Uno is the harbour of Tamano, a shipbuilding town on the south tip of Okayama Prefecture. It was the terminus of the Uno–Takamatsu rail ferry to Shikoku; today its ferries go to the art islands of Naoshima and Teshima, and public art from the Setouchi Triennale stands along its waterfront. Okayama city and Kurashiki are inland, a train ride away.
No. Ships tie up alongside the First Pier's large passenger-ship berth, 280 m long. On days with two ships in, the second has used the Third Pier.
At the terminal
None. The prefecture's spec sheet lists no terminal building, no rain shelter, no kiosk and no gangway building; there are toilets on the quay. Immigration is done on board.
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
The berth: First Pier, in town
Item
Item
Berth
Large passenger-ship berth, First Pier (第一突堤), 280 m, −10 m
Facilities
Toilets on the quay; no terminal, shelter, kiosk or exchange
JR Uno Station
0.4 km, about 5 min on foot
Shikoku Kisen ferry piers
about 4 min on foot
Uno no Chinu
on the pier beside the ship
Tamano-yu onsen
about 5 min on foot
Tourist information and bicycles (from ¥700 a day) are inside JR Uno Station, 09:00–17:00.
Taxis from the berth
No taxi stand is published at the berth. Fares use Okayama Prefecture's tariff from 27 November 2025: ¥700 for the first 1.10 km, then ¥100 per 250 m. Distances are by road from the berth, with no waiting time.
To
By road
Taxi fare
JR Okayama Station
25.1 km
about ¥10,300
Okayama Korakuen
26.8 km
about ¥11,000
Okayama Castle
25.6 km
about ¥10,500
Kurashiki Bikan quarter
24.7 km
about ¥10,200
Tamano Marine Museum, Shibukawa
8.5 km
about ¥3,700
Ojigatake
11.2 km
about ¥4,800
The prefecture gives 50 minutes by car to Korakuen and to Kurashiki. The train is cheaper and, at about 55 minutes to Okayama, not much slower, but check the direct trains: in the middle of the day there is one an hour.
Getting back to the ship
The berth is so close to the station and the ferry piers that the walk back is never the problem. The connections are.
Coming back from
Allow
Why
Naoshima
one ferry in reserve
The town bus to Miyanoura can be full on weekend afternoons, and ferries and passenger boats use different piers
Teshima
the earlier sailing
Sailings to and from Ieura are few
Okayama
1 hour 15 minutes, timed to a train
About 55 minutes on the train, a change at Chayamachi in the middle of the day, and the walk; one train an hour reaches Uno from 11:00 to 15:00
Kurashiki
2 hours, timed to a direct train from Okayama
15 minutes to the station on foot, about 20 minutes to Okayama, then the hourly direct train, about 60 minutes
Plan to be back at the gangway an hour before all-aboard. If a train is missed in Okayama, a taxi to the berth costs about ¥10,300 and takes about 40 minutes by road; ask the station's taxi stand.
On Naoshima the last ferries leave Miyanoura at 19:02 and 20:25, and a late-night passenger boat at 00:15 costs ¥730. A ship's all-aboard is almost always earlier than any of them.
From the ship to each place: how, how long, how much
On foot
JR Uno Station and the waterfrontJR宇野駅
From the First Pier: JR Uno Station 0.4 km, about 5 min on foot (prefecture figure); the prefecture says no shuttle is needed
Uno no Chinu stands on the pier beside the ship; Tamano-yu onsen and the Shikoku Kisen piers are a few minutes along the quay
Tourist information and bicycle hire inside the station, 09:00–17:00.
Walk from the First Pier to the Shikoku Kisen piers, about 250–300 m, 4 min (our estimate). Ferries and passenger boats leave from different piers
Ferry to Miyanoura about 20 min; passenger boat about 15 min
At Miyanoura: the Red Pumpkin and the Naoshima Pavilion on the quay; the town bus to Honmura and Tsutsuji-so, ¥100
Adult ¥370 one way (ferry or passenger boat); late-night boat ¥730 · Ferries from Uno 06:10, 06:30, 07:20, 08:22, 09:22, 11:00, 12:15, 14:25, 15:30, 16:30, 17:05, 18:53, 20:25; passenger boats 13:30, 22:30. From Miyanoura 06:00, then 08:52, 09:52, 11:10, 12:45, 14:55, 16:02, 16:35, 17:35, 19:02, 20:25; boats 13:55, 21:15
Taxi: not needed
Timetable from the operator’s page, which carries no validity date: check it for your call. The passenger boats leave from a different pier and take cash only. A few passenger boats run Uno → Honmura instead (07:25, 11:55, 16:50, 17:45, 18:35; back from Honmura 06:45, 07:55, 13:00, 17:20, 18:10), ¥370, cash only.
Walk to JR Uno Station, 0.4 km, 5 min (prefecture figure)
JR Uno Minato Line to Okayama, about 55 min on a direct train; at other times change at Chayamachi
From JR Okayama: tram to Shiroshita 4 min, then 10 min on foot to Korakuen; or the Korakuen bus 10 min; taxi about 10 min
JR Uno–Okayama ¥590 (fare from a booking site; JR West page not captured) · Okayama tram flat fare ¥160 (Okayama Electric Tramway), IC cards accepted · Weekdays (JR West, timetable revised 3 Oct 2026): direct Uno → Okayama 07:10, 07:33, 08:28, then 16:05, 17:05, 18:05, 19:13; between them change at Chayamachi. Direct Okayama → Uno 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, 18:15, about 60 min; from 11:00 to 15:00 one train an hour reaches Uno, with a change at Chayamachi. Check JR Odekake for your date
Taxi: ~¥11,000 to Korakuen, our estimate
Ryobi buses also run Uno–Okayama, about 45 min; fare not confirmed. Garden ¥500, castle ¥500, joint ticket ¥800.
