Muroran is a port and steel town on a peninsula at the mouth of Uchiura Bay in southern Hokkaido. It is known for Cape Chikyu's cliffs, the Hakucho Bridge, curry ramen and a yakitori made of pork. Noboribetsu Onsen and Upopoy are within reach by train.
No. Alongside at Shukutsu Pier (big ships), Chuo Pier (small and mid-size ships) or Sakimori Pier (some big ships).
At the terminal
No cruise terminal building. On call days the city sets up a tourist booth and food trucks; the quay itself is closed to the public. Taxi stand, ATM and Wi-Fi at the piers 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
From the ship to each place: how, how long, how much
Taxi
Taxi from Shukutsu Pier to the capes and townタクシー 祝津埠頭 → 地球岬・室蘭駅
A taxi stand at the pier is not confirmed. Ask at the city’s tourist booth on the pier side, or have the ship call one
From Shukutsu: Cape Chikyu 7.8 km, about 15 min; Tokkarisho 7.6 km; JR Muroran 4.6 km, 7 min; Aji no Daio 4.5 km; JR Higashi-Muroran 12.4 km, about 15 min — free-flow, our estimates
Companies: Kinsei Muroran Hire 0143-44-5656, Muroran Tsubame Kotsu 0143-44-1231, Muroran Hire 0143-44-3141
Muroran tariff from 27 Mar 2026: ¥700 for the first 1.3 km, then ¥100 per 275 m · Cape Chikyu about ¥3,100, JR Muroran about ¥1,900, Higashi-Muroran about ¥4,800, our estimates · Free-flow times; expect more in traffic and with the time charge
Taxi: ~¥3,100 to Cape Chikyu
Our estimates are OSRM drive distances with the distance tariff only. A 20% winter surcharge may apply 10 Dec – 26 Mar. From Chuo Pier everything is closer: Cape Chikyu 4.9 km, about ¥2,100.
Chuo Pier to JR Muroran and the old town on foot中央埠頭 → 室蘭駅
JR Muroran Station: about 15 min on foot (MLIT); 1.06 km, about 15 min by our estimate
The Old Muroran Station building (tourist office): 0.7 km, about 10 min, our estimate
Aji no Daio Muroran Honten: 1.15 km, about 15 min, our estimate
Free
Taxi: not needed
Only for ships at Chuo Pier. From Shukutsu Pier the walk goes no further than the roadside station, the aquarium and the bridge viewpoint (about 15 min, our estimate).
Taxi to JR Higashi-Muroran (from Shukutsu about 15 min), or from Chuo Pier walk to JR Muroran and ride about 15 min to Higashi-Muroran, ¥310
Noboribetsu: limited express about 15 min, or local about 20 min
Shiraoi (Upopoy): limited express about 30 min, or local about 50 min; then 10 min on foot from the north exit
Higashi-Muroran → Noboribetsu ¥470 (+¥850 reserved seat on the limited express) · → Shiraoi ¥920 (+¥1,160 reserved seat) · From Higashi-Muroran toward Noboribetsu, a limited express about hourly plus locals: 07:08, 07:12, 07:40, 08:07, 08:25, 09:26, 09:31, 10:03, 10:08 in the morning. Back from Noboribetsu: 12:09, 13:10, 13:28, 14:10, 14:41, 15:03, 15:50, 15:59 (JR Hokkaido departure board, Nov 2026–Jan 2027 timetable; it changes each spring)
Taxi: ~¥13,600 to Hell Valley, ~¥18,300 to Upopoy
Whether Suica or Kitaca work at Muroran and Higashi-Muroran is not confirmed: buy paper tickets, and buy your return on the way out, as ticket machines at Higashi-Muroran have had queues on big-ship days.
