Takamatsu Port, the base for Setogei and island-hopping. How to be prepared to enjoy the long lines and the unloading of boats. Report to Prepare for Island Travel

Takamatsu Port is an essential part of the Setouchi Triennale, with boats departing from the port to Naoshima, Shodoshima, Ogijima, Megijima, Teshima, and Oshima, making it a must-visit destination for anyone visiting the Triennale. The islands of the Seto Inland Sea are characterized by their proximity to Takamatsu Port, even though they are remote islands. Oshima and Megijima are the closest at 15 to 20 minutes, and even the more distant islands, NaoshimaShodoshima, can be reached by ferry in an hour.
The map shows that it takes less than 10 minutes to walk from JR Takamatsu Station to Takamatsu Port, so many people may think that 10 to 15 minutes, including the time to buy boat tickets, will be enough, but that idea is dangerous during the busy season. During the Art Festival, both the station and the port are crowded, and most of the regular boats to the islands cannot be reserved. You must first wait in a long line at Takamatsu Port to buy tickets, then wait in line again to board the boats, which are first-come, first-served. The most popular times of the day, such as the 10:00 departure to Ogijima and the 9:07 departure to Teshima, are especially crowded. It is recommended that you wait in line to buy tickets at least one hour before the boat departs, especially during the busiest times of the day.

Takamatsu Port is a long north-south site with several ticket booths and boat ramps. The places to buy tickets and board the boats differ depending on which island you want to visit and which type of boat you want to take. To give you a rough idea of the layout, the ferry ticket office for OgijimaMegijima is located at the southern end of the building farthest to the south of the site, next to it is the ticket office for the ferry to Oshima, and next to that is the ticket office for the high-speed boats to Naoshima, Teshima, and Shodoshima. Walking north from that building for about 3 minutes, you will find another building, which is the ticket office for the ferries to NaoshimaShodoshima.
Even for the Shodoshima to Shodoshima, the ticket counter is different for the ferry to Donjo-port and the ferry to Ikeda-port. During the Art Triennale, there are special ferry routes that are not normally available, and regular ferry services are increased, so it is necessary to check the websites of the ferry operators. The Port of Takamatsu has a concentration of vessels to various islands, which may seem complicated to first-time visitors. Make sure you know which islands and ports you want to visit, and go to the ticket office with plenty of time to spare.

Even if you wait in a long line, there is a limit to the number of people who can board one boat, so you may find that you are not able to board your desired flight even though you got in line. In such cases, you may want to spend some time looking at the artworks around Takamatsu Port, or you may want to change your destination to another island. You may consider an accident on an island trip as a chance to encounter something unexpected in the margins of your trip. If you change your destination suddenly, you may not know anything about the island. In such cases, you can look up basic information about each island on the Shimarebi website.