Aburatsu grew as the port that shipped Obi cedar, floated down a canal dug in the 1680s. Today it is a quiet harbour town in Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, with a station painted in Hiroshima Carp red. The coast road north runs to Udo Jingu and Aoshima; the road inland runs to Obi.
No. Ships tie up alongside East District Quay No.9, No.10, or both, on the south-east arm of the harbour.
At the terminal
No terminal building is listed. The prefecture refitted a cargo shed with toilets for cruise calls in FY2019. A taxi rank on the quay on cruise days is not confirmed.
If this is your first Japanese port, everyone goes through face-to-face immigration before going ashore; there is no terminal building here, so it is done on board or on the quay. Allow 30 to 60 minutes after the ship clears. What happens at your first Japanese port
How the berths work, and the way into town, in full
Getting around without a taxi
The Nichinan City Tourist Information Centre is the place to start: 400 m from JR Aburatsu Station, it is open 08:30–17:00 for e-bike hire at ¥2,000 a day with free helmets. The canal, the brick warehouse and the station are within 10 minutes of it on foot.
Trains on the JR Nichinan Line run along the coast north to Aoshima and Miyazaki and inland to Obi, roughly every one to four hours. Check the return train before you set off: a missed train can mean a wait of nearly four hours.
Buses: Miyazaki Kotsu runs from 油津待合所 in Aburatsu to Udo Jingu in about 25 minutes, ¥740, at 08:10, 10:40, 12:40 (weekdays), 15:05 and 16:10; back from Udo Jingu at 11:07, 12:37, 14:57 and 16:47 (16:47 weekdays only; timetable of 1 October 2026). Sun Messe is ¥830 and Obi ¥520 from the same stop.
From the ship to each place: how, how long, how much
Taxi
Aburatsu town and JR Aburatsu Station by taxiタクシー 油津港東地区 → 油津駅
Taxi to JR Aburatsu Station, 3.6 km, about 5 min (JTA), or to the Horikawa Canal, 2.6 km. A rank at the quay is not confirmed: ask the ship to book one or phone a firm
The Nichinan City Tourist Center (Sonoda 2-1-1, Nichinan Techno Center 1F) is 400 m from JR Aburatsu Station and the canal; it hires e-bikes, ¥2,000 a day, 08:30–17:00
Shuttle: none of the lines on the 2026–27 list publishes one for Aburatsu. Holland America sells an “Aburatsu Shuttle Bus” to the Tourist Center, but no Holland America ship is on the list; ask your ship. On foot the station is 3.4 km, about 45 min, if the port lets you walk out of the cargo area
Taxi on the Miyazaki tariff from 1 Feb 2026: ¥600 for 1.0 km, then ¥100 per 285 m · JR Aburatsu about ¥1,600, Horikawa Canal about ¥1,200, Tourist Center about ¥1,400 — our estimates · By phone; no shuttle published for the ships on the list
Taxi: ~¥1,600 to JR Aburatsu
JTA gives JR Aburatsu as about 5 minutes by car from the quay. A taxi rank at the quay on cruise days is not confirmed; taxi firms: Nanko 0987-23-5131, Miyazaki Daiichi Kotsu 0987-23-1221, Miyako Taxi 0987-23-4141.
Taxi north on Route 220, 14 km, about 20 min to Udo Jingu (Nichinan tourism gives 20 min by car from JR Aburatsu)
The road to car parks 1 and 2 has collapsed: drivers use the tourist car park, about 20 min on foot from the main hall
Sun Messe Nichinan is about 4 km further, about 6 min; back to the quay 17 km
About ¥5,200 to Udo Jingu, ¥6,200 to Sun Messe each way (our estimates, no waiting) · by the hour ¥2,780 per 30 min on the time tariff · Free-flow; no rank at either sight is confirmed
Taxi: ~¥5,200 each way
Keep the taxi, or agree a pickup time: there is no rank we can confirm at Udo Jingu or Sun Messe. Miyazaki Kotsu bus from 油津待合所 in Aburatsu: 08:10, 10:40, 12:40 (weekdays), 15:05, 16:10, about 25 min, ¥740; back from Udo Jingu 11:07, 12:37, 14:57, 16:47 (16:47 weekdays only; timetable of 1 Oct 2026); Sun Messe ¥830, about 5 min beyond Udo. The bus stop at Udo Jingu is about 10 min on foot from the hall.