Donan Bus from Noboribetsu Station to Noboribetsu Onsen, about 15–25 min (the 08:54 arrives 09:15)
Walk up to the Hell Valley observatory; the time from the bus terminal is not confirmed (allow 10 min)
NA/NB front-door buses ¥450 flat, paid on boarding · NC/ND rear-door buses: take a numbered ticket and pay on exit · cash, Donan Bus card or PayPay; no IC cards · About 25 departures a day from the station, unevenly spaced: 08:23, 08:54, then 10:25. Back from the onsen: 12:00, 12:20, 12:33, 13:18, 13:50, 13:58, 14:15 (Donan Bus timetable from 1 Oct 2026; check for a spring change)
Taxi: ~10 min from Noboribetsu Station
The bus cannot change ¥2,000, ¥5,000 or ¥10,000 notes. A direct Muroran–Noboribetsu Onsen bus exists but takes 1 h 45 min: not for a port day.
From the みたら・水族館前 stop by the roadside station: line 13, weekdays 11:10, 12:45, 15:30, 16:50, to Chikyu-misaki Danchi in about 40 min
Then 1 km, about 15 min on foot uphill to the cape (tourism association)
Distance-based fare, not confirmed · cash, Donan Bus card or PayPay; no IC cards · Weekday returns from Chikyu-misaki Danchi to the roadside station at 10:20, 11:55 and 14:40 only (timetable from 1 Oct 2026); weekends differ
Taxi: ~¥3,100 from Shukutsu
Possible but slow. A taxi from Shukutsu takes about 15 min.
Any call from Shukutsu Pier of 6.5 hours or more, except a Tuesday, when Aji no Daio is closed. Times assume a 07:00 arrival and a 19:00 departure, as on the Princess calls; target back at the gangway 17:30.
The short taxi day: the cliffs first, then lunch in town when the ramen shop opens.
09:15Off the ship (no need to hurry: the roadside station opens at 09:30). Walk to the Michi-no-eki Mitara Muroran, about 15 minutes.
09:45Hakucho Bridge exhibition and observation deck, free. Call a taxi company (numbers on the transport page) or have the ship book one.
10:15Taxi to Cape Chikyu, about 15 minutes, about ¥3,100.
10:30The cliffs and the lighthouse from the observatory. Keep the same taxi waiting (a waiting charge applies; ask the driver) for Tokkarisho, 2 minutes on, about ¥700. Taxis are not known to wait at the cape.
11:30Taxi to Aji no Daio Muroran Honten, about 6 minutes, about ¥1,700. Curry ramen ¥1,000.
12:30Walk 8 minutes to the Old Muroran Station building (free); the tourist office there calls taxis.
13:15Taxi back to Shukutsu Pier, about ¥1,900. Back at the gangway by about 13:30, with the afternoon for the aquarium (late April to mid-October) or a rest.
From your ship, the 5 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.
Calls of 9 hours or more: the bus and train times leave waits. Times assume a 07:00 arrival and a 19:00 departure; target back at the gangway 17:30.
The classic Hokkaido day trip, by taxi, limited express and bus. Buy your return train ticket on the way out.
07:30Off the ship. Taxi to JR Higashi-Muroran, about 15 minutes, about ¥4,800.
08:00Train to Noboribetsu: the 08:07 local (about 20 minutes, ¥470) or the 08:25 limited express (about 15 minutes, ¥470 plus ¥850 reserved seat). JR Hokkaido timetable to January 2027; check after the spring change.
08:45Donan bus from Noboribetsu Station to Noboribetsu Onsen: the 08:54, at the onsen at 09:15, and the next is not until 10:25, so do not miss it. Take a numbered ticket and pay on exit; cash or PayPay, no IC cards (Donan Bus timetable from 1 October 2026).
09:15Walk up to Hell Valley (allow 10 minutes). The crater, then Oyunuma pond if time allows. All free.
11:30Curry ramen at Aji no Daio's Noboribetsu Onsen branch, 11:30–15:00, closed Tuesdays.
12:33Bus back to Noboribetsu Station (at 12:55), then the 13:10 local or the 13:28 limited express to Higashi-Muroran. The bus before is at 12:20.
