This Japanese island is closer to Taipei than Tokyo. A new ferry makes it easier to visit

Keelung, Taiwan (CNN) — You can now fall asleep on a ferry in Taiwan and wake up in Japan.

On the surface, the Yaima Maru offers a perfect slow-travel escape — a passenger ferry equipped with saunas, karaoke rooms and a top-deck cafe.

Launched in Taiwan last month to the sound of drums and a traditional lion dance, the 21,000-ton civilian vessel connects the northern Taiwan port of Keelung with the island of Ishigaki, in southwestern Japan’s idyllic Okinawa prefecture.

But as Beijing ramps up military pressure around Taiwan and Japan shores up its own southwestern defenses, the route has drawn scrutiny — not least because the vessel has been officially earmarked by Tokyo to assist in emergency evacuations if regional tensions erupt into open conflict.

For tourists, however, the ferry offers a chance to explore a unique destination far from the Japan most are familiar with. That’s because Ishigaki sits about 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) away from Tokyo, but only 270 kilometers (168 miles) from Taiwan.

“Many people think Japan is quite far away,” says Tiger Hong, general manager of the Wagon Group, which operates the ferry. “So the moment when they realize how close it actually is, they are really shocked.”

Currently, only one airline in Taiwan operates a direct flight to Ishigaki — which takes just an hour — while others require transferring at Okinawa’s main air hub of Naha.

Ishigaki is renowned for its pristine beaches, sapphire ocean and Wagyu beef. It strategically sits within the Nansei Islands, a 1,050-kilometer-long archipelago in southwestern Japan stretching from Kyushu to nearby Taiwan. The chain of islands has become critical to Japan’s defense in the event of armed conflicts between China and Taiwan.

“Beijing is certainly not pleased to see this development, as the opening of the ferry service could complicate its strategic calculus in the event of a Taiwan contingency,” Chen Yu-hua, an assistant professor in foreign policy at Akita International University in Japan, told CNN Travel.

But officials and executives brushed off regional tensions and security implications, insisting that the ferry is just for tourism.

“This is fundamentally a matter between countries,” Tatsuya Ohama, president of Shosen Yaima, which owns the ship, told reporters. “As a private ferry operator, our first step is to get the service up and running.”

‘Wake up in Japan’

While the boat trip takes eight hours, Hong, the ferry company’s general manager, says it suits budget travelers or those who would like to chill and “take their time.”

“The biggest appeal of this experience is being able to go abroad at low cost and enjoy a slower pace of travel,” he adds.

The vessel runs once every week in June during its trial period, and twice a week from July. Ticket prices range from approximately $63 for the most basic type of accommodation in off-peak times to $334 for the most luxurious suites during peak seasons.

Officials from Taiwan and Japan are optimistic the route will boost tourism, foster trade and deepen bilateral ties.

Yoshitaka Nakayama, mayor of Ishigaki, says the ferry serves as a “new bridge” that will support a wide range of exchanges.

“It is an important route that will connect the future of Japan, including Ishigaki city, and Taiwan,” he says.

As the ferry slowly pulled into the Ishigaki port on May 29, a group of people waved the Taiwan flag and brandished a banner to welcome the first batch of visitors.

CNN Travel spoke with some of the approximately 200 passengers who took part in the ferry’s maiden voyage. They highlighted the novelty of the experience, the relatively low price and flexibility in travel time as the main draw.

“The price was pretty reasonable, and it seemed super convenient to sleep overnight and wake up in Japan,” says Kevin Hester, a retired software engineer in his late 50s residing in San Francisco.

Samuel Liu, an executive in his mid 30s in the medical service industry, agrees.

“I think it offers another option different from conventional ways of traveling, such as flying on a plane, and that’s why I wanted to try,” he says.

Lai A-su, a solo traveler in her 60s, says she is after the experience and the sense of adventure that come with traveling by boat. She visited Ishigaki 20 years ago and was compelled to go again when the ferry announced its launch date.

Many passengers said that they’ve been looking forward to the journey ever since they heard about plans to launch the ferry as early as last summer. But dates were pushed back multiple times, to the point where some doubted it would ever happen.

Hong attributed the months of delay to the overhaul of the ship, safety checks and readying the necessary paperwork.

Overtourism concerns

But behind the courteous gesture, there are lingering concerns of how overtourism might impact Ishigaki’s rich natural environment and potentially overwhelm its infrastructure, concerns that extend to other neighboring remote islands.

“I’m a local. Ishigaki is already suffering from overtourism. With ferries from Taiwan set to begin service, I don’t want to see any further development,” one resident wrote on social media platform X.

Such concerns highlight the overtourism issues now faced in many Japanese tourist hotspots, such as Mount Fuji and Kyoto.

Government figures indicate that Ishigaki, with a population of about 50,000 people, saw significant increases in tourists over the last three years, reaching a record high of almost 1.5 million visitors in 2025.

That spike owes to a significant increase in visitors arriving by sea and the recovery in cruise ship calls, Ishigaki’s municipal government said.

But Hong said he has not heard about concerns of overtourism from Ishigaki city officials when they planned the route, stating that they are supportive of the ferry service.

Japan ruled Taiwan as a colony from 1895 to 1945. Despite a lack of formal diplomatic relations, both sides share close economic ties, cultural affinity and historical connections. Descendants of Taiwanese immigrants who moved over during the Japanese colonial era can be found on these islands in particular.

In 2025, Japan registered approximately 6.7 million visitors from Taiwan, the third largest source, trailing only behind South Korea and China, according to the Japanese government. As for Taiwan, of the roughly 18.94 million total overseas trips Taiwanese took in 2025, Japan accounted for 35.5%, Taiwan’s official figures show.

“The biggest thing I want travelers to take away is the experience of enjoying a slower pace of travel,” Hong said. “Go to Ishigaki for three or four days so you are fully recharged with energy to go back to work. That is what vacations are for.”

The-CNN-Wire
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