JR Nichinan Line to Obi, 9 min: 08:53, 10:59, then 14:50
Obi Station to the Otemon gate about 15 min on foot (Nichinan tourism); back from Obi at 09:50, 13:14, 15:00, 16:00
¥270 each way (cash ticket) · rental bicycle at JR Obi ¥500 a day, 07:30–17:30 · Roughly every 1–4 hours; same times on weekdays and weekends (JR Kyushu timetable as of November 2026; JR revises it each March)
Taxi: ~¥4,500 from the quay
Miss the 10:59 and the next train is 14:50. A taxi from the quay is about ¥4,500 each way (12 km, our estimate) and saves the station transfers.
JR Nichinan Line north along the coast to Aoshima, about 55 min
Back: Aoshima 12:32 → Aburatsu 13:23, or 14:00 → 15:10
¥870 each way · Aburatsu → Aoshima at 07:37, 08:53, 10:59, then 14:50
Taxi: ~¥16,900 each way
Fits only a ship in by about 08:00, with the 08:53 out (at Aoshima 09:44) and the 12:32 or 14:00 back: about 2 h 50 min on the island with the 12:32. By taxi it is 47 km, about ¥16,900 each way, our estimate.
From your ship, the 3 stops in order, and back, by their map pins. A phone takes three stops between start and end, and none on a train or bus, so the day opens in parts.
Obi by train, Aburatsu on foot
Fits a call from 08:00 with a taxi to JR Aburatsu by 08:45. All-aboard 16:30 or later.
The cheap day: ¥270 each way on the train and two short taxi rides. The train times decide everything.
08:30Off the ship. Taxi to JR Aburatsu Station, about ¥1,600.
08:53JR Nichinan Line to Obi, 9 minutes, ¥270.
09:02Walk 15 minutes to the Obi Castle Otemon gate. Buy the food-walk ticket at the car park ticket office.
09:20The castle town: the gate, the cedar grove, Matsuo-no-maru, Yoshokan and snacks on the food vouchers. The houses are open 09:30–17:00.
12:55Walk back to Obi Station for the 13:14 train.
13:23Aburatsu: the Carp-red station, Horikawa Bridge and the Horikawa Canal and the 1922 brick warehouse, all within 10 minutes on foot.
14:45Taxi from the canal back to the quay, about ¥1,200.
15:00Back at the gangway, 30 minutes ahead of the 15:30 target.
From your ship, the 2 stops in order, and back, by their map pins. A phone takes three stops between start and end, and none on a train or bus, so the day opens in parts.
A short call: Aburatsu town and katsuo
Fits a short or late call with at least 4 hours ashore; lunch needs 11:00 or later, and Bibinya closes on Mondays and on Monday and Tuesday at the end of the month.
Everything is within 10 minutes on foot once you are in town; two taxis, about ¥1,200 each.
10:30Off the ship. Taxi to Horikawa Bridge, about 10 minutes.
10:40Horikawa Bridge of 1903 and a walk up the canal to the roofed Yumemi Bridge.
11:15Aburatsu Akarenga-kan, the 1922 brick warehouse: weekdays from 10:00, weekends from 09:00, free.
11:35Walk to JR Aburatsu Station, painted Carp red, about 10 minutes.
11:50Walk to Bibinya in the fishing port, about 15 minutes, for katsuo aburi-ju, ¥1,700.
13:00Taxi back to the quay; ask the restaurant to call one.
13:15Back at the gangway, with time to spare on a call that leaves at 16:00 or later.
From your ship, the 3 stops in order, and back, by their map pins. A phone takes three stops between start and end, and none on a train or bus, so the day opens in parts.