14:00Taxi to the pier, about 15 minutes. Back at the gangway about 14:30, three hours inside the target.
Chuo Pier: the old town, curry ramen and the capes
Small and mid-size ships at Chuo Pier, such as Heritage Adventurer or National Geographic Resolution, on any day except a Tuesday. Times assume an 08:00 arrival and a 17:00 departure; target back at the gangway 15:30.
From Chuo Pier the town is on foot, and the capes are one short taxi ride.
08:30Off the ship. Walk to the Old Muroran Station building, about 10 minutes. Free; the tourist office opens at 08:00 and calls taxis.
09:00Taxi to Sokuryozan, 2.4 km, for the 360° view over the harbour and the bridge (about ¥1,100).
09:45Taxi on to Cape Chikyu: the cliffs and the lighthouse from the observatory. Free.
10:40A 2-minute taxi to Tokkarisho, about ¥700. The bamboo-grass cliffs round a cove. Free.
11:15Taxi to Aji no Daio Muroran Honten, about 6 minutes from Tokkarisho. Curry ramen ¥1,000; it opens at 11:00.
12:15Walk back to Chuo Pier, about 15 minutes. Back at the gangway about 12:30, with three hours in hand.
From your ship, the 5 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.
Rain on a 9-hour call or longer; clock times are for leaving the ship at 07:30; the museum is indoors. Not on a Monday, when Upopoy is closed. About 7h ashore; taxi to Higashi-Muroran about ¥4,800 each way for the car (our estimate); JR ¥920 each way (+¥1,160 seat ticket on the limited express). Upopoy adult ¥1,200 (¥1,000 online). Times count from when you step off the ship.
+0:0007:30 taxi from Shukutsu Pier to JR Higashi-Muroran. About 15 min, about ¥4,800 (our estimate)
+0:55Buy return tickets, then the 08:25 limited express to Shiraoi, in at 08:49. Limited express about 30 min, local about 50 min
+1:20Walk from Shiraoi Station (north exit) to Upopoy. 500 m, about 10 min
+1:30Upopoy opens at 09:00: the National Ainu Museum, then the performance hall and the village. Museum last entry 30 min before closing; allow 2–3 h
+5:00Walk back to Shiraoi Station and take the 13:16 limited express (or the 12:50 local) to Higashi-Muroran. About 40 min with the walk. From Shiraoi: 12:50 (local), 13:16, 13:50 (local), 14:29, 14:51 (JR Hokkaido timetable to January 2027)
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.
Start from a model day:
Cape Chikyu, Tokkarisho and curry ramen
09:15
1. Michi-no-eki Mitara Muroran and the Hakucho Bridge Memorial HallPhoto: MaedaAkihiko / CC0
10:15
2. Cape Chikyu observatoryPhoto: Highten31 / CC BY-SA 3.0
10:30
3. Tokkarisho observatoryPhoto: Morigen at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
11:30
4. Aji no Daio Muroran Honten
12:30
5. Old Muroran Station buildingPhoto: Punkssand / CC0
There is no bookable tour for Muroran 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
Carry yen. Donan buses take cash, their own card or PayPay, not IC cards, and do not change ¥2,000–¥10,000 notes. An ATM near the piers is not confirmed.
Wi-Fi and SIM
Wi-Fi at the piers is not confirmed. Buy an eSIM before arrival.
Toilets
Michi-no-eki Mitara Muroran (roadside station) near Shukutsu Pier; the Old Muroran Station building near Chuo Pier.
Luggage
Nothing published at the piers. Leave bags on board.
Steps and slopes
Cape Chikyu's observatory is a short walk from the car park. Noboribetsu Hell Valley has a ramp (up to 8%) to its observatory. The bus to Cape Chikyu leaves 1 km uphill to walk.
English
Expect Japanese only in taxis and small restaurants. Carry the names of your stops in Japanese.
