PORT OF JAPAN
The Mizuki Shigeru Road of yokai monster statues in Sakaiminato

Home / Ships / Eastern Venus / Sakaiminato

Your ship · your port · your hours

Where does Eastern Venus dock in Sakaiminato?

Next call Thu, 12 Nov 2026, 09:00–18:00 (9 h in port). 1 more call ahead, each listed below.

Photo: Adobe Stock / Licensed
The short answer

Eastern Venus docks at Sakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay) in Sakaiminato — From Yumeminato: no standing shuttle — your ship’s shuttle only if it runs one (may be paid); otherwise taxi ~15 min (~¥2,300) or bus 41 from a stop 20 min on foot.

Next callThu, 12 Nov 202609:00–18:00 (9 h in port)All 2 calls ahead →BerthSakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay)Open in Google Maps →Usable hoursabout 7 h09:30–16:30What fits in 7 h →Be back by16:30at the gangway, an hour before all-aboardWhen to leave each place →
Weather ashore · a usual November day in Sakaiminato
17° / 8°C62° / 47°F

Rain on about 13 days in 30 — the rain-day plan is worth a look

A layer for the evening

The forecast for Thu 12 Nov appears here from Fri 6 Nov.

Normals 1991–2020: Japan Meteorological Agency, Sakai station · The official figures →

Dates, times and berths from the port authorities' schedules · checked · Takumi Yamada

Sakaiminato port guideComplete guideEvery Eastern Venus berth in JapanEastern Venus ship guideOther ships at SakaiminatoEarlier this sailing: Fukuoka, 8 NovNext port: Kanazawa, 13 Nov

Every Eastern Venus call at Sakaiminato

2 calls ahead, Nov 2026–Dec 2026: the pattern, and the plan for each kind of day

Eastern Venus keeps the same Sakaiminato clock, 09:00 to 18:00, on 12 Nov and 7 Dec, from the Sakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay), 6 km from town. Nothing there is walkable, so the day begins with the ship's shuttle if it runs, otherwise a taxi or bus 41.

Eastern Venus cruise ship
shown as Pacific Venus, her earlier name · Photo: ume-y / CC BY 2.0
DateIn portUsableBerthKind of day
Mon 12 Oct2026 · past09:00–18:00~7 hSakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay)Half day
Fri 23 Oct2026 · past09:00–18:00~7 hSakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay)Half day
Thu 12 Nov2026 · next09:00–18:00~7 hSakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay)Half day
Mon 7 Dec202609:00–18:00~7 hSakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay)Half day

Usable hours follow the one rule: off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that. Overnight calls count the longest daylight stretch. Dates and times from Sakai Yumeminato Terminal (Sakai Port): 2026 cruise schedules Sep-Dec (PDF R8.9.22) and Feb-Jul (PDF 2026-02-18) (as of 2026-09-22); the daily programme has the final word.

The half day · 2 calls

Thu 12 Nov, Mon 7 Dec

09:00–18:00 · about 7 usable hours · gangway by 16:30

Off the ship 09:30, back by 16:30, 7 usable hours. Road + market feast (about 4 hours) covers the Mizuki Shigeru Road and the fish market; The Adachi excursion (about 5 hours) is the garden instead. Sakaiminato Semi Private Tour for Cruise Passengers needs 7 hours and does Matsue Castle and the Adachi Museum together, but it was open on only one of the two dates when checked, and it leaves no time for the yokai road.

The guided day for these callsSakaiminato Semi Private Tour for Cruise PassengersShared car · per personfrom US$220 per person · max 15 · fits 2 of 2 half-day calls · open on 1 of the 2 checkedWhy it is here, and the clock →

The mistake to avoid: Assuming a shuttle: there is no standing shuttle from Yumeminato, and the bus stop is 20 minutes on foot, so if your ship runs none, budget the taxi both ways.

Tour opening days from the operators' live schedules on Viator, checked 29 Oct; a date can close as seats sell.

Your 12 Nov call on one page

Eastern Venus in Sakaiminato: the day sheet

Thu, 12 Nov 2026, 09:00–18:00 (9 h in port), at Sakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay). Off the ship from 09:30, back at the gangway by 16:30. Print it or save it before you lose the ship's Wi-Fi.

First Japanese port: immigration on the day

Eastern Venus arrives from Busan, so Sakaiminato is where you enter Japan

Japan checks every foreign passenger in person at the first Japanese port, before anyone goes ashore: a passport check and fingerprints. No official time is published for it, so plan the start of the day around the queue.

Before any tourLeave the first hours freeThe only official figure is from Hakata in 2015: ships of 1,000+ passengers took about 85 minutes once the cruise permit was in use. If you book a guide, say this is your ship’s first Japanese port and agree a start time with margin.
Landing permitCarry it ashore all dayForeign passengers on approved ships usually enter on a Cruise Landing Permission (船舶観光上陸許可) and receive a landing permit. The law requires holders to carry it at all times instead of the passport; passengers landed normally carry their passport.
CustomsLeave fruit and meat on boardMost fruit, vegetables and meat products may not be brought into Japan; the penalty can be up to three years’ imprisonment or a ¥3 million fine. Declaration forms are given out on board: follow your cruise line’s instructions.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Immigration Control Act, Art. 14-2 and 23), Japan Customs, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Checked 25 October 2026. Our guide to the first Japanese port →

At the pier, before you set off

The terminalWaiting hall, free Wi-Fi, vending machines, three loan wheelchairs and observation decks; open 9:00–18:00 and on every ship day. No ATM.
Cash and ATMsNo cash machine within 1.2 km of the terminal. In town, a 24-hour Lawson stands 240 m from Sakaiminato Station; post offices open weekdays only.
Wi-Fi and dataFree Wi-Fi in the terminal hall.
Steps and slopesThree loan wheelchairs at the terminal entrance. The 800 m Mizuki Shigeru Road is a town street; Matsue Castle's keep is reached by steep stairs.