A wet day in Obi: museums, houses and obi-ten
A wet day: the history museum, the Komura Memorial Hall and the old houses are under a roof, and the lanes are short. About 4h ashore; two taxis, about ¥4,500 each way (our estimate). Combined ticket for the six houses ¥800. Times count from when you step off the ship.
+0:00Taxi from the quay to Obi (about 20 min, about ¥4,500, our estimate)
+0:25Obi Castle History Museum: armour, swords and a projection of the town. Combined ticket ¥800
+1:05Komura Jutaro Memorial Hall, on the diplomat who signed the 1905 Portsmouth treaty. Renewed in 2022
Tick the places in the order you want them. The map numbers them and draws the way from your ship and back; the buttons open the same route in Google Maps, in parts a phone can draw.
There is no bookable tour for Aburatsu in our catalogue. The days above are the plan: public transport, timed from the gangway.
Before you go
Cash, Wi-Fi, toilets, steps: the practical answers
Cash, cards, ATM
Our sources list no ATM or exchange at the quay. Carry yen for taxis, train tickets (¥270 to Obi) and the Obi food stalls.
Wi-Fi and SIM
No port Wi-Fi is published. Buy an eSIM before sailing.
Toilets
In the refitted shed on the quay (prefecture, FY2019); not confirmed for each call.
Luggage
Nothing at the quay. JR Aburatsu, Obi, Nichinan and Nango stations hold bags for ¥500 each during their rental-cycle hours.
Steps and slopes
The quay is flat. Udo Jingu needs about 20 minutes on foot each way from the tourist car park, with stairs to the cave; the Obi lanes are level with some steps into the houses.
English
The Nichinan City Tourist Information Centre, 400 m from JR Aburatsu Station, hires e-bikes.
Pharmacy, hospital
Dial 119 for an ambulance and 110 for police; the JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, answers in English 24 hours.
With children
Sun Messe Nichinan: junior and senior high school ¥700, age 4 and over ¥500. Obi houses: primary and junior high ¥100 each, ¥350 combined.
Three things to eat in Aburatsu, and where
Dish
Where, price, hours
Katsuo aburi-ju, seared bonito on rice
The pickBibinya, Nishimachi 2-6-3, in the Aburatsu fishing port11:00–15:00, closed Mondays, and Monday and Tuesday at the end of the monthNichinan's own dish: you sear the marinated bonito yourself over a small charcoal brazier.Our page
Chicken nanban
The pickHorikawa Restaurant Tomura, Sonoda 3-1-11, by the canalSet ¥1,350 · 11:00–14:00 and 17:00–21:45, closed TuesdaysOur page
Obi-ten, the sweet fish cake
The pickObiten Kura, Obi 9-1-8, by the Otemon gateFried in front of you; the Hana set meal is booked by the day before.
Mistakes to avoid
Expecting to walk into town.The quay is 3.4 km from JR Aburatsu Station, past a cargo yard. Whether passengers may walk out is not confirmed. Take a taxi unless your daily programme offers a shuttle.
Counting on a taxi rank at the sights.No rank is confirmed at Udo Jingu, Sun Messe or Obi. Keep the taxi, book it by the hour, or agree the pickup time.
Missing the late-morning train.After the 10:59 from Aburatsu, the next train to Obi is 14:50. Back from Obi there is nothing between 09:50 and 13:14.
Planning the moai on a Wednesday.Sun Messe Nichinan closes on Wednesdays, except public holidays, and on a few other days.
Expecting to drive up to Udo Jingu.The road to car parks 1 and 2 collapsed in 2026. Allow about 20 minutes on foot from the tourist car park each way.
Aburatsu cruise port questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Aburatsu?
At East District Quay No.9, No.10, or both together, on the south-east arm of Aburatsu harbour in Nichinan. It is a cargo quay for wood chips and containers, fitted for ships up to the 220,000-ton class. No terminal building is listed.
Can I walk into town from the ship?