Pharmacy, hospital
Dial 119 for an ambulance, 110 for the police. Muroran Tourism Association: 0143-23-0102.
With children
Muroran Aquarium beside the roadside station (¥400, late April to mid-October) has seal, sea-lion and penguin shows and a small funfair.
Three things to eat in Muroran, and where
Dish
Where, price, hours
Muroran curry ramen
The pickAji no Daio Muroran Honten, 2-9-3 Chuo-cho; 5 minutes on foot from JR Muroran, about 6 minutes by taxi from Shukutsu Pier¥1,000 · 11:00–14:30, closed TuesdaysThe shop where Muroran curry ramen began, by its own account. Wheat noodles, pork.
Muroran yakitori (pork, not chicken)
The pickKofune, 2-8-13 Etomo-cho, at lunch; 3.0 km from Shukutsu PierTwo skewers ¥390; curry ramen ¥980 · Lunch 11:30–14:30 (last order 14:00); closed Mondays and the 3rd Tuesday, or the next day when that is a public holidayPork shoulder and onion with a sweet sauce and Western mustard. Most yakitori houses open only from 17:00.Our page
Muroran yakitori in the evening
The pickYakitori Ippei Honten, 1-17-3 Nakajima-cho; about 15 minutes on foot from JR Higashi-MuroranPork skewer ¥210 · 17:00–23:00 (Sundays and holidays to 22:00)Only for calls that sail at 19:00 or later.Our page
Mistakes to avoid
Expecting to walk into town from Shukutsu Pier.From Shukutsu, only the roadside station, the aquarium and the bridge viewpoint are walkable. JR Muroran is 4.6 km away. Chuo Pier is the walkable one.
Taking the train from JR Muroran.Muroran is a branch terminus. Trains to Noboribetsu and Shiraoi run from Higashi-Muroran; from Shukutsu, go there directly by taxi.
Planning curry ramen on a Tuesday.Both Aji no Daio shops, in Muroran and in Noboribetsu Onsen, close on Tuesdays. Kofune serves curry ramen at lunch, but closes on Mondays.
Looking for yakitori at lunch.Most Muroran yakitori houses open at 17:00. At lunch, go to Kofune or Hamakatsu.
Paying the bus with an IC card or a big note.Donan buses take cash, their own card or PayPay, and cannot change ¥2,000, ¥5,000 or ¥10,000 notes.
Assuming the aquarium is open.Muroran Aquarium opens from late April to mid-October only. A late-April or late-October call may miss it.
Taking a taxi to Noboribetsu without checking the toll.The quickest road route may use the Do-o Expressway, which is tolled. Our taxi figures are distance-only; agree the route with the driver.
Muroran cruise port questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Muroran?
At one of three piers. Small and mid-size ships use Chuo Pier in the old town. Large ships use Shukutsu Pier, at the west end of the Hakucho Bridge, or Sakimori Pier across the bay. The city's FY2026 list put Diamond Princess, Ovation of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas at Shukutsu, and Heritage Adventurer, Asuka III, National Geographic Resolution, Silver Moon and Seven Seas Explorer at Chuo. Berths for 2027 calls are not yet published.
Can I walk from the cruise ship into Muroran?
From Chuo Pier, yes: JR Muroran is about 15 minutes on foot. From Shukutsu Pier, only as far as the roadside station, the aquarium and the bridge viewpoint, about 15 minutes. Take a taxi for anything else.
Is there a shuttle bus at the Muroran cruise port?
Not confirmed. No shuttle notice for 2025–2026 calls appears on the city’s pages. On call days the city sets up a tourist booth by the pier. Check your daily programme and plan on taxis.
How much is a taxi from Shukutsu Pier?
On distance alone, without traffic (our estimates): Cape Chikyu about ¥3,100, JR Muroran about ¥1,900, JR Higashi-Muroran about ¥4,800, Noboribetsu Hell Valley about ¥13,600, Upopoy about ¥18,300. The tariff from 27 March 2026 is ¥700 for the first 1.3 km, then ¥100 per 275 m.
