The Yomiuri Shimbun
A private room for family in a ferry run by Hankyu Ferry Co.
6:00 JST, November 2, 2025
With hotel rates increasingly rising, overnight ferries and buses, which depart in the evening and arrive at the destination the next morning, are enjoying increasing popularity. They are seen as more affordable than traveling by Shinkansen bullet trains or staying at hotels.
There are many of these services connecting the Kyushu region with the Kanto or Kansai regions. Ferry and bus operators have stepped up marketing efforts in the hope of boosting sales.
Hankyu Ferry Co. operates two overnight ferry services connecting Shinmoji Port in Kitakyushu with Izumiotsu in Osaka Prefecture and Kobe. The company said the number of the users saw a year-on-year increase of 17% during April and August.
The ferry has more than 120 cabins. Said to be especially popular are the Western-style rooms, each equipped with four beds and suites comparable to hotels rooms, complete with separate living and sleeping areas.
Fares start at ¥7,590 per person for shared cabins, while those for private cabins start at ¥10,670. Additional discounts are available for online reservations. The services are seen cost-effective compared to hotel stays and Shinkansen travel as hotel rates for families in urban areas often exceed ¥20,000 per night.
“We looked for a hotel to stay in the Kansai region, but it was too expensive. So, we decided to use an overnight ferry,” said a 28-year-old man from Tokyo, who boarded the ferry from Shinmoji Port to Kobe Port with his wife on Sept. 5.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A premium seat of overnight bus Hakata run by Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co.
There are a total of nine overnight ferry routes connecting the Kyushu region with the Kanto and Kansai regions.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.’s Sunflower runs three overnight ferry routes, including that connecting Beppu Port in Oita Prefecture and Osaka Port. The number of users had a year-on-year increase of 15% since April, according to the company.
“As hotel rates skyrocketed with the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, the ferry services are seen as a cost-effective way to travel and lodge,” said an official of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
Travelers are also making use of overnight buses. A June survey by Tokyo-based Willer Express found 68% of respondents had used overnight buses “to avoid high accommodation costs.” Willer Express operates overnight express buses, including routes connecting Saga and Fukuoka prefectures with the Kansai region.
Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co.’s overnight bus Hakata, which connects Fukuoka and Kitakyushu with Tokyo, had 14,000 passengers in 2024, up 10% from the previous year, and the popularity is said to remain strong this year. Particularly popular are their premium seats — of which each vehicle offers four — which allow passengers to sleep in a private-room-like set-up with curtains. The seats are said to often sell out on the first day of reservations.
Ferry and bus operators see the surge in hotel rates as an opportunity to attract their own new customers. Hankyu Ferry began airing new commercials featuring the affordability of overnight ferries compared to hotel stays. “We have more first-time passengers. We want to promote the comfort of the ferry and increase repeat customers,” a Hankyu Ferry official said.
Hotel room rates up 12%
Hotel rates continue increasing. According to a survey by Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd., the average rate for a room at business and other hotels run by 13 listed operators was ¥16,679 in the fiscal year ending March, up 12.6% from the previous year. This is believed to have been attributed to a surge in foreign visitors, coupled with soaring labor and material costs. Many believe this upward trend is likely to continue.
Japan Hotel REIT Investment Corp. forecasts that the average room rate of its 28 hotels will rise about 10% in the second half of 2025 from the first half, reaching about ¥22,000.
