Overnight JAPANESE FERRY ⛴️🎌 | 16-Hour Ferry Crossing from OTARU to NIIGATA on the Shin Nihonkai

Overnight JAPANESE FERRY ⛴️🎌 | 16-Hour Ferry Crossing from OTARU to NIIGATA on the Shin Nihonkai

This feels like we’re checking  into a hotel First Impressions   I like it I can do this it kind of feels like a hostel there is an onen aboard the ferry here we   are watching a Sumo match on the  ferry I understand I think sort

Of trying to make the bed while  the ship rocks back and forth my goodness this is so nice I didn’t  know this was out here it’s fun to explore well hello hello from the fery terminal here in  otaru japan we are here because we’re about to  

Board our first Japanese ferry Ever I’m so excited  I’ve actually been reflecting on this moment and   I’m wondering if I like overnight fairies even  more than overnight train rids what do you think   oh well we’re about to find out this is going  to be a 16-hour Journey hopefully we do not get  

Crazy choppy Seas I’m hoping for smooth cruising  as we make our way from otaru to niigata japan and   yeah I’m excited as well yeah so we’re saying  goodbye to Hokkaido japan had a wonderful time   here and by the time we wake up tomorrow we’re  going to be in a completely different part of  

Japan yes new prefecture New Island yeah so if  you enjoy ferry rides or you’ve wondered what   it’s like to take a ferry in Japan stay tuned  because we’re going to show you the entire experience all right so we’re figuring out where we  need to go we’ve boarded so we’re ticket  

A46 and here is the map you can see we’re  all the way in the back let’s go find our   place so this is where we’re standing right  now just got to walk straight down the hall   to 8:46 exactly and there are different classes  and cabins um some of them were booked out this  

Is probably the best value for your bang for  your buck and you get your own room so we’re   excited I’ll also mention as soon as you get  on board there is someone to kind of guide   you and give you some information so even if  they don’t speak English you show the ticket  

And like they’ll show you where to go so you  won’t be completely out of your element so   first impressions nice wide hallways and fancy  doors with scanning systems this this feels   like we’re checking into a hotel okay does it  not let’s go find our hotel room in that case

Oh are we what was it again 257 oh look at this there’s no door  oh it’s like a yeah like a capsule   yeah yeah it’s like a capsule but it  reminds me of like some of the we’ve  

Been on on some buses like this where you  get a sleeper bus you get your own space   place to put your luggage but um aside  from that it’s an open space cool so   interesting had no idea I’ve been delegated  to lift the heavy bags and put them in the

Slots let’s see if it fits oh nope not  quite I think I can make it fit yep I got it taada so I want to show you where we are  staying we got capsule 257 256 we got some   little steps leading up here and basically  two two little capsule beds right yeah let  

Me show you this so we have our luggage here  we can hang up some things we’ve chosen our   umbrella also put some shirts or whatever  if you take a look over here this is our   bedding been given sheets and the duvet which  is nice another little rack to store something  

Over here this is uh if you need to hold on  in case like the boat is obviously oh let’s   hope not yeah let’s hope not um I’m showing  you that I can almost stuff my backpack in  

There not quite this is the light turns on and  off have a pillow and what else is really cool   let’s see if it fits 6’1 toy oh stretch up  let’s see plenty of room you could be about  

Probably 6′ 3 well your your head’s not flat  on that let’s do a real test yeah but 62 six   about six about 62 and you’ll be all right okay  then here’s the neat part if I’m getting annoyed

Chse so yeah this is awesome what I love about  Japan is just how thoughtful and space efficient   everything is it’s like you have everything you  need in here you have a comfortable place to sleep   I can already tell this is a comfortable bed I  tend to have really nice sleeps on fairies and  

Trains so I don’t think this will be any different  here first impressions First Impressions I like   it I can do this there’s a whole bunch of signs  saying you know lock your luggage be quiet keep  

Your phone on silent so certain rules to abide  by it kind of feels like a hostle yeah you know   capsule hotel but we have our own area yes  yeah there’s people nearby but not exactly  

On top of us yeah we we kind of have like a  shared space with two little capsules so yeah   it’s different from what I was expecting but I  think this is going to be a lot of fun partial  

Privacy partial privacy there we go and then  the bathroom we’ll have to go find that later   yeah yeah no person no personal bathroom no so  hopefully no tummy no tumy is shoes let hope not  