Is Muroran the port for Sapporo?
Some lines sell Muroran as "Sapporo (Muroran)". Sapporo is a long day trip by limited express from Higashi-Muroran. Cape Chikyu, Noboribetsu and Upopoy are much closer.
Can I visit Noboribetsu from the Muroran cruise port?
Yes, on a call of 9 hours or more: taxi to JR Higashi-Muroran, the limited express to Noboribetsu (about 15 minutes), then the Donan bus to Noboribetsu Onsen (about 15–25 minutes). About 1 h 15 min – 1 h 30 min each way. Hell Valley is free.
Which cruise ships call at Muroran in 2026 and 2027?
The city's FY2026 list had nine calls, from Diamond Princess in April to Seven Seas Explorer in October 2026. For 2027, the lines' own pages list Asuka III on 24 April, 29 July and 25 August, Heritage Adventurer on 6 June and National Geographic Resolution on 16 July. The lines' own pages also list Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess on 23 and 24 April 2027 and Spectrum of the Seas on 18 October 2027; Riviera on 1 May 2027 comes only from travel-agent listings, not yet confirmed by Oceania. The city has not yet published its FY2027 list. See cruises to Muroran.
What is the weather like in Muroran?
Cool. JMA normals for Muroran: April highs average 10.1 °C, June 18.0 °C, July 21.6 °C and October 16.1 °C. Bring a windproof layer for the capes.
How do I get to Cape Chikyu by bus?
Donan bus line 13 from the みたら・水族館前 stop by the roadside station to Chikyu-misaki Danchi takes about 40 minutes (weekdays 11:10, 12:45, 15:30, 16:50), then it is 1 km, about 15 minutes, uphill on foot. Weekday buses back to the roadside station leave at 10:20, 11:55 and 14:40 only. A taxi is about 15 minutes.
Is Muroran Aquarium open when my ship calls?
Only from late April to mid-October: the 2026 season opened on 24 April. Hours 09:30–16:30, adult ¥400. The 2027 dates are not yet published, so a call in the third week of April or in the second half of October may find it closed.
Can I visit Lake Toya from Muroran?
Only with a long call or a car. By taxi to Higashi-Muroran, the limited express Hokuto to Toya (30 minutes) and the bus to Toyako Onsen (about 20–30 minutes, ¥400) it is about 1 h 30 min – 2 h each way. A taxi is 37.7 km, about 35 minutes and about ¥14,000 each way.
What is closed on a Monday or a Tuesday?
Monday: Upopoy and Kofune. Tuesday: both Aji no Daio shops (Muroran and Noboribetsu Onsen). Cape Chikyu, Tokkarisho, Hell Valley and the roadside station (April to October) are open every day.
Read on
Muroran in depth: the places, the history, the myths
1,441 words · 13 chapters
Why Muroran is worth getting off the ship for
Muroran sits on a hooked peninsula at the mouth of Uchiura Bay, with a steelworks on one shore and 100 m cliffs on the other. Three things bring people ashore.
The first is Cape Chikyu, a white lighthouse on a green headland above the Pacific, about 15 minutes by taxi from the big-ship pier. The second is the food: curry ramen, which the town claims as its own, and a yakitori made of pork. The third is what lies beyond: Noboribetsu's Hell Valley and Upopoy, the national Ainu museum, each a taxi and a train ride away.
What Muroran is not: a port where you walk off the ship into a town centre, unless your ship is at Chuo Pier. The big ships berth under the bridge, on the far side of the bay from the station.
First: which pier is your ship at?
Muroran has three cruise berths, and the city's rule decides which one you get: small and mid-size ships use Chuo Pier, large ships use Shukutsu Pier or Sakimori Pier. Your daily programme names it. Taxi fares on this page are our estimates, from map distances and the official tariff, without traffic or tolls.
