1 / 6Kujukushima by boatPhoto: 663highland / CC BY-SA 4.0
Tap a photo to see it large. 6 photographs, every one credited.
Checked against official sources · updated · Takumi Yamada
A drowned coastline of 208 wooded islets — the name means ninety-nine and undercounts by half. The densest island cluster in Japan, and the fifty-minute public sailing has a fixed fare, no operator and no markup. No sailings 7–22 December 2026, while the boat is in dock.
- Our number 1 for Sasebo, out of ten. It is the first thing we would spend the hours on.
- On a 4–6h ashore call our verdict is "The plan" — boat, aquarium beside the pier, then tenkaiho on the way back.
- It is not only a photo stop: a coastline that drowned, and a name that gave up counting.
- Boats ~10:00–15:00 — roughly hourly. no sailings 7–22 december 2026 (boat in dock).
- 3 hr door to door needs a 5-hour call: a 2–3 hour stop cannot hold it. Pick something closer instead.
Why Kujukushima by boat is famous
A coastline that drowned, and a name that gave up counting
Kujukushima means ninety-nine islands and there are actually 208, in the densest island cluster in Japan. Almost none are inhabited, so the view from a boat is unbroken. The whole group is inside Saikai National Park and the sightseeing boats are a scheduled public service rather than a tour.
Kujukushima means "ninety-nine islands," which in older Japanese was a way of saying "too many to count." The actual figure is 208 — the densest cluster of islands anywhere in Japan, in about twenty-five kilometres of water, and only four of them have anyone living on them.
A drowned coastline: hills that became islands when the sea rose, leaving 208 wooded islets in about twenty-five kilometres of water. It is the densest island cluster in Japan, and only four of them are inhabited. Kujukushima means "ninety-nine islands," which is an old way of saying "too many to count" — and it undercounts by half.
The whole area is inside Saikai National Park. The fifty-minute sightseeing boat threads between the islets close enough to see the pines, and it is a scheduled public service at a fixed fare — no booking, no tour operator, no markup.
Hilltops become islands; valleys become channels
Which is why they are still empty
The densest cluster in Japan
Buy by the bucket, grill it yourself
Take the public boat, then eat oysters in a hut if it is winter. Neither needs booking and both are cheap.
Things worth knowing
- Check the sailing board when you arrive and build the rest of the day around it. It is the only fixed timetable here. There are no sailings 7–22 December 2026 while the boat is in dock: on those days do the aquarium and Tenkaiho instead.
- Sit on the open upper deck. The islands pass close and the enclosed cabin wastes the trip.
- Umikirara aquarium is beside the pier, indoors, and unusually good on jellyfish.
- Oyster huts operate along this shore from October to March — grilled by the bucket over charcoal. The November 2026 oyster festival at Pearl Sea is cancelled.
- Kujukushima九十九島 — "Ninety-nine islands" — meaning too many to count. There are 208.
- Riaリアス海岸 — A drowned valley coastline. Intricate, deep, and sheltered.
Where the 3 hr goes
Counted from the moment you step off the gangway, about 30 minutes after the ship arrives. The hour before all-aboard is not in this bar; it is already set aside.
25 minutes each way is the measured figure for bus ~25 min, not the optimistic one. If your ship is late, cut the 2 hr 10 min in the middle. Never cut the hour at the end.
Questions people send us
How many islands are in Kujukushima?
Two hundred and eight. The name means "ninety-nine islands," which in older Japanese usage meant simply "too many to count" — so it undercounts by half. Only four are inhabited, and the whole area lies within Saikai National Park.
Do I need to book the Kujukushima boat?
Individuals can buy a ticket online on their phone or at the terminal counter; only groups of 15 or more reserve. It is a scheduled sailing at a fixed adult fare of ¥2,200, roughly hourly, and tickets for each sailing go on sale at the window from about 9:00. Check the sailing board when you arrive at Pearl Sea Resort and build the rest of your day around it — it is the only fixed timetable in this port.
Routes that already include it
Each one is a finished day timed from the official timetables, with this stop in it. Read the route rather than assembling it yourself.
What to put beside it
Each of these still lands you back aboard with the hour to spare.
Eat · ~1.25hA certified Sasebo burger
Not a recipe — a rule.
See the detail
See · ~2.5hTenkaiho viewpoint
The classic view over the islands, from a headland the city planted with 150,000 cosmos for autumn and rape flowers for spring.
See the detail
See · ~5.5hHuis Ten Bosch
A full-scale Dutch town built in 1992 on 152 hectares — larger than Tokyo Disneyland — with real canals, brick streets, windmills and a million tulips in spring.
See the detail