Hello, everyone!

Lately, One Piece has been making waves, and I’ve been caught up in the excitement.

Fun fact: The One Piece creator, Eiichiro Oda, is from Kumamoto!

As the story approaches its climax, the intense developments have reignited my love for the sea. So, in the spirit of adventure, I decided to embark on a thrilling voyage.

Now, let’s set sail!

The Cheapest Way to Cross from Nagasaki to Kumamoto: The Ariake Ferry

My mission: to become king of the pirates, of course! And how to accomplish this? Witness the sunrise from the deck of the ship!

Getting to Nagasu Port from Kumamoto City takes about an hour by car, so I set off at 4 AM.

I arrived an hour before the ferry’s departure time.

The first ferry departs at 6 am, but tickets go on sale at 5:20 am. So, I waited and got my ticket as soon as I could.

Now, let’s talk about the price and convenience of this ferry!
For just 2,060 yen, you can cross the sea with a kei car and one adult. If you’re traveling alone on foot, it’s an unbelievable 450 yen.

Want to save even more? They offer a set of four tickets at a discounted rate.
With affordable pricing and departures running roughly every hour, this ferry makes hopping over to Nagasaki incredibly easy. It’s probably one of the most convenient ferry routes in the region!

With affordable pricing and departures running roughly every hour, this ferry makes hopping over to Nagasaki incredibly easy. It’s probably one of the most convenient ferry routes in the region!

Plus, since it crosses the Ariake Sea—a relatively calm inland sea—it operates even in slightly bad weather.

Setting Sail!

Weather and scenery change in the blink of an eye. Once you board, you never know when the perfect photo opportunity will arise.

That’s why it’s crucial to use the restroom before boarding!

Now, it’s time to head to the terminal.

The terminal building has a unique, elongated design.

There’s a restroom near the entrance, so I took care of business before heading in.

There’s also a small shop inside, but as it was just after 5am, it wasn’t open yet.

The terminal was dim and quiet in the early morning. Almost liminal.

Need supplies before boarding? There’s a Lawson convenience store (Tamana Nagasu branch) right in front of the port. Super handy!

The skies started out a little cloudy, but cleared up before long.

I immediately rushed to the observation deck.

Ideally, I wanted to see the sun rise from the ocean, but since it was summer, the sun was already peeking above the horizon before we left the port.

That said, I still couldn’t see the sun directly, so I decided that was good enough!

Lost in the world of One Piece, I was ready to witness something magical.

As we set sail, the sun was still behind a thin veil of clouds, making its light hazy and dreamlike.

Then, after patiently watching the shifting scenery…

The sun finally emerged in its full, round glory.

The sky transformed into a gradient of deep blue and warm golden hues.

A contrail stretched across the sky as we glided over the calm sea.

Behind me, Kumamoto was fading into the distance.

Ahead, Nagasaki grew closer.

By the time we arrived, it was still only 7 AM—the entire day lay ahead of me.

Fueled by this incredible start, I was looking forward to a day of adventures in Nagasaki!

One Piece has been loved not only in Japan but all over the world since its series started in 1997.

If you’ve never read it, or if it’s been a while and you’ve forgotten the details, why not dive back in?

And if, like me, you find yourself inspired, why not take a ferry trip not just as a means of transport, but as an adventure in itself?

A journey across the sea, chasing the romance of a sunrise—now that’s something worth experiencing.