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Yobuko morning market, Karatsu

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For a 7-hour call · Karatsu

Yobuko: morning market, Nanatsugama by boat and squid

An 08:00–15:00 call: Star Seeker on 27 March, 6 May, 11 and 31 October 2027. Off at 08:30, back by 13:30, an hour before a 14:30 all-aboard. Timed from the gangway and back.

5 hr door to door11 stopsNeeds a 7-hour call
Open the route in Google Maps, in 4 parts
Photo: gtknj / CC BY 2.0
Door to door
5 hr
From the gangway and back
Best for
A 7-hour call or longer
Room to spare
None
What it costs
about ¥6,300 each way
Booking
None found
Check each place’s own page before you sail
Best for
An 08:00–15:00 call: Star Seeker on 27 March, 6 May, 11 and 31 October 2027. Off at 08:30, back by 13:30, an hour before a 14:30 all-aboard
Room to spare
Fits a 7-hour stop with nothing to add (off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, back at the gangway an hour before all-aboard). A longer call gives you the extra time; on this one, do not add a stop.
What it costs
Showa bus there and back (fare not printed on the timetable) or two taxis, about ¥6,300 each way (our estimate). Ika-maru ¥2,200.

Checked · Researched, not yet visited · times from official timetables and our estimates · Takumi Yamada

Numbers follow the route below. Pins are the places themselves; walking lines are not drawn because the best way between two stops can change with the tram, the tide or the weather.

Open in Google Maps, in 4 parts

  1. 1Your ship → Yobuko morning markettrain or bus
  2. 2Yobuko morning market → Nanatsugama sea cavestrain or bus
  3. 3Nanatsugama sea caves → Kawataro Yobukotrain or bus
  4. 4Kawataro Yobuko → Back to the shiptrain or bus

Google Maps on a phone takes three stops between start and end, and none on a train or bus route, so the day opens in parts. Each step below also has its own directions.

The route

How the day runs

Times are from the moment you step off, not from the scheduled arrival. Everything shifts if your ship is late; the order does not.

  1. +0:00
    Walk from the quay to Nishi-Karatsu-ekimae (1.7 km, about 25 min, our estimate)

    That leaves two minutes for the 08:55: a taxi to the station (about ¥1,100, our estimate) makes it safe, or take the 09:45 and drop the boat

  2. +0:25
    Showa bus, Yobuko line, to Yobuko (08:55 → 09:20)

    About hourly; carry coins

  3. +0:50
    Yobuko morning market, 1 min from the stop

    07:30–12:00; stalls set their own hours

    Directions from the ship (train or bus)Full guide: Yobuko morning market
    Yobuko morning market, Karatsu
    Photo: gtknj / CC BY 2.0
  4. +1:50
    Walk to Marine Pal Yobuko (about 500 m, 7 min, our estimate)
  5. +2:00
    Ika-maru to the Nanatsugama sea caves (10:30 sailing, 40 min)

    Adult ¥2,200. Rough seas cancel it; December–March has closing days

    What you will see hereDirections from the previous stop (train or bus)
    Nanatsugama sea caves by boat, Karatsu
    Photo: Pekachu / CC BY-SA 4.0
  6. +2:40
    Walk to Kawataro (about 1.2 km, about 20 min, our estimate)
  7. +3:00
    Squid ikizukuri lunch at Kawataro

    Opens 11:00 on weekdays, 10:00 at weekends and holidays; no bookings as a rule; cash only; squid may not come in when the sea is rough

    What you will see hereDirections from the previous stop (train or bus)
  8. +3:45
    Walk back to the Yobuko bus stop (about 20 min)
  9. +4:05
    Showa bus Yobuko → Nishi-Karatsu-ekimae (12:35 → 13:00)

    The next bus is an hour later: do not miss this one

  10. +4:30
    Walk back to the East Port Quay (about 25 min)
  11. +4:55
    Back at the gangway (about 13:25)
The margin is not optional. This route ends an hour before all-aboard on purpose. If you are running late, drop the last stop, not the hour.
Other routes

The other routes in Karatsu

Karatsu Castle, KaratsuThe castle and the Takatori residenceNeeds a 4.5-hour call · ~2.5hAny call of 4.5 hours or more; not on a Monday unless it is a holiday, nor the day after a Monday holiday (the residence is closed)Karatsu Castle, KaratsuThe castle town: castle, floats, a Meiji house and the bankNeeds a 6-hour call · ~4hA 12:00–18:00 Star Seeker call: off at 12:30, back by 16:30, with no time to spare. The walks between the four places take 10 to 15 minutes each (OSM routing, our estimates); the bank is only if you are aheadThe 14 Kunchi floats, KaratsuFloats, the bank and a Meiji house, all under a roofA wet day · ~3hA wet day on any call of 5 hours or more; three indoor sights 8 to 12 minutes’ walk apart
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