcano's lookouts.
- Large bags can be checked for ¥50 a piece (up to 2 m in total of three sides and 30 kg). There are a few coin lockers at both terminals.
- Some weekends run a special timetable while a ship is in dock (in November 2026: 14–15 and 28–29 November on the weekday timetable, 21–23 November on a temporary one).
- Service updates are posted on the ferry's official social-media accounts.
Sources
- Kagoshima City: Sakurajima Ferry — first-time guide (Japanese)
- Kagoshima City: End of 24-hour service (from 1 Oct 2025) (Japanese)
- Kagoshima City: Sakurajima Ferry timetable (Japanese)
- Kagoshima City: Sakurajima Ferry fares and IC cards (Japanese)
- Kagoshima City: Contactless card payment (Japanese)
- Kagoshima City: Access to the ferry terminal (Japanese)
- Kagoshima City: CUTE day pass (Japanese)
- Kagoshima City: November 2026 dock timetable (Japanese)
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.