A couple more things to show yeah two more things  so I was wondering what was in here it’s the life   jacket life jackets okay and then another really  cool thing you have to come over this way is this  

Is the air conditioning and you have full control  over it with this knob let’s go explore the actual ferry this cool Wonder oh laundry on the boat so there are other rooms there are fancy  rooms I imagine real rooms however we bought  

Our tickets we need to talk about that later we  bought our tickets the day before and three of   the different cabin classes were completely  sold out yes so we got what was available   had no clue lucky to just get on we’re lucky to  have don’t Wing It Like Us especially if you’re  

Traveling during you know High season this we’re  traveling slightly off season we’re very lucky   but um yeah there’s all kinds of different rooms  I think there’s rooms that are kind of more like   traditional ins like realon and then there’s also  big sweets too so if you’re willing to splurge you can

The fair goes let’s see how what  time the restaurant opens I could   eat right now but what else  is new yeah what else is new huh okay so this shouldn’t be a huge surprise  but we are surprised there is an Onsen aboard  

The ferry Shin Nihonkai so Sam is already plotting  to to head off to the onsen after we eat dinner   that’s really cool weren’t expecting that I  might be in there the whole time before I go  

To sleep seriously this is luxury man there’s also  exercise rooms you can go and like burn off your   calories on an exercise bike with great views  this is a cultural experience right here well   equipped so little sneak peek at the onsen you  can see the men going in blue curtains that’s  

For men it’s probably it’s probably getting  pretty full Sam could be I’m not quite sure   if I can go in this is a different class on the  third floor so we’ll have to ask at information  

I I think you can bath house open air bath sauna  I hope and then I think you can fingers it’s for   the public and then you’ve got the red curtains  just over there red curtains that’s for women  

So the Onsen is segregated by gender um so yeah  very cool let’s continue our exploration oh and   I’ll mention the onsen is open from the time  we commence embarcation so that’s 5:00 p.m.   until 10:00 p.m. and then the following day on  this route it’s open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.  

Because we don’t arrive in niigata until like  9:00 in the morning 9:15 so plenty of time to   enjoy the onson on this 16 plus hour Journey  aboard the ferry we were wondering earlier   where the Deluxe Deluxe rooms are located they  are on this upper level you take a look over  

Here you can see that this is a suet room and  Deluxe rooms and then you can see the cabin   side so these there’s only four Deluxe rooms  or maybe they’re the sweet rooms but uh those  

Would be the the best rooms on the ferry and we  saw photos they have western style and Japanese   style rooms yeah they look impressive it’s  like you know a palace out on the sea right so this is our pre- dinner meal this is the  appetizer until we sail so we’re sailing on  

Whole bellies we’re moving and it’s time  for o hyping hot pizza yeah it just came   out of the oven might have to let that  cool down actually that’s way too hot way   too hot way too hot to handle right now and  we’re moving we’re moving wow so bad there’s

Theas sunset views here in U Northern Japan what  a beautiful day to be traveling seriously it’s   like picture perfect on a cloud in the sky and  so calm right here who knows what’s going to be  

Like when we head out deeper you know into  the real sea out high seas yeah so far so good sailing right at Sunset just  as the sun goes down behind the mountain here we are watching a Sumo match  on the ferry how about that Sumo  

And we were also watching it in our  hotel room in Sapporo every night   while we’re having a little bite  kind of getting into it getting into have grab a whole bunch of one these are 50s saying goodbye to Hokkaido and  especially sapporo with sa roier  

It’s foaming everywhere there we go got that under control dinner time aboard the ferry yes  we’ve had pizza beer and it’s time   for the real meal okay hopefully  there’s English oh please look uh not scoll okay okay well well it’s all Japanese  there’s different tabs yeah let’s go through and  

See what we got oh yes yes those look good o oh oh  I would say go back no oh yeah okay I understand I   think sort of let’s go over here ooh different  oh R look the Hokkaido Style with butter all  

Right I think we we can figure this out yes the  prices are super reasonable like that’s the same   price as you pay for ramen in in a Ramen Shop  yeah 800 Yen yeah the other thing that I loved  

About here was this the price of my beer was not  jacked up that’s what I would pay normally 3 400   Yen I got a tall size so I love that all righty  Sam says he’s eating like a boss what exactly  

Are you eating friends I ordered the ton KATU  set and here it is to be honest there were two   upgrades I selected the most expensive one and  I believe that gave me a large bowl of rice like  

