Getting to Himakajima

LegHowTimeFare
Meitetsu Kowa Station to Kowa boarding centerOn footAbout 7 minutesNot applicable
Kowa to Himakajima, adult one wayHigh-speed boatNot stated1,600 yen
Morozaki to HimakajimaHigh-speed boatAbout 10 minutesFare in next row
Morozaki to Himakajima, adult one wayHigh-speed boatTime in row above800 yen
A white Meitetsu high-speed boat moored beside the boarding pier at Himakajima East Port, under a sign listing Morozaki, Kowa, Shinojima and Irago.
© Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Nagoya to Himakajima takes about 1 hour.
  • The express surcharge on the Morozaki, Shinojima and Himakajima high-speed boat is 100 yen for adults.
  • The island-hopping ticket from Morozaki costs 1,900 yen for adults and 950 yen for children.
  • The island-hopping ticket from Kowa costs 3,400 yen for adults and 1,700 yen for children.
  • Island-hopping tickets are valid for 2 days from the date of sale.
  • The winter schedule applies on weekdays from Nov 1 to Mar 31, except Dec 29 to Jan 3.

Where to stay

Places to stay near Minamichita →

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Walking the Island Ring Road

Follow the ring road all the way around the island and it brings you back to where you began. A full lap comes to about five and a half kilometers. The regular high-speed boats put in at the west and east ports, while the car ferry uses the north port, so pick a starting point to match your boat.

  • Rental bicycle: 500 yen for 1 hour.
  • Subaru electric kickboard rental: 8:00 to sunset, no regular closing day, closed in rain or strong wind.
  • VIVA Himakajima kickboard rental: 9:00 to 17:00, irregular closing days.

Look for the two octopus monuments that stand at the east and west ports. The east one is named Gasshi and the west one Nisshi. Then step into Anrakuji, where the Tako Amida is enshrined.

The red police box on Himakajima, its round dark window frames styled like the suckers of an octopus.
© Bariston / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Climb the staircase lined with Benzaiten banners to reach Choshinji. Keep an eye out for the sandstone strata that make up the island, visible in places along the way. The whole island has just one traffic light.

The tiled main hall of Anrakuji temple on Himakajima, with red banners for the octopus Amida and a row of sago palms.
© Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Winter Fugu and the Octopus Course

Plan a visit around the tiger puffer fishing season, which runs from October to March. At the start of the season, about seventy puffer gillnet boats head out from the island.

Order the full puffer course of tessa (puffer sashimi), tecchiri (puffer hot pot), karaage and puffer zosui, which comes with a boiled whole octopus.

  • Same-day dinner course at a minshuku or ryokan/hotel: from 10,000 yen, excluding tax and including service charge.
  • The same course, overnight: from 13,000 yen at a minshuku and from 15,000 yen at a ryokan/hotel.
  • Another course, same-day: from 8,000 yen.
  • That course, overnight: from 11,000 yen at a minshuku and from 13,000 yen at a ryokan/hotel.

Each course carries an overnight price as well, so compare places to stay around Minamichita and Himakajima before you choose a boat.

Seasons on the Island

Come in summer for the dolphin encounter, which is held from late May to late September. From October, watch for dried octopus swaying in the wind around the island.

  • Gion Festival: second Saturday of July.
  • Octopus Festival and Bon dance: August 12.