Advance booking is recommended. A walk-up passenger may board on the day only when space remains.
Hankyu Ferry · overnight Seto Inland Sea ferry
Kobe - Shinmoji ferry rules
Booking, arrival, vehicles, baggage and both terminals in one official-source guide.
A · publication readyVerified 2026-07-28
The 30-second answer
Book if you can. Walk-up depends on remaining space.
Walk-up passengers may board only if space remains. Arrive 60 minutes early, use the Hankyu terminal on Rokko Island, and note that oversized or non-folding bicycles are paid special baggage.
Booking approachRecommended
Foot deadline60 min early
Vehicle deadline60 min early
Operator web bookingAvailable
What can travel
Passenger, vehicle and baggage rules
“Yes” means the operator publishes a carriage category. Space and vessel restrictions still apply.
Cars can be reserved online or by phone; walk-up carriage depends on remaining vehicle-deck space.
Motorcycles can be reserved online or by phone; walk-up carriage depends on remaining space.
Bicycles can be reserved. A bicycle over 2 m in total dimensions or one that cannot be folded is charged as special baggage.
Reserve a pet-room cage or an eligible with-pet room and complete the required declaration at the port.
Cargo-only baggage is not accepted. Keep necessary baggage with you because the vehicle deck is locked after departure.
Use the right terminal
Both ends of the route
Hankyu Ferry Kobe Rokko Island Terminal
3-2-1 Koyocho Higashi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 658-0031
Open official terminal page ↗Hankyu Ferry Shinmoji Terminal 1
1-1 Shinmoji Kita, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 800-0113
Open official terminal page ↗Before boarding
Four checks at the port
- Confirm today’s operating route and vessel on the operator site.
- Bring any booking or ticket reference; drivers should also bring the vehicle registration document when required.
- Finish check-in at least 60 minutes before departure.
- At the Kobe Rokko Island terminal or Shinmoji Terminal 1, arrive 60 minutes before departure and allow 90 minutes in peak periods. Most passengers collect a ticket at the counter; members with a valid QR ticket can board directly.
Pet travel / checked 2026-09-13
Want your pet beside you overnight? Book the right room
Hankyu Ferry offers With-Pet rooms on Settsu and Yamato, or separately reserved cages. An ordinary cabin is not a pet room. Choose the accommodation before buying the passenger ticket.
Choose your pet accommodation
- Stay together
Reserve a With-Pet room on Settsu or Yamato. Up to four pets can use one room; it has a pet pen, so those pets need no separate cage booking.
- Use the pet room
Reserve a cage that fits your pet. Settsu/Yamato medium cages are W55 × D68 × H70 cm; large cages W68 × D100 × H90 cm. Confirm the doorway and your pet's fit with Hankyu. A cage reservation does not allow access throughout the night: the room is locked from lights-out until the morning information desk opens.
Before you choose a ticket
- Five pets?
The fifth needs a separate cage reservation; do not assume all five can share your With-Pet room.
- An Akita, or a dog without the required prevention/vaccinations?
Hankyu lists Akitas among excluded breeds, and rejects dogs without its required heartworm prevention and rabies/combination vaccinations within one year. Check the complete restrictions before booking.
- Planning to use an ordinary cabin or leave the pet in the car?
Neither is the pet accommodation offered. Use an eligible With-Pet room or reserved pet cage.
- Travelling with another animal?
Hankyu lists dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and small birds; reptiles and some other animals are excluded. Check the species-specific conditions, rather than applying the dog rules to every animal.
Where to arrange a pet journey
Hankyu's pet facilities are real, but Direct Ferries currently says pets are not permitted on this route. Its listing does not establish a pet booking. Arrange the required room/cage with Hankyu and check its pet terms; use its current instructions for any port paperwork.
Check Hankyu's pet conditions and reservation guidance ↗
Sources for these pet conditions
Affiliate booking option / PR
Book Hankyu Ferry from Kobe's Rokko Island
Departing from Rokko Island for Shinmoji? Direct Ferries lists Hankyu Ferry's crossing for foot passengers and cars. Enter your travel date and add your car details if you are taking a vehicle.
For pet travel, use Hankyu Ferry's official booking guidance above.
Travelling with a pet? Arrange the room or cage with Hankyu using the guidance above. Direct Ferries currently lists pets as not permitted on this route; the ticket option below is not a verified pet-booking route.
For tickets bought through Direct Ferries, follow your booking confirmation for collection and payment instructions.
In one paragraph
Kobe - Shinmoji boarding summary
Walk-up passengers may board only if space remains. Arrive 60 minutes early, use the Hankyu terminal on Rokko Island, and note that oversized or non-folding bicycles are paid special baggage.