If you are planning a trip to Ainoshima (相島), one of Japan’s most famous “Cat Islands,” knowing the ferry and bus schedules is the secret to a stress-free adventure. Located just off the coast of Shingu Town in Fukuoka, this feline paradise is easily accessible from downtown Hakata, but the timing is everything. Whether you are arriving via the JR Kagoshima Line or the Nishitetsu Shingu Line, our guide breaks down the latest Ainoshima ferry schedules, bus transfer times, and seasonal changes to ensure you don’t get stranded at the port. Read on to discover the fastest way to get to Ainoshima and start your day of cat-watching and coastal views.
How to Get to Ainoshima from Fukuoka
- Step 1: JR Train from Hakata Station to JR Fukko-Daimae Station or Nishitetsu-Shingū Station (西鉄新宮駅) (20 mins).
- Step 2: Community Bus from Station to Shingu Port (新宮港) (10 mins).
- Step 3: Ferry from Shingu Port to Ainoshima (20 mins).
Important: There are no convenience stores around Shingū Port.
Refer to HERE for the latest consolidated timetable of the bus and ferry service from and to Nishitetsu’s Nishitetsu-Shingū Station (西鉄新宮駅) and JR Fukko-Daimae Station (福工大前駅).
- 3月1日から10月31日まで means from March to October.
- 11月1日から2月末日まで means from November to February.
We have also summarized the timetables in this article. However, please note the timetable can be updated after this article is updated.
So, if you don’t read Japanese, you can also use one of Japan’s Transport Apps to plan your trip.
Key Information About Getting to Ainoshima from Fukuoka:
- Obon Holidays: From August 13 to August 15, the Sunday/Holiday (日祝日) schedule applies.
- Bus Line: The community bus used for this route is the “Marinks” (相らんど線 – Ai-land Line).
- Connection: The bus and ferry are timed to connect, but always check for weather-related ferry cancellations if it’s a windy day.
The Timetables for Public Transport Going to Ainoshima Island
This table covers the transfer between JR Fukukodai-mae Station (福工大前駅) and Ainoshima Island (via Shingu Port) for the period of March 1 to October 31.
| Trip | Depart JR Fukukodai-mae (Bus) | Arrive Shingu Port | Depart Shingu Port (Ferry) | Arrive Ainoshima Island |
| 1 | 07:09 (Sat/Sun: 07:14) | 07:19 (Sat/Sun: 07:24) | 07:50 | 08:07 |
| 2 | 08:36 (Sat/Sun: 08:40) | 08:46 (Sat/Sun: 08:50) | 09:20 | 09:37 |
| 3 | 11:04 (Sat/Sun: 11:00) | 11:14 (Sat/Sun: 11:10) | 11:30 | 11:47 |
| 4 | 14:00 (Sat: 14:05) | 14:10 (Sat: 14:15) | 14:30 | 14:47 |
| 5 | 16:04 (Sat: 16:01) | 16:14 (Sat: 16:11) | 16:40 | 16:57 |
| 6 | 17:35 (Sat: 17:41) | 17:45 (Sat: 17:51) | 18:10 | 18:27 |
This table covers the transfer between Nishitetsu Shingu Station (西鉄新宮駅) and Ainoshima Island for the summer period (March 1 to October 31).
| Trip | Depart Nishitetsu Shingu (Bus) | Arrive Shingu Port | Depart Shingu Port (Ferry) | Arrive Ainoshima Island |
| 1 | 07:10 | 07:22 | 07:50 | 08:07 |
| 2 | 08:45 | 08:57 | 09:20 | 09:37 |
| 3 | 11:05 | 11:17 | 11:30 | 11:47 |
| 4 | 14:10 (Sat/Sun: 14:05) | 14:22 (Sat/Sun: 14:17) | 14:30 | 14:47 |
| 5 | 16:10 | 16:22 | 16:40 | 16:57 |
| 6 | 17:40 | 17:52 | 18:10 | 18:27 |
This table covers the transfer between JR Fukukodai-mae Station (福工大前駅) and Ainoshima Island (via Shingu Port) for the the Winter Season (November 1 to the end of February).