Item
Shukutsu Pier (big ships)
Chuo Pier (small and mid-size ships)
Where
West end of the Hakucho Bridge
Old town centre
On foot
Roadside station, aquarium, bridge viewpoint: about 15 min
JR Muroran about 15 min; Aji no Daio about 15 min
Taxi to Cape Chikyu
7.8 km, about ¥3,100
4.9 km, about ¥2,100
2026 ships
Diamond Princess, Ovation of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas
Heritage Adventurer, Asuka III, National Geographic Resolution, Silver Moon, Seven Seas Explorer
Some big ships use Sakimori Pier on the north shore of the bay instead. Costa Serena did in 2025. From there Cape Chikyu is about 12.7 km and Higashi-Muroran about 9.9 km by road.
Shukutsu Pier on a cruise day
The quay was built for provisional use from 2022, behind the roadside station. On call days it is closed to the public, and cars are kept out of the pier area. The city sets up a tourist booth and food trucks in Etomo Rinkai Park next to it.
What is within a walk:
Michi-no-eki Mitara Muroran, the roadside station: the Hakucho Bridge Memorial Hall, a shop and food counters. Free. 09:30–19:00 from April to October; 09:30–17:00 from November to March, closed Thursdays then.
Muroran Aquarium, beside it. Late April to mid-October only.
Hakucho Bridge Observatory, for the bridge from below.
Star Marine, the boat company, at the foot of the bridge.
Where passengers leave the restricted quay is not confirmed, and so is a taxi stand. No shuttle has been announced for 2025–2026 calls. The Donan bus stop みたら・水族館前 is by the roadside station, but direct buses are few.
Chuo Pier on foot
Small ships at Chuo Pier are in the old town, and the walk works:
From Chuo Pier to
On foot
Old Muroran Station building (tourist office)
0.7 km, about 10 min
JR Muroran Station
about 15 min (MLIT)
Aji no Daio Muroran Honten
1.15 km, about 15 min
Muroran Hachimangu shrine and Irie Seaside Park are beside the pier on the city's map. From here the capes are closer than from Shukutsu: Cape Chikyu is 4.9 km by taxi, about ¥2,100, and Sokuryozan 2.4 km, about ¥1,100.
On call days at Chuo Pier the city sets up a tourist booth and stalls on the pier itself, and friends may see the ship off inside the quay.
Taxis and buses
Muroran's taxi tariff from 27 March 2026 is ¥700 for the first 1.3 km, then ¥100 per 275 m. A 20% winter surcharge may apply from 10 December to 26 March.
From Shukutsu Pier to
Distance
Time (free-flow)
Fare
Cape Chikyu
7.8 km
about 15 min
about ¥3,100
Tokkarisho
7.6 km
about 15 min
about ¥3,100
Aji no Daio
4.5 km
6 min
about ¥1,900
JR Muroran
4.6 km
7 min
about ¥1,900
JR Higashi-Muroran
12.4 km
about 15 min
about ¥4,800
Noboribetsu Hell Valley
36.5 km
about 35 min
about ¥13,600
Upopoy
49.6 km
40 min
about ¥18,300
The tourism association lists six companies, among them Kinsei Muroran Hire (0143-44-5656), Muroran Tsubame Kotsu (0143-44-1231) and Muroran Hire (0143-44-3141). Have the roadside station or the tourist office call one for the way back.
Donan buses take cash, their own card or PayPay. They do not take IC cards and cannot change ¥2,000, ¥5,000 or ¥10,000 notes.
The capes
Cape Chikyu and Tokkarisho are 1.3 km apart on the Pacific side of the peninsula. Both are free and open-air. Take one taxi for both.
Two more viewpoints are close to Shukutsu. Cape Etomo, about 3.1 km away, looks over Uchiura Bay to Usu, Showa-Shinzan and Mt Yotei. Sokuryozan, 199.6 m, has a 360° view and is about 5.4 km away. Both are free.
Curry ramen and pork yakitori
Muroran has two dishes, and they keep different hours.
