On the sixth day of my trip, I woke up to a cloudy sky - the kind of clouds that were determined to keep the sun away all day, and they did. I did not mind the weather since today was a travel day, saying goodbye to Fukue Island and moving to Shin-Kamigoto for a three-night stay.
After working on the previous day's diaries, transferring photos to the external hard drive, and changing my travel arrangements for the return trip to Tokyo (from plane to Shinkansen to spend the whole day in Nagasaki on Sunday), I visited Te To Ba to say goodbye and have a quick breakfast (I highly recommend the orange scone and coffee breakfast set).
While I was the only guest at the hostel for the past three days, Ta Bi To was already fully booked for the upcoming weekend. Owners noted that this was their routine during the low season, with a lot of time in their hands with no guests during weekdays and serving to a full house (both cafe and the hostel) on weekends.
There are multiple options for traveling from Fukue to Shin-Kamigoto, which is served by three main ports: Narao, Arikawa, and Aokata. You can take the jetfoil to Narao (30-minutes) or a slower car ferry, (90-minutes) as I did. Alternatively, you can hop on the ferry Taiko that I took on my way to the islands and get off in Aokata. All ports on Shin-Kamigoto are connected by regular bus service. So whichever ferry/jetfoil works better for your schedule/budget, I would say go for it.
In order to be able to have one last morning at Te To Ba and say goodbye to the owners, I decided to take the 11.45 a.m. ferry out of Fukue, which would take me to Narao Port in Shin-Kamigoto in a little over 1.5 hours after a brief stop at Naru Island - the tiny island home to Egami Church that I visited on my first day on the islands.
When I first walked onto a passenger/car ferry in Japan (during a trip to Yakushima), I was shocked to see floor-style seating and assumed that I had gotten on the wrong ferry. While floor-style seating is still a common practice in Japan in many restaurants and houses, I did not expect the practice to be carried over to ferry transportation.
The ferries are divided into multiple carpeted sections (including women-only ones), each, depending on the ferry, being large enough to accommodate ten to fifty people. In some of the ferries, you can also book a private family area. Pillows and carpets are usually provided, and you are free to bring your own food/drinks.
On busier weekend mornings, you will usually encounter families going on a day trip to the islands and passing the time on the ferry by playing card games and/or having a small picnic. It is an adorable scene that always make me smile. The whole experience still sounds a little strange when writing about it, but by now, I am very used to it and find it way more comfortable than conventional chair-style seating.
This was my second visit to Shin-Kamigoto, the second largest island among five Goto islands that I, for a long time, insisted on referring to as Nakadori. Nakadori is one of the two main islands, along with Wakamatsu, which make up Shin-Kamigoto.
Shin-Kamigoto is also the name of the town that was born in 2004 after the merger of Arikawa, Kamigotō, Narao, Shin-Uonome, and Wakamatsu into one large town (a common practice in Japan due to the declining population and need to increase efficiency by combining public functions/services under a single unit).
The bus ride from Narao, the southernmost port of Shin-Kamigoto, to its northernmost port, Arikawa (where I stayed), takes a little over an hour. I used my time on the bus to scout walking routes for the next two days when the weather was supposed to be sunny.
While I love Fukue, I find Shin-Kamigoto a more ideal place for long walks. The island comprises two main islands and many small ones (connected via bridges) that host hundreds of coves. Most of the car route (aka my walking route) goes through the coast, with many opportunities for detours to the small fishing villages. You can get off the bus anywhere on the island (and you will want to), and I guarantee you will have a pleasant and scenic walk regardless of the route you chose.
Once in Arikawa, I quickly checked into my private room at Goto Backpackers Pole, run by an adorable and very well-traveled young local who works in the town office during the day and comes to the hostel after work every day. If you are planning to visit Shin-Kamigoto, I highly recommend Pole with its modern design, perfect location right by Hamagurihama Beach, and close proximity to some of the best eateries in town.
Due to the grim weather, I was in the mood to stay in, do some reading, and watch Netflix (I re-watched Silence as I wanted to compare the book with the movie), so I was already in my PJs right after sunset. After this relatively uneventful day, I was looking forward to a 6 a.m. start the next day to make the best of sunny weather.
Thank you for being here and reading my travel diary. I will be back tomorrow. And here is a link to the page where all Goto travel diaries are listed.
I wanted to watch Silence with my husband, but 2:40 play time? I wasn‘t ready for it. But I have it on my watchlist. ☺️