It’s really extra big and a miso soup I’ve also  got some pickled vegetables here and um the other   thing that we ordered was a dessert we’re going  to share that later just wanted to show all the  

Food we have here look I got some sauce to put on  it so yes please load that up oh oh yeah careful   that could be some strong sauce and you’ve got  no idea no I think I’ve had this before I want  

To make sure I get enough on each piece there  we go all dressed huh all dressed oh yeah I’ll   show you quickly I got the bowl of ramen and am  miso yeah so okay I will have a bite scrumptious  

Scous absolutely scrumptious crispy on the  outside tender in the middle let’s try the MEO too oh man we’ve got a feast of feast this is  going to be the knockout blow that allows us   to have a good sleep tonight I believe prely  Fe my all right guys I’m losing steam fast I  

Am ready for bed but I am working on a  giant bowl of ramen this is going to be   my dinner nice yummy noodles also a nice  little dollop of Ginger here just going   to mix that into the broth got some bamboo  choots as well little piece of pork right

There dinner of Champions it’s a lot  of food it’s a lot of food I know look   at look at all the food we have guys wow  and we had pizza as an appetizer so we’re   we’re we’re being Glutton tonight aren’t  we we’re not going hungry we’re not going

Hungry trying to make the bed while the  ship rocks back and forth my goodness   this may be the best 300 Yen I’ve ever  spent in Japan it’s giving me access to   the Sal which onen I should say and I’m  planning on spending an hour there and  

Maybe might hang this up and spend an hour  there in the morning too oh so let you know   how it is obviously can’t take the camera in  there but uh I’ll uh I’ll update you on it a well good morning friends it is almost  6:00 a.m. we dock at 9:15 so we’ve got  

A little over 3 hours to eat breakfast and  enjoy the ferry I have to say I slept like   a baby I too I actually probably slept like 9  hours yeah which is crazy cuz normally like I  

Would only sleep 700 or 8 think we went  to bed around 8 or 9 it was like being a   rock to sleep I’ll say there was one hour there  where it was quite choppy and I was not feeling  

That great like I just needed to lie flat and  close my eyes but it smoothed out oh look we   can see the ocean of course we can see the  ocean where’re I don’t see but let me show

You Tada good morning world good morning yeah cuz  obviously it was dark so we haven’t seen the last   senior we had was basically Sunset mhm so um  fantastic sleep we were rocked to sleep should   also talk about the onen experience that was  just amazing um basically all I had to do was  

Rent a towel for 300 Yen and I went up there and  I realized oops I needed a 100 yen coin and that   was just for the locker you get the you get the  money back once you’re done using it but you go  

Store your stuff into the locker get naked go  into the go into the Onsen first shower yes no   well you go into the onen then you that’s where  you shower it’s right in that same area so there  

Were two hot tubs a third one with a glass door  leading to maybe maybe it was out on the balcony   I didn’t go on that one and then an actual sauner  room too so I did all of that probably spent about  

An hour and a half there and it was amazing  it almost like being like a spa out on the sea yeah okay so the one thing we still haven’t  really talked about is how we book the tickets  

And you have a few different ways some easier  than others so I think the the first way is to   use the official booking site for this ferry  company Shin Nihonkai that page is entirely   in Japanese I tried doing it there by using  Google translate but at the end it said if  

You want to book a ticket you need to call us on  the telephone it said this in Japanese so unless   you have a Japanese friend who’s going to do this  for you that’s probably not a very likely method  

Option number two there are websites that just  sell ferry tickets for a whole bunch of different   companies one of the ones that I remember off  the top of my head is called Direct fairies the   only problem there is that for Japanese fairies  you have to book at least 2 weeks in advance and  

We are very very last minute Travelers we never  really know where we’re going how long we want   to stay so by the time we decided to take this  ferry that timeline had passed that only left us  

With one option showing up at the ferry terminal  and buying our tickets now I will mention we are   kind of traveling in the off seon like summer  is over we’re heading into fall so it’s not  

Super super busy it’s like shoulder season I would  say so we showed up at the ferry terminal one day   before we wanted to travel to buy our tickets in  person we got there and there was nobody working  

The counters like the terminal was open but there  were no people there thankfully there’s a little   bell a little button ding dong and then somebody  appeared and we used a little bit of English a  

Little bit of Japanese and a whole lot of Google  Translate to buy tickets but it is doable um so   yeah we were able to buy tickets for the next  day but I will mention I’ve already mentioned   that three of the different categories for for  room types were completely sold out so if you’re  