Item
Where
Hours
Closed
Curry ramen
Aji no Daio Muroran Honten
11:00–14:30
Tuesdays
Both dishes at lunch
Kofune, Etomo-cho
11:30–14:30
Mondays, 3rd Tuesday
Yakitori and yakitori-don
Hamakatsu, by JR Bokoi
11:30–14:00
Sundays
Yakitori, evening
Ippei Honten, Nakajima-cho
17:00–23:00
30 Dec – 1 Jan
Muroran yakitori is pork shoulder and onion with a sweet sauce and Western-style mustard. The evening houses suit only calls that sail at 19:00 or later.
Day trips by train
Trains leave from Higashi-Muroran, not Muroran. JR Muroran is a branch terminus, about 15 minutes and ¥310 from Higashi-Muroran. From Shukutsu Pier, take a taxi straight to Higashi-Muroran.
To
Train from Higashi-Muroran
Then
Each way from the pier
Noboribetsu Hell Valley
Limited express about 15 min / local about 20 min, ¥470
Bus about 15–25 min, ¥450 on the flat-fare buses
About 1 h 15 min – 1 h 30 min
Upopoy (Shiraoi)
Limited express about 30 min / local about 50 min, ¥920
10 min on foot
About 1 h 10 min – 1 h 30 min
Lake Toya (Toyako Onsen)
Limited express 30 min / local about 45 min, ¥920
Bus about 20–30 min, ¥400
About 1 h 30 min – 2 h
Limited expresses add a reserved-seat fee (¥850 to Noboribetsu, ¥1,160 to Shiraoi or Toya). Buy your return ticket on the way out: the ticket machines at Higashi-Muroran have had queues on big-ship days. Whether Suica works there is not confirmed.
Boats and the bridge climb
Star Marine sails from the foot of the Hakucho Bridge, on the roadside-station side. All trips are by reservation, and each needs at least five passengers; book before the call and check in 20 minutes before departure. From June to August dolphin watching takes priority, so the Cape Chikyu cruise may not be taken on some days.
Trip
Length
Sailings
Adult
Cape Chikyu cruise
90 min
10:00, 14:00, April–November
¥5,000
Harbour cruise
60 min
10:00, 14:00, April–November
¥4,000
Dolphin watching
150 min
10:00, 14:00, June to early August
¥7,500
Bridge tower climb, 100 m
70 min
Days not confirmed
¥5,500
Bridge tower climb, 140 m top
120 min
Days not confirmed
¥9,000
The tower climb is not for children under 10.
How to think about your hours
Count on about two hours of any call going on getting off and being back at the gangway an hour before all-aboard. Most big-ship calls here run about 07:00–19:00, which leaves about ten usable hours.
Up to 4 usable hours: the roadside station, the bridge and the aquarium on foot, or Cape Chikyu by taxi.
About 6 hours: the capes, curry ramen and the old station building.
9 hours or more: Noboribetsu Hell Valley or Upopoy by train.
Money, cards and the practical stuff
Carry yen. The buses are cash or PayPay, the ramen shops are small, and an ATM near the piers is not confirmed. Star Marine takes cards and PayPay. Upopoy takes cash, cards, transport IC cards and code payments.
The Muroran Tourism Association is in the Old Muroran Station building, 1-5-1 Kaigan-cho, 0143-23-0102: 08:00–19:00 from April to October, 08:00–17:00 from November to March.
When to go: weather and daylight
Month
Average high
Average low
Rain days (1 mm+)
April
10.1 °C
3.0 °C
8.4
June
18.0 °C
11.9 °C
9.1
July
21.6 °C
16.4 °C
11.1
October
16.1 °C
9.8 °C
11.1
JMA normals for Muroran, 1991–2020. Sunset is about 18:25 in late April, 19:10 in June and July and 16:50 in mid-October (our estimate). The Hakucho Bridge is lit from sunset to midnight, so ships that sail after dark see it from the deck.
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.