Taxi card: show the driver, and when to head back

Sakaiminato Station & the yokai road境港駅~15 minLeave here by 16:00 to be at the gangway by 16:30

“Leave by” is the gangway time minus the taxi time quoted above and 15 minutes to find a taxi; on big-ship days ranks run out, so leave earlier rather than later.

Days that fit Eastern Venus’s call

7 hours ashore: the days that fit

Cut to the 12 Nov call. The half hour to get off and the hour before all-aboard are already kept free.

If it rains: The rainy-day Sakaiminato →

Swipe sideways for the other days →

Needs a 4.5-hour callabout 2.5hwalkhistory

The yokai road

For those who want one street done well: one ride in, one ride back, all on foot between.

  1. 0:00Taxi to Sakaiminato Station (~15 min), or bus 41
  2. 0:40Mizuki Shigeru Museum
  3. 1:40Eyeball-daddy sweets in the shops on the Road
  4. 2:00Walk the road back, spotting missed statues
  5. + 1 more stops on the full route

Costs about taxi about ¥2,300 each way from the Yumeminato Terminal (estimate), or about ¥250 pp by bus 41; a ship shuttle only if your line runs one

Follow this route →Guided versionSakaiminato Private Vehicle Service with Restaurant ReservationOnly if you want a private car all day: non-refundable and unreviewed. The statues and museum are on foot from the station. · from US$269

Needs a 6-hour callabout 4hwalkfood

Road and market feast

For those who want yokai first, then Japan's biggest crab port at lunch.

  1. 0:00Mizuki Road + museum (the short plan’s core)
  2. 1:45Taxi to the Direct-Sales Center (~10 min) — closed Tuesdays
  3. 2:00Crab: buy one boiled that morning
  4. 3:00Kani-don or nodoguro at the food hall
  5. + 1 more stops on the full route

Costs about ¥4,900 per car by taxi (terminal to station ~¥2,300, road to market ~¥900, market back to the terminal ~¥1,700; tariff estimates), or about ¥250 pp by bus 41 into town

Follow this route →Guided versionSakaiminato Private Vehicle Service with Restaurant ReservationOnly if you want a private car all day: non-refundable and unreviewed. A taxi covers the museum-to-market hop. · from US$269

Needs a 7-hour callabout 5hviewshistory

Gardens and the lake castle

For long calls who want Japan's best garden and an original castle keep.

  1. 0:00Meet the guide at the Yumeminato terminal and drive to Matsue Castle
  2. 0:40Matsue Castle, about an hour
  3. 1:40Drive to the Adachi Museum (~40 min)
  4. 2:20Adachi gardens, about 1 h 50 min — framed like paintings, viewed from within
  5. + 2 more stops on the full route

Costs about covered by the tour (from US$220 pp, both entry tickets included)

Follow this route →Guided versionSakaiminato Semi Private Tour for Cruise PassengersSame two stops with a driver, no time lost between towns. · from US$220
Book before you sail

Guided days that fit 7 hours

Shared cars with a guide first; each takes no more than the 12 Nov call leaves you. Booked through Viator; there is no tour desk at the pier.

Shared car · per person5.0★ · 4needs a 7-hour call

Sakaiminato Semi Private Tour for Cruise Passengers

A five-hour small-group run from the cruise terminal to Matsue Castle and the Adachi Museum of Art, with both …

from US$220 per person · max 15Why it is here →

Tours are booked through Viator (a Tripadvisor company). If you book, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Quick answers

Eastern Venus at Sakaiminato

Where does Eastern Venus dock in Sakaiminato?

Eastern Venus docks at Sakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay) in Sakaiminato — From Yumeminato: no standing shuttle — your ship’s shuttle only if it runs one (may be paid); otherwise taxi ~15 min (~¥2,300) or bus 41 from a stop 20 min on foot. Berths can be reassigned on busy days; the daily programme has the final word.

What kind of day does Eastern Venus give you in Sakaiminato?

Eastern Venus keeps the same Sakaiminato clock, 09:00 to 18:00, on 12 Nov and 7 Dec, from the Sakai Yumeminato Terminal (Takenouchi South Quay), 6 km from town. Nothing there is walkable, so the day begins with the ship's shuttle if it runs, otherwise a taxi or bus 41. The mistake to avoid: Assuming a shuttle: there is no standing shuttle from Yumeminato, and the bus stop is 20 minutes on foot, so if your ship runs none, budget the taxi both ways.

How long is Eastern Venus in Sakaiminato?

Thu, 12 Nov 2026: 09:00–18:00 (9 h in port); Mon, 7 Dec 2026: 09:00–18:00 (9 h in port). Off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that: plan for about 7 usable hours on the next call (Thu, 12 Nov 2026), back at the gangway by 16:30.

What can you do in Sakaiminato with 7 hours from Eastern Venus?

3 of the port's timed days fit the next call: The yokai road (about 2.5h), Road + market feast (about 4h), The Adachi excursion (about 5h). 1 guided day fit the call, shared cars first.

What is the weather like in Sakaiminato in November?

On a usual November day Sakaiminato reaches about 17 °C (62 °F), with a low of about 8 °C (47 °F); rain (1 mm or more) falls on about 13 days in 30. These are the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals for Sakai. From 7 days before the call, this page shows the forecast for the day itself.

Dates, times and berths from Sakai Yumeminato Terminal (Sakai Port): 2026 cruise schedules Sep-Dec (PDF R8.9.22) and Feb-Jul (PDF 2026-02-18) (as of 2026-09-22). Schedules change; your ship's daily programme has the final word.