| Trip | Depart JR Fukukodai-mae (Bus) | Arrive Shingu Port | Depart Shingu Port (Ferry) | Arrive Ainoshima Island |
| 1 | 07:09 (Sat/Sun: 07:14) | 07:19 (Sat/Sun: 07:24) | 07:50 | 08:07 |
| 2 | 08:36 (Sat/Sun: 08:40) | 08:46 (Sat/Sun: 08:50) | 09:20 | 09:37 |
| 3 | 11:04 (Sat/Sun: 11:00) | 11:14 (Sat/Sun: 11:10) | 11:30 | 11:47 |
| 4 | 14:00 (Sat: 14:05) | 14:10 (Sat: 14:15) | 14:30 | 14:47 |
| 5 | 17:05 (Sat: 17:11) | 17:15 (Sat: 17:21) | 17:40 | 17:57 |
This schedule is for the Winter Season (November 1 to the end of February) between Nishitetsu Shingu Station (西鉄新宮駅) and Ainoshima Island.
| Trip | Depart Nishitetsu Shingu (Bus) | Arrive Shingu Port | Depart Shingu Port (Ferry) | Arrive Ainoshima Island |
| 1 | 07:10 | 07:22 | 07:50 | 08:07 |
| 2 | 08:45 | 08:57 | 09:20 | 09:37 |
| 3 | 11:05 | 11:17 | 11:30 | 11:47 |
| 4 | 14:10 (Sat/Sun: 14:05) | 14:22 (Sat/Sun: 14:17) | 14:30 | 14:47 |
| 5 | 17:15 | 17:27 | 17:40 | 17:57 |
The Timetables for Public Transport Returning from Ainoshima Island
The transfer schedules between JR Fukukodai-mae Station (福工大前駅) and Ainoshima Island (via Shingu Port) for the period of March 1 to October 31.
| Trip | Depart Ainoshima (Ferry) | Arrive Shingu Port | Depart Shingu Port (Bus) | Arrive JR Fukukodai-mae |
| 1 | 07:00 | 07:17 | 07:29 | 07:40 |
| 2 | 08:40 | 08:57 | 09:07 | 09:18 |
| 3 | 10:50 | 11:07 | 11:24 | 11:35 |
| 4 | 13:50 | 14:07 | 14:29 | 14:40 |
| 5 | 16:00 | 16:17 | 16:29 | 16:40 |
| 6 | 17:30 | 17:47 | 17:59 | 18:10 |
This table covers the transfer between Nishitetsu Shingu Station (西鉄新宮駅) and Ainoshima Island for the summer period (March 1 to October 31).
| Trip | Depart Ainoshima (Ferry) | Arrive Shingu Port | Depart Shingu Port (Bus) | Arrive Nishitetsu Shingu |
| 1 | 07:00 | 07:17 | 07:30 | 07:42 |
| 2 | 08:40 | 08:57 | 09:05 | 09:17 |
| 3 | 10:50 | 11:07 | 11:25 | 11:37 |
| 4 | 13:50 | 14:07 | 14:25 (Sat/Sun: 14:30) | 14:37 (Sat/Sun: 14:42) |
| 5 | 16:00 | 16:17 | 16:30 | 16:42 |
| 6 | 17:30 | 17:47 | 18:00 | 18:12 |
The transfer schedules between JR Fukukodai-mae Station (福工大前駅) and Ainoshima Island (via Shingu Port) for the the Winter Season (November 1 to the end of February).
| Trip | Depart Ainoshima (Ferry) | Arrive Shingu Port | Depart Shingu Port (Bus) | Arrive JR Fukukodai-mae |
| 1 | 07:00 | 07:17 | 07:29 | 07:40 |
| 2 | 08:40 | 08:57 | 09:07 | 09:18 |
| 3 | 10:50 | 11:07 | 11:24 | 11:35 |
| 4 | 13:50 | 14:07 | 14:29 | 14:40 |
| 5 | 17:00 | 17:17 | 17:34 | 17:45 |
This schedule is for the Winter Season (November 1 to the end of February) between Nishitetsu Shingu Station (西鉄新宮駅) and Ainoshima Island.
| Trip | Depart Ainoshima (Ferry) | Arrive Shingu Port | Depart Shingu Port (Bus) | Arrive Nishitetsu Shingu |
| 1 | 07:00 | 07:17 | 07:30 | 07:42 |
| 2 | 08:40 | 08:57 | 09:05 | 09:17 |
| 3 | 10:50 | 11:07 | 11:25 | 11:37 |
| 4 | 13:50 | 14:07 | 14:25 (Sat/Sun: 14:30) | 14:37 (Sat/Sun: 14:42) |
| 5 | 17:00 | 17:17 | 17:35 | 17:47 |
Key Differences for Winter:
- Fewer Trips: There are only 5 trips a day (the 6th trip from the summer schedule is removed).
- Earlier Last Ferry: The last ferry back from the island is at 17:00 (5:00 PM), which is 30 minutes earlier than in the summer.
- Holiday Schedule: From December 30 to January 3, a special New Year’s holiday schedule is used.
How to Get to Shingū Port
Assuming you are coming from Hakata Station (博多駅), there are a few ways that you can get to Shingū Port. The following provides the same information as what we have summarized in the timetable above.
- From Hakata Station, take Nishitetsu’s trains to Nishitetsu-Shingū Station (西鉄新宮駅). Then change for the Community Bus’s Ai-land Line’s (コミュニティバス 相ランド線) second route and get off at Ainoshima Tosenba (相島渡船場).
- The train trip takes around 40 minutes and requires one transfer.
- The bus trip takes around 15 minutes.
- From Hakata Station, take a JR train to JR Fukkō Daimae Station (福工大前駅). Then change for the Community Bus’s Ai-land Line’s (コミュニティバス 相ランド線) first route and get off at Ainoshima Tosenba (相島渡船場).
- The train trip takes around 20 minutes and requires one transfer.
- The bus trip takes around 10 minutes.
- From Hakata Station, take a JR train to JR Shingū-chuō Station (新宮中央駅). Then change for the Community Bus’s Ai-land Line’s (コミュニティバス 相ランド線) first route and get off at Ainoshima Tosenba (相島渡船場).
- The train trip takes around 25 minutes and requires one transfer.
- The bus trip takes around 35 minutes.
- For the service’s weekday timetable, refer to HERE. The Saturday’s timetable is HERE, and HERE is the timetable for Sundays and public holidays.
- The “相らんど線(第1ルート・時計回り) 行先番号1⃣” is the timetable for services traveling in the clockwise direction and the “相らんど線(第2ルート・逆回り) 行先番号2⃣” is the timetable for services traveling in the anti-clockwise direction.
- コミュニティバス時刻表（平日ダイヤ）is the timetable for the bus services on weekdays
- コミュニティバス時刻表（土曜ダイヤ）is the timetable for the bus services on Saturdays
- コミュニティバス時刻表（日曜日・祝日ダイヤ） is the timetable for the bus services on Sundays and public holidays.
- The “相らんど線(第1ルート・時計回り) 行先番号1⃣” is the timetable for services traveling in the clockwise direction and the “相らんど線(第2ルート・逆回り) 行先番号2⃣” is the timetable for services traveling in the anti-clockwise direction.
For the timetable above, “夏季” is for March to October, and “冬季” is for November to February.
The bus fare is 100 yen.
Tip: While in Japanese, you can check where the community bus’s current location HERE.
Ainoshima Ferry Timetable and Ferry Cost
The cost of a one-way ferry trip from Shingū Port to Aionoshima Island is as follows. You can purchase your Ainoshima ferry ticket at the port.
- 480 yen for adults
- 240 yen for elementary school students and below
- Free for infants less than one year old
For the most current ferry’s timetable, please refer to the official website HERE.
- The first table is for March to October. The second table is for November to February.
- The first column is the departure time from Ainoshima Island. The second column is the departure time from Shingū Port.
Tip: Head to the second floor of the ferry for a better view after you are aboard.
Important:
☛ Services may be canceled due to bad weather.
☛ If the ferry has reached its capacity, you will have to take the next service. This sometimes happens on weekends and public holidays.