Doing this during High season like buying a last  minute ticket you kind of are risking it um we   were winging it we got tickets that’s how we did  it that’s how we got aboard this Fair the more  

You know ooh the lights are coming on that means  the ship is waking up okay okay wake everybody   up wakey wakey wakey so we thought we would sit  down and give some thoughts some Impressions on  

Our first ferry ride in Japan I absolutely loved  it I mean it has been incredible it has exceeded   my expectations in almost every way so let’s recap  some of the highlights okay we got to watch A sumu  

Match yes we had a great affordable meal we did  I got to go into basically a spa session the on   yes yes we had sunset views mhm check check  we had a wonderful sleep we did like this has  

Almost been like like like a spa out on the sea  a vacation at Seas now contrast that to say this   is a 16-hour faery Ride Now contrast that to  like a 16-hour flight where you arrive feeling  

Like a zombie and stiff oh yeah no I mean here  you’ve got the space to move around walk yeah   it’s a different experience for sure it’s 100%  different experience and we’re arriving honestly   feeling well rested refreshed well fed just in  good spirits and you know not like my go I think  

We still look a little a little sleepy a littley  probably look groggy but we’re feeling relatively   good yeah we’re feeling relatively good so I mean  this has given me uh some food for thought in the  

Sense that I’d love to do this again I want  to take more ferry rides I mean the ultimate   one obviously would be one to okanawa and I was  taking a look at some other YouTubers who done  

Trips like that I think that one might be like  over 20 hours there’s some routs that are like   22 hours there are some long fairies out there  that’s on my bucket list I want to take the ferry  

To okinawa another Crossing I’d love to do someday  would be from Busan and South Korea to across to   Japan I think it’s Fukuoka oh yeah Fukuoka would  be an iconic one too but anyways it’s been great  

Uh and it’s going to be cool because we’re going  to be arriving in a completely new destination here wow this is so nice I didn’t know this  was out here yeah it’s always fun to explore look is a helicopter  helipad maybe for medical emergencies

We are part of the Keener Breakfast Club first  in to the door at 6:30 and guys because of that   it’s not full and we found a seat of ocean views  voila isn’t that nice yes and tell us about what   we’ve ordered so we’ve ordered a combination  of traditional Japanese breakfast which is  

Fish rice and misel soup and then we have a  western breakfast which is going to be eggs I   think a croissant and we see what comes with the  Western one it’s an interpretation and basically  

We ordered using this uh little tablet that’s the  way you do it just go to the beginning we got that   one and that one yep voila and and there’s there’s  no English menu at all on this one there’s other  

Restaurants we’ve been to like ramen restaurants  and so on where you can choose the English menu   actually a lot of times I don’t have it now that  I think about it but it just click and then at the  

End there’s like a big button and you smash that  button yeah it’s kind of intuitive like you’re   kind of pressing next next and then it shows you  your total you press the green button and exactly  

I feel like the more time you spend in Japan even  if you don’t know Japanese like us you can kind of   pick it up and we sort of figured out I mean last  night we had food delivered to the table so we’re  

Hoping for the same thing this morning okay  so breakfast is here as I mentioned we’ve got   a Japanese traditional breakfast and a western  style breakfast our Japanese breakfast features   a bowl of rice we’ve got a soft egg we’ve got  fish looks like salmon some little greens and  

Pickled stuff and our bowl of miso soup and then  right next to it we have more of our western style   breakfast with eggs bacon sausage this I imagine  is yogurt a salad that’s a bit of a strange touch  

For breakfast but we’ll take it we’ll take  it some rice as well oh that’s probably the   bonus stuff we ordered when we said bonus bonus  that’s I think the rice we add the add- on all  

Right friends I’m going to try some I think I’ll  start with the bacon and some rice oh looks so   funny seeing you eat bacon with chopsticks I know  that’s really the first time I’ve ever done that   that’s good nice and soft bacon and so sausage  complete breakfast you got your protein you’ve  

Got some freggies I’ve got some rice miso green  tea yogurt what could you ask for all righty so   we’re about to disembark in less than 2 hours and  we are still discovering new spaces here on the   ship namely Amusement room there are actually  two singing rooms to sing karaoke um those are  

Open on this journey from 5:00 p.m. to 900 p.m.  we missed that window but if you’re in the mood   to sing you’ve got options and then they also  have an arcade room so we’ll show you that next  

And that’s open I think all the time yeah you  can hear hear it ding D ding ding ding D also   pets can come aboard there’s a section Just For  Pets here to all pet lovers please keep your pet  

