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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Ogasawara Islands
小笠原諸島
Go only if you can give it 6+ nights: the ferry from Tokyo takes 24 h each way and sails every 3 days, so a short trip is impossible.
The Ogasawara Islands are a UNESCO World Natural Heritage archipelago about 1,000 km south of Tokyo, reachable only by a 24-hour ferry from Takeshiba. Of 30+ islands, only Chichijima and Hahajima are inhabited. Sea life, diving, whale watching and forest trails are the draw; the crossing and the schedule set the shape of every trip.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 小笠原諸島
- Best months
- Feb–Apr for whales; May–Jun and Oct–Nov for diving and hiking
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (typhoon season, ferry cancellations); mid-Aug (Obon demand)
- Stay
- 6–8 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥8,000–12,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥12,000–20,000 excl. bed · High ¥20,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a cold drink | ¥400–700 |
| Bento or papaya curry at a local shop | ¥800–1,300 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a grocery store | ¥600–900 / ¥250–350 |
| Shimazushi (island sushi) set | ¥1,500–3,000 |
| Chichijima bus ride | ¥300 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HND · Tokyo Haneda
- Nearest major airport to Takeshiba pier; no airport on the islands, so the ferry is the only public access.
- NRT · Tokyo Narita
- Long-haul arrivals; allow a night in Tokyo before the ferry and a buffer day after it.
Typical fares
- Takeshiba → Chichijima, Ogasawara Maru, second class
- from about ¥29,250, 24 h, every 3 days (check)
- Chichijima → Hahajima, Hahajima-maru
- about 2 h, roughly every other day (check)
- Chichijima bus, single
- ¥300 (check)
Get around
Chichijima has a public bus several times daily linking most sights (single fare ¥300, check). Taxis, 50cc moped rentals (Japanese licence required), cars and bicycles are available; many guesthouses lend bicycles. The Hahajima-maru runs Chichijima–Hahajima roughly every other day, about 2 h, timed to the Tokyo ferry. No regular service to other islands.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO World Natural Heritage (2011)
- Whale watching and dolphin swims
- Diving and snorkelling
- Minamijima lagoon
- Endemic birds and plants
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hahajima | Hahajima-maru from Chichijima, about 2 h, roughly every other day | About 2 h each way |
| Minamijima | Permit and guided landing from Chichijima; no independent landing | Half day |
| Anijima | Charter or tour boat from Chichijima | Half to full day |
| Mukojima group | Occasional charter from Chichijima | Full day |
Sleep
- Chichijima — Ōmura and Higashimachi
- The main village: ferry pier, tourist association, grocery stores, most minshuku and the two hotels. Walkable; the bus stops here.
- Chichijima — Ogiura and Nishimachi
- Quieter, near Ogiura Beach and the Ōgiura-Yuhodo trailhead; a few hotels and minshuku.
- Hahajima — Ōki and Kitamura
- About ten minshuku and a youth hostel; book ahead, they fill. Two hours by the Hahajima-maru from Chichijima.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- The ferry sails every three days each way and takes 24 h in good weather; rough seas mean late arrival. Leave a buffer before any onward flight.
- Book the ferry and your bed together and early; summer and holidays sell out.
- Typhoon season (roughly Jul–Sep) can cancel sailings; travel insurance that covers the ferry is worth it.
- Most minshuku take cash only and have shared bathrooms.
- Iwo Jima and other WWII sites are off limits without a permit: unexploded ordnance.
- Sea turtle dishes are legal and traditional here; decide before you order.
Very low crime; the real risks are the sea, the sun and the ferry schedule. Snorkel and dive with an operator, watch for strong currents, and keep a buffer day before any flight home.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ogasawara Islands yet. Suggested stay: 6–8 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO World Natural Heritage (2011)
- Whale watching and dolphin swims
- Diving and snorkelling
- Minamijima lagoon
- Endemic birds and plants
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ogasawara Village tourism guide: www.visitogasawara.com/
- Chichijima tourist association: www.ogasawaramura.com/
- Hahajima tourist association: hahajima.com/
- Wikivoyage: Ogasawara Islands, revision 5235157 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5235157
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ogasawara Islands小笠原諸島
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the islands; the US embassy and most others are in Tokyo. The village tourist association can help in English.
Most minshuku are cash only: bring enough yen from Tokyo.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ogasawara-islands). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.