The , or Ise Bay Ferry is a passenger-car ferry between Toba,

Mie Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture an ...

and Irago, Tahara,

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

, Japan. The ferry route serves as the sea section of National Route 42 and National Route 259.

Route

The ferry service links in Toba and at

Cape Irago is the terminal point of land at the west end of Atsumi Peninsula in southern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The cape (geography), cape forms one side of the entrances to Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay, which are divided by the Chita Peninsula. Because it ...

in Tahara. A distance of , crossing the mouth of the eponymous

Ise Bay is a bay located at the mouth of the Kiso Three Rivers between Mie prefecture, Mie and Aichi prefecture, Aichi Prefectures in Japan. Ise Bay has an average depth of and a maximum depth of . The mouth of the bay is and is connected to the small ...

takes around 55 to 60 minutes. The ferry passes a number of islands (including Kamishima, Sakatejima, Sugashima and

Tōshijima is an inhabited island located in Ise Bay off the east coast of central Honshu, Japan. It is administered as part of the city of Toba, Mie, Toba in Mie Prefecture. It is the largest of the outlying islands of Toba. The name of Tōshijima appear ...

) and

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

s and finless porpoises are often seen. As of 2022, there were eight round trips per day most of the year, and thirteen at peak times. The Toba-Irago sea route is also known as the Shiosai Kaidō.

History

The service was begun in 1964 by the Isewan Car Shipping Company, a joint venture of

Nagoya Railroad , publicly trading as , is a private railway company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Some of the more famous trains operated by Meitetsu include the ''Panorama Car'' and the ''Panorama Car Super'', both of whic ...

and

Kintetsu Railway , referred to as and officially Kinki-Nippon Railway, is a Japanese passenger railway company, managing infrastructure and operating passenger train service. Its railway system is the largest in Japan, excluding Japan Railways Group. The railw ...

companies. In 1974 the operator's name was changed to the Isewan Ferry Company. In March 2010, the Isewan Ferry Company announced that, due to worsening business performance and other constraints, the service would terminate in September of that year. In recognition of the importance of the service for

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and the

fishing industry The fishing industry includes any industry or activity that takes, cultures, processes, preserves, stores, transports, markets or sells fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, sub ...

, the two

prefectures A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

and two

cities A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

came together to develop a programme of support and a revitalization council was formed, with the additional involvement of the Chūbu Regional Transport Bureau, local businesses, and academic advisers.

Ferries

Three vessels ply the route, each with a capacity of five hundred passengers: * * *

References

External links

*
Ise-wan Ferry - Official Website
{{Coord, 34.543, 136.953, region:JP, display=title Ferries of Japan Transport in Mie Prefecture Transport in Aichi Prefecture

Route

History

Ferries

See also

References

External links