Out of cabin except for Petro and with Petro  doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but looks   like pets can travel aboard all righty so Sam’s  going to go to the onen one more time going to  

Go grab his towels I I got my 100 yen this  time so I can get prep I was thinking my one   point of criticism if I had to come up with one  thing uh for this Cruise experience it would be  

That I would love for the announcements to be in  Japanese and English for the foreign Travelers   Not Just because I speak English but because  English is kind of like the language for all   travelers admittedly you’ve got two Canadians  and four Russians aboard and that’s that’s it  

For the foreigners but every time there’s an  announcement I’m like is there an emergency is   something happening like what happens if we need  to evacuate maybe we should just learn we should   learn some Japanese learnes that’s probably  probably the best solution okay by can you for fore fore

Time to disembark bye-bye Shin  Nihonkai ferry welcome to Niigata   excited to be here but I could also  I could also do another 24 hours no problem Samuel insisted on  a souvenir stamp make sure   you’re doing it ight oh I don’t  know one more there you go not

Bad I’ll try I’ll try again like a  little kindergarten student hold it up we hope you guys enjoyed this  video if so please give it a like   comment below subscribe and we’ll see  you soon with more videos from Japan goodbye oh

Our time in Hokkaido has come to an end and today we are boarding an overnight Japanese ferry to travel from Otaru to Niigata. This is a 16-hour ferry crossing aboard the Shin Nihonkai ferry.

In this video, we’ll share our whole experience traveling aboard a Japanese ferry for the first time. We’ll show you the boarding experience, the capsule rooms we booked, give you a tour of the vessel, show you the food at the onboard restaurant and more.

Fun fact: this ferry has an onsen / sento aboard, meaning you can spend part of the journey enjoying the baths and soaking in the pools!

How to buy tickets for the Shin Nihonkai ferry:
Option 1: https://www.snf.jp/english/ – the official ferry website is entirely in Japanese
Option 2: Book through Direct Ferries, though when we checked, you needed to reserve your ferry tickets at least 14 days in advance
Option 3: Show up at the ferry terminal and buy your tickets in person, though this can be risky if you leave it to the last minute.

#japaneseferry #shinnihonkai #japan

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Overnight JAPANESE FERRY ⛴️🎌 | 16-Hour Ferry Crossing from OTARU to NIIGATA on the Shin Nihonkai

Our captivating journey in Hokkaido is drawing to a close, and today marks a new adventure as we embark on an overnight voyage from Otaru to Niigata, spanning a remarkable 16 hours on the majestic Shin Nihonkai ferry. This video is not just a mere travelogue; it’s a comprehensive guide and a first-hand account of our maiden voyage on a Japanese ferry, filled with vivid descriptions and practical insights.

As we step into this enchanting journey, our video will unfold the entire boarding process, capturing the essence of the Japanese ferry experience. The highlight of our accommodation is the capsule rooms, a unique aspect of Japanese culture. We’ll take you inside these compact yet ingeniously designed spaces, providing an intimate glimpse into what it’s like to spend a night in these futuristic quarters.

The tour doesn’t stop at our rooms. We’ll take you on an extensive walk-through of the vessel, showcasing its various amenities and hidden gems. Expect to see the intricate details of the ferry’s design, the communal areas, and the panoramic views it offers of the surrounding ocean and landscapes.

A pivotal part of our journey is the culinary experience. Our video includes an in-depth review of the onboard restaurant, where we’ll sample a variety of dishes, giving you a taste of the local cuisine right on the high seas. We’ll share our thoughts on the menu, the quality of food, and the overall dining experience.

A unique feature of this ferry that sets it apart is the onboard onsen/sento. We’ll take you into this traditional Japanese bath, showcasing how you can spend part of your journey unwinding and soaking in the serene pools, a luxurious experience that blends relaxation with cultural immersion.

For those interested in undertaking this journey themselves, we provide detailed information on how to secure tickets for the Shin Nihonkai ferry. While the official ferry website (https://www.snf.jp/english/) is exclusively in Japanese, we’ll walk you through the process and alternative booking methods. We explore booking through Direct Ferries, which requires at least a 14-day advance reservation. Additionally, we discuss the possibility of purchasing tickets directly at the ferry terminal, though we caution against the risks of last-minute planning. Join us as we embark on this unforgettable journey, sharing every moment and tip to make your potential trip as magical as ours.

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