By Ferry

So many tunnels and bridges make you forget Japan is an archipelago. An inter-island ferry is the best way to access the Sado island or just voyage the Inner Sea.

A night ferry to Hokkaido is cheaper than a train. For ferry voyages 6-40 hours long almost irrespectively of distance, the 1st-class ticket costs 9-27K averaging out 14K yens, the 2nd-class 5-14K averaging out 7,5K yens. More info on its routes, schedules and prices is available at JNTO (Japan National Tourist Organization) offices.

Japanese ferry passengers take off shoes just to rest on the floor in large carpeted lower deck rooms with tatamis. Here you can have meals, drinks, card games, a chat or just a sleep. Those uncomfortable with noise, laughter and kids can rent single-berth cabins for a surcharge.

Some ferry routes (look here for more)

From	To	Day of depart.	Time [hrs:min]	Fare (yen)		Company (TEL)
				First Class	Second Class
Kobe	Kitakyushu (Shin-Moji)	daily	12:10	14,200	6,700	Hankyu Ferry (078-857-1211)
	Imabari	daily	6:45	10,700	5,400	Diamond Ferry (078-857-9525)
	Matsuyama	daily	8:55	13,300	6,300	(Same as above)
	Oita	daily	12:45	17,600	8,800	(Same as above)
Osaka (Izumi- Otsu)	Kitakyushu (Shin-Moji)	daily	12:00	14,200	6,700	Hankyu Ferry (0725-22-7171)
Nagoya	Sendai	contact operating company	21:00	12,200	6,100	Taiheiyo Ferry (052-582-8611)
	Tomakomai	contact operating company	38:45	19,000	9,400	(Same as above)
Osaka	Matsuyama	daily	9:25	11,300	6,300	Kansai Kisen (06-6572-5181)
	Beppu	daily	11:40 (direct)	15,800	8,800	(Same as above)
	Miyazaki	daily	12:50	19,600	10,800	Miyazaki Car Ferry (06-6616-4661)
	Shibushi	daily	14:40	21,600	11,100	Diamond Ferry (06-6441-1411)
	Kitakyushu (Shin-Moji)	daily	12:00	14,700	6,700	Meimon Taiyo Ferry (06-6613-1402)
Sendai	Tomakomai	daily	14:45	15,000	7,300	Taiheiyo Ferry (03-3564-4161)
Tokyo	Tokushima	daily	18:00	17,920	9,310	Ocean Tokyu Ferry (03-5148-0109)
	Kitakyushu (Shin-Moji)	daily	33:50	26,600	14,000	Ocean Tokyu Ferry (093-481-7711)