JR Aburatsu Station is 3.4 km, about 45 minutes on foot, and the Horikawa Canal 2.4 km, by our estimate. Whether passengers may walk out through the cargo area is not confirmed.
Is there a shuttle bus?
None of the lines on the 2026–27 list publishes one for Aburatsu. Holland America sells a shuttle to the Nichinan City Tourist Center, but no Holland America ship is on the list. Check your daily programme; otherwise take a taxi, about ¥1,600 to JR Aburatsu.
How do I get to Udo Jingu?
By taxi: 14 km, about 20 minutes and about ¥5,200 each way by our estimate. By Miyazaki Kotsu bus from 油津待合所 in Aburatsu, about 25 minutes, ¥740: 08:10, 10:40, 12:40 (weekdays), 15:05 or 16:10; back at 11:07, 12:37, 14:57 or 16:47 (16:47 weekdays only). Allow about 20 minutes on foot from the tourist car park, or about 10 from the bus stop.
How do I get to Obi?
Taxi, 12 km, about ¥4,500 by our estimate; or JR from Aburatsu at 08:53 or 10:59, 9 minutes, ¥270, then 15 minutes on foot to the gate.
How much are taxis?
From 1 February 2026: ¥600 for the first 1.0 km, then ¥100 per 285 m, or ¥2,780 per 30 minutes by the hour. Nanko Taxi 0987-23-5131, Miyazaki Daiichi Kotsu 0987-23-1221, Miyako Taxi 0987-23-4141.
Which cruise ships call at Aburatsu?
The prefecture's 2026 list has 11 calls, three of them Diamond Princess. It has not published a 2027 list yet. For 2027 the cruise lines' own itinerary pages show Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Silver Muse, Spectrum of the Seas, Luminara and Le Soléal; Regatta and MSC Bellissima appear only in schedule feeds and are unconfirmed.
Is there anything to see near the quay?
Not on foot. The nearest sights are the Horikawa Canal and the Carp-red JR Aburatsu Station, 2.4–3.4 km away, about 10 minutes by taxi. Lion Rock at Umegahama is a short ride north along the coast road.
Can I see Udo Jingu, Obi and the moai on one call?
Yes, by taxi on a call of about eight hours: the three are 4–20 km apart. Booked by the hour at ¥2,780 per 30 minutes, a six-hour loop is about ¥34,700 for the car, by our estimate, shared by up to four. Not on a Wednesday, when Sun Messe is closed.
Where can I eat katsuo aburi-ju?
At Bibinya in the Aburatsu fishing port, 11:00–15:00, closed Mondays and on Monday and Tuesday at the end of the month, among nine Nichinan restaurants that serve it at ¥1,700. In winter it may not be served. You sear the marinated bonito yourself over a small charcoal brazier and eat it on rice.
Is Aburatsu the same as Miyazaki?
No. Aburatsu is the port of Nichinan City in the south of Miyazaki Prefecture. Miyazaki Port, in Miyazaki City, is a separate port with its own list.
Can I get to Aoshima from Aburatsu?
Yes, by the JR Nichinan Line: 08:53 from Aburatsu, arriving 09:44, ¥870. Back on the 12:32, arriving 13:23, or the 14:00, arriving 15:10. It needs a ship in by about 08:00 and a call of about eight hours; the 12:32 back leaves about 2 hours 50 minutes on the island. By taxi it is 47 km, about ¥16,900 each way by our estimate.
Is Udo Jingu suitable for limited mobility?
Only with care. From the tourist car park it is about 20 minutes on foot to the hall, with stairs down to the cave terrace. The near car parks are closed. Obi's lanes are level, with steps into some of the old houses.
What is the weather like in spring?
JMA normals for Aburatsu: March averages 17.3 °C by day and 8.5 °C at night, April 21.2 °C and 12.6 °C, with about 11 wet days a month.
Read on
Aburatsu in depth: the places, the history, the myths
1,287 words · 14 chapters
Why Aburatsu is worth getting off the ship for
The port itself is a working harbour. The day is in three places within 20 minutes of it by car: Udo Jingu, a shrine in a sea cave; the Obi castle town; and the moai of Sun Messe Nichinan.
This guide is built from the prefecture's call list, the Japan Tourism Agency's port page, the operators' own fares and timetables, and the sights' own hours, checked on 13 November 2026.
Ships tie up at East District Quay No.9, No.10, or both, on the south-east arm of the harbour. Behind the quay are wood-chip piles and containers. No terminal building is listed.
From the quay
Distance
On foot
Taxi
Horikawa Canal
2.4 km
about 35 min
about ¥1,200
Nichinan City Tourist Center
3.2 km
about 45 min
about ¥1,400
JR Aburatsu Station
3.4 km
about 45 min
about ¥1,600
Obi castle town
12 km
—
about ¥4,500
Udo Jingu
14 km
—
about ¥5,200
Sun Messe Nichinan
17 km
—
about ¥6,200
Walking times and fares are our estimates on OpenStreetMap routing and the February 2026 tariff, with no waiting time. Whether passengers may walk out through the cargo area is not confirmed.
Shuttle: none is published for the lines on the 2026–27 list. Holland America sells one to the Nichinan City Tourist Center, but none of its ships is listed. The centre is 400 m from JR Aburatsu Station and hires e-bikes, ¥2,000 a day.
Udo Jingu
The hall sits inside a cave in the cliffs, painted vermilion. Below the terrace, a turtle-shaped rock has a square hollow on its back: throw the clay luck stones at it, men with the left hand and women with the right.
Gates open 06:00–18:00; the grounds are free. The road to the near car parks collapsed in 2026, so allow about 20 minutes on foot from the tourist car park each way.
Obi castle town
The castle grounds and lanes are free. Six houses and museums, open 09:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30, closed 29–31 December), cost ¥300 each or ¥800 together. The Ayumi-chan food-walk ticket, ¥1,600, adds five vouchers for obi-ten, thick omelette and other snacks.
JR Aburatsu → Obi
Obi → Aburatsu
08:53 → 09:02
09:50 → 09:59
10:59 → 11:08
13:14 → 13:23
14:50 → 14:59
15:00 → 15:10
16:00 → 16:09
JR Kyushu timetable as of November 2026; JR revises it each March. ¥270 each way; the same times on weekdays and weekends. The gate is 15 minutes on foot from Obi Station.
The moai and the coast
Sun Messe Nichinan is about 4 km past Udo Jingu: 09:30–17:00, last entry 16:30, adult ¥1,000. It closes on Wednesdays.
Aoshima is about 55 minutes up the coast by train: 08:53 from Aburatsu, back on the 12:32 or 14:00, ¥870 each way. It needs a ship in by about 08:00.
Aburatsu itself
The Horikawa Canal was dug in 1683–86 to float Obi cedar to the port. Its stone bridge dates from 1903; the roofed Yumemi Bridge of Obi cedar from 2007. The 1922 brick warehouse beside it is free to look round.
The best things to do in Aburatsu on a port day
The full list, with photos and times from the quay, is on the top 10 page.
11:00–15:00, closed Mondays, and Monday and Tuesday at the end of the month
Chicken nanban (set ¥1,350)
Horikawa Restaurant Tomura, by the canal
11:00–14:00, closed Tuesdays
Obi-ten and set meals
Obiten Kura, by the Otemon gate in Obi
09:00–17:00, last order 16:00
Most 2027 calls are on Tuesdays, when Tomura is closed. On those days eat in Obi or at Bibinya, except on 23 and 30 March 2027, when Bibinya is closed too: eat in Obi.
Further out: Cape Toi and Lion Rock
Cape Toi, 39 km south in Kushima, is where the native Misaki horses graze free on the headland. It is about 45–60 minutes each way by taxi, about ¥13,900 each way, and needs a call of seven hours or more. Charges on the cape are not confirmed in our sources.
Lion Rock stands off the surf beach at Umegahama, just north of the port on Route 220. A cave shrine sits across the road. It is a short taxi or e-bike ride from town.
The call pattern
The prefecture's 2026 list had 11 calls, from Viking Eden in February to Diamond Princess in November; arrival times ran from 07:00 to 13:00 and departures from 17:00 to 22:00. Its 2027 list is not out yet.
The 2027 calls below are on the cruise lines' own itinerary pages, except Regatta on 3 April and MSC Bellissima on 3 June, which only schedule feeds list. Most are on Tuesdays, from about 08:00 to 17:00 or 19:00; check your own ship's times.
2027 date
Ship
Times (cruise line, unless marked)
Thu 14 Jan
Spectrum of the Seas
09:00–19:00
Sun 14 Mar
Sapphire Princess
07:00–15:30
Tue 23 Mar
Diamond Princess
09:00–19:00
Tue 30 Mar
Le Soléal
08:00–19:00
Sat 3 Apr
Regatta
10:00–20:00 (schedule feed, unconfirmed)
Tue 13 Apr
Luminara
09:00–18:00
Tue 18 May
Silver Muse
08:00–17:00
Thu 3 Jun
MSC Bellissima
not published (unconfirmed)
Tue 15 Jun
Silver Muse
08:00–17:00
Tue 24 Aug
Diamond Princess
07:00–17:00
Tue 7 Sep
Sapphire Princess
09:00–18:00
Sun 31 Oct
Silver Muse
08:00–17:00
Tue 9 Nov
Diamond Princess
07:00–17:00
Diamond Princess on 23 March is also on the Nagasaki and Kochi lists, as arriving from Nagasaki and sailing on to Kochi. A Seabourn Encore call on 21 February in one feed is not listed here: Kochi's official list gives Kagoshima as Encore's previous port. Times can move by an hour or more before sailing.
How to think about your hours
Measure from the gangway. The site's rule: off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, and back at the gangway an hour before all-aboard.
Time ashore
What fits
2–3 hours
Aburatsu town: the canal, the station and katsuo for lunch
4–6 hours
Obi by taxi, or Udo Jingu and the moai by taxi
7 hours or more
Udo Jingu, the moai and Obi in one taxi day
8 hours or more
Aoshima by train, if the 08:53 is in reach
Money, cards and the practical stuff
Carry yen. Whether Nichinan taxis take cards is not confirmed in our sources, and the food-walk vouchers and the train are small cash payments. Bibinya and Horikawa Restaurant Tomura list cards as accepted.
Book a taxi by the hour the day before through one of Nichinan's firms: Nanko Taxi 0987-23-5131, Miyazaki Daiichi Kotsu 0987-23-1221 or Miyako Taxi 0987-23-4141. JR Aburatsu, Obi, Nichinan and Nango stations hire bicycles for ¥500 a day and hold bags for ¥500 each.
When to go: weather
JMA normals for Aburatsu, 1991–2020:
Month
Day °C
Night °C
Days with rain
January
13.6
4.6
6.4
March
17.3
8.5
11.3
May
24.6
16.8
10.6
August
31.5
24.9
12.4
October
24.9
17.4
8.8
November
20.4
12.0
7.8
June is the wettest month, with about 17 days of rain. Typhoons pass close to southern Kyushu about four times a year, mostly August to September.
What other guides get wrong about Aburatsu
You may read
What the official source says
Source
Udo Jingu is a short walk from the car park.
The two near car parks are cut off by a road collapse, with no reopening date. Visitors use the tourist car park, about 20 minutes on foot from the main hall.
Aburatsu is the port of Nichinan; Miyazaki Port, in Miyazaki City, is a separate port with its own call list. A call listed for Miyazaki is not an Aburatsu call.
Researched from official timetables, operators and the port authority, with our estimates where none is published. Every time and fare in this guide was checked against the sources listed above on 13 November 2026; where we had to estimate (a walk, a taxi in traffic), the text says so. Timetables change — if you find one that has, tell us and we will fix it.