JR Uno to Okayama, about 55 min (see the Okayama line for direct trains)
JR Sanyo Line Okayama → Kurashiki, about 20 min
About 15 min on foot from JR Kurashiki to the canal and the Ohara Museum
Uno–Kurashiki ¥860 (fare from a journey planner; JR West page not captured) · Trains Okayama–Kurashiki run several an hour; for Uno, use the direct trains from Okayama in the Okayama line above
Taxi: ~¥10,200, our estimate
Allow about 1 hour 20 minutes door to door each way. The Ohara Museum shuts on Mondays; the canal is open every day.
Teshima (Ieura) by Shodoshima Teshima Ferry小豆島豊島フェリー 宇野 → 家浦
From the Uno Port ferry piers, a few minutes from the berth
Ferry or high-speed boat to Ieura on Teshima; the route continues to Karato (Teshima) and Tonosho (Shodoshima)
From Ieura to the Teshima Art Museum about 2.7 km (our estimate): island bus or rental bicycle
Uno–Ieura adult ¥780 · Uno → Ieura 06:45, 08:40, 11:10, 12:00, 13:25, 15:25, 17:30, 19:30; Ieura → Uno 06:00, 08:10, 09:30, 11:05, 12:55, 14:00, 16:25, 18:40 (timetable revised 1 December 2025). Passenger boats about 25 min, car ferries about 40 min. On the first Tuesday of the month some sailings carry only hazardous-goods vehicles: check the operator for your date
Taxi: not needed
The Teshima Art Museum needs a timed ticket bought online and closes on Tuesdays from March to November.
Fits a call that arrives by 08:00 and leaves at 18:00 or later, on any day but Monday. All-aboard 17:30, back at the gangway by 16:30.
Book Chichu's date-and-time ticket for 12:00 before you sail. Ferry times are Shikoku Kisen's published timetable, bus and shuttle times the Naoshima timetable effective 1 April 2025; check both for your date.
08:30Off the ship. Walk about 4 minutes along the quay to the Shikoku Kisen ferry pier.
09:22Ferry to Miyanoura, 20 minutes, ¥370.
09:42The Red Pumpkin and the Naoshima Pavilion on the Miyanoura quay. Walk into both.
10:00Town bus to Tsutsuji-so (10:14), ¥100 in coins, then the 10:30 free shuttle to Benesse House Museum (08:00–21:00, ¥1,300 online). The yellow Pumpkin is on its shore.
11:48Shuttle to Chichu Art Museum (11:52) for your 12:00 slot. 10:00–17:00, last admittance 16:00.
14:10Shuttle to Tsutsuji-so (14:17) and the 14:27 town bus to Miyanoura (14:40). On a weekend afternoon be at the stop early.
14:55Ferry to Uno, 20 minutes.
15:25Back at the gangway, an hour ahead of the 16:30 target. If the bus is full, the 16:02 ferry still reaches Uno at 16:22.
Okayama Korakuen, the castle and Kurashiki by train
Fits an 08:00–20:00 call, such as Heritage Adventurer's 2026 calls. All-aboard 19:30, back at the gangway by 18:30. Not a Monday if you want the Ohara Museum.
All by JR from Uno Station, 5 minutes from the ship. Train times are JR West's weekday timetable revised 3 October 2026; check JR Odekake for your date.
08:30Off the ship. Walk 5 minutes to JR Uno for the 08:58 Uno Minato Line train, ¥590: change at Chayamachi (09:27, on at 09:33) and reach Okayama at 09:47.
10:00Tram to Shiroshita (4 minutes) and 10 minutes on foot to Okayama Korakuen. ¥500, or ¥800 with the castle.
11:15Across the river to Okayama Castle: 09:00–17:30, ¥500.
12:00Tram back to Okayama Station and lunch.
13:00Train to Kurashiki, about 20 minutes, and 15 minutes on foot to the canal.
13:35Kurashiki Bikan quarter and the Ohara Museum of Art: 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30, ¥2,000; closed Mondays.
15:25Walk back to JR Kurashiki and take a train to Okayama for the 16:15 direct train to Uno, which arrives at 17:12. Kurashiki to Uno ¥860.
17:20Back at the gangway, 70 minutes ahead of the 18:30 target. Missed the 16:15? The 17:15 reaches Uno at 18:12.
Uno on foot: pier art, a sea-view bath and lunch
Fits any call: everything is within about 10 minutes of the gangway on foot. Tamano-yu opens at 10:00.
10:00Uno no Chinu, the sea bream built from beach rubbish, on the pier beside the ship; more Setouchi Triennale works along the quay.
10:15Walk 5 minutes to JR Uno Station: the tourist information centre inside has maps and bicycles from ¥700 a day.
10:30Seto-uchi Onsen Tamano-yu: two outdoor baths facing the Inland Sea. Weekdays ¥1,700, weekends ¥2,000; closed the third Tuesday.
11:45Lunch by the station: Ikedaya Honten for sushi (from 11:30, closed Tuesdays) or BLUNO in UNO HOTEL.
12:35Walk the quay back towards the First Pier, past the Shikoku Kisen piers where the Naoshima ferries come in.
12:45Back at the gangway, with time to spare before the ship's own all-aboard.
Naoshima’s museums under a roof: Chichu and Benesse House
A wet day on any call of 7 hours or more, except a Monday. Book Chichu’s timed ticket online before the call; there are no door sales when it sells out. About 6.5h ashore; ferry ¥370 each way; town bus ¥100 a ride. Chichu ¥2,500 weekