小笠原諸島 父島→母島「日本一遠い島」日帰りフェリー旅

小笠原諸島 父島→母島「日本一遠い島」日帰りフェリー旅

An island very far from Tokyo. Hahajima in the Bonin Islands. Hello! I am now on Chichijima island. This is the hotel “Pat Inn.” Staying here since last night. Breakfast with island ingredients. Iced coffee on the terrace after breakfast. Departure. I’m going to take the ferry to Hahajima.

Tokyo to Chichijima is 1000 km away and takes 24 hours. Chichijima to Hahajima is 50 km away and takes 2 hours. Hahajima is “the most remote island in Japan.” Arrival at the ferry terminal. Fare is $35 one way. The ferry is “Kuroshio Maru.” Substitute for the “Hahajima Maru” which is out of service.

Normally sails between Hachijo-jima and Aogashima. “Ogasawara Maru” next to it. Let’s get on board. To boarding ramp. Wipe feet with mat. To prevent invasion of non-native species. Connecting to the 1st floor of the ferry. Elevator to the 2nd floor. Lots of seating. Let’s see the large room later.

Outside decks are upstairs and downstairs. Aft deck. Walk down the passage to the bow side. Embarkation complete. Boarding ramp removed. That policeman assists the staff. Sailing operations on aft deck. Staff on the wharf. Rope off the bollard. Carry it close to the hull. That’s to keep the rope dry. Very careful work.

7:30 a.m. departure on time. Steam whistle. The policeman sees off. Gradual acceleration. Ogasawara Maru. Sailing day after tomorrow. Two hours to Hahajima Ogasawara Maru moving away. I will return to Chichijima in the evening. What is this box? Binoculars at your disposal. It is not unusual to see whales while sailing.

Ferry trip with whale watching. Ferry accelerates further. Heading south along Chichijima. Long stretch of wake. Passage to the bow side. Off-limits from here. Hahajima is still out of sight. It’s almost the southern tip of Chichijima. 30 minutes after setting sail. Chichijima is getting farther and farther away. Nice weather.

Everyone is looking for whales. I saw a few squirts in the distance. Let’s take a look around the ferry. Here’s the large room on the 1st floor. One or two passengers per room. The ferry is quite bumpy. Thick cushions on the walls. Life vests. Lots of box pillows. Air-conditioned. Vents in ceiling.

This is the only vending machine. Accessible room. Wheelchair-accessible passageway. Accessible restroom. Shared restroom. The 1st floor corridor. Stairs to the 2nd floor. Smoking room. For one person. Luggage storage shelf. Children on the island painted this picture. Commemorative stamp of embarkation. Hahajima comes into view.

Only Chichijima and Hahajima are inhabited in the Bonin Islands. Population is 2100 on Chichijima, 400 on Hahajima. Northern tip of Hahajima. It is an elongated island from north to south. Area is 21 square kilometers. Preparing for landing on aft deck. The sailor will throw this line. Uninhabited Mukojima island.

Other islands: Anejima, Imotojima and Meinoshima, etc. All are World Natural Heritage sites. Ferry is in port. Steam whistle. Once more. Echoes throughout the harbor. The wharf approaches. Change of direction before landing. Landing on starboard side. Prepare line. Throwing! Rope connected to line. Pulling up to the wharf.

Two ropes on the stern side. 9:30 a.m. Arrival on time Connecting ramp. Let’s disembark. From the 3rd floor to the 2nd floor. From the 1st floor to the disembarkation exit. Landing on Hahajima. Be sure to wipe the soles of your shoes. Departure to Chichijima is at 2 p.m.

Time spent on Hahajima is 4 hours 30 minutes. Take a look around the island. Open waiting area. Registered as a World Heritage Site in 2011. Humpback whale in full size. To the Motochi district, the main village of the island. Small beach, Maehama. Walk along the beach. Male shorebird.

This bird can be seen in Tokyo. 5 min. walk from port. Guest house “Shimaterasu.” Bike rental here. $25 for 4 hours. Ride to the north of the island. The endangered red-bellied crow pigeon. Endemic to Bonin Islands. Bonin Islands are the “Galapagos of the Orient.” More endemic species on Hahajima than on Chichijima.

There are fewer tourists. Very laid back atmosphere. Big Bay Observation Deck. Spectacular views everywhere. Unspoiled nature. Some beautiful beaches. Access to the beach is not great. The beach is at the bottom of this cliff. Lookout above the tunnel. Here are the stairs. Let’s go up. Subtropical vegetation. Observation deck where no one comes.

Heading further north. Ruins of Kitamura Elementary School. This Kitamura area used to have a population of 600. The village was abandoned in 1944 due to forced evacuation. Gateposts on both sides converted from sugar refining rollers. 80 years since the school was closed. Banyan trees. Ruins of structures.

Here was the school building and schoolyard. On to the next destination. Cannon ruins. Going through the jungle. The cannon ruin comes into view. Discarded in 1945. There are many cannon ruins in Japan. It is rare that the barrel of cannon remains. It tells the story of 80 years. Three cannons in total.

One cannon here as well During the war, U.S. forces raid Bonin Islands. Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush (father) also participated as a pilot. His plane was famously shot down. Mr. Bush made a goodwill visit to Chichijima in 2002. Ruins of searchlight base. This is the cave here. Discarded searchlight.

Firmly in original form. Back to the Motochi district. Let’s have lunch. Sashimi bowl for $8. Seasoned with pickled soy sauce. Few restaurants on the island. Hahajima elementary and junior high schools. School grounds with splendid lawn. The only school in Hahajima. About 50 students in total. Hahajima clinic.

The only medical institution on the island. Rolfs Museum. Hahajima’s specialty Rolfs stone. German Fredericki Rolfsrarff discovered it. Diverse exhibits. Baleen whale lower jaw. Fishing gear for whaling. Sugar mill rollers, etc. Rolfs stones supported island life. This building was built in 1913 as a sugar warehouse。 Bike returned.

Let’s go to the port with a side trip. Maehama beach again. Kuroshio Maru at anchor. Only three stores on the island. Turtle meat is sold out. Colorful murals. Children’s masterpiece. Tsukigaoka Shrine. On the long stone staircase. Passing through the torii gate into the shrine grounds. Shrine pavilion surrounded by subtropical plants.

Festivals are held in the shrine. The harbor can be seen through the trees. Kuroshio Maru. From the opposite slope to the harbor. Ducks gather. Arrive at waiting area. Purchase return boarding ticket. Commemorative stamp. People waiting to board. Books and documents free to browse. Kuroshio Maru before departure. Using ropes and tires.

Let’s look at the hull. Barbas bow in the water. White hull against blue sky. Stern side. Up-close view of the hull. It’s time to get on board. Two hours to Chichijima. Boarding begins. Boarding ramp to boarding gate. Large room on the 1st floor. Seating area on the 2nd floor.

Most of the passengers are day-trippers. Ramp removed. Staff at the wharf. Sailing on time. Rope to the sea. Winding up on the ferry. Joint operation between ferry and wharf. Hull leaving wharf. People seeing off They wave to us. Steam whistle. They say “come again!” I’ll be back!

I was only there for about 4 hours. Next time I want to stay overnight. Wonderful island, Hahajima. Everyone would agree. Thank you for watching! Next time I will meet whales and dolphins. Good bye to Hahajima island.

小笠原諸島の母島を日帰りで旅しました。
フェリーで父島を午前7時30分に出航し、母島に午前9時30分に到着。
帰りは母島を午後2時に出航し、父島に午後4時に到着します。
運賃は片道5080円です。
母島ではレンタバイクで移動。
小学校跡や砲台跡、資料館などを訪れました。
昼食の島丼も美味でした。
詳細をぜひ動画でご覧ください。

0:00　オープニング
2:35　乗船
4:30　出航
8:17　船内施設
10:58　到着
14:24　下船
16:30　母島を散策
22:21　昼食
27:58　父島へ

#フェリー
#小笠原
#母島
#父島
#小笠原諸島
#くろしお丸
#ははじま丸
#おがさわら丸
#フェリー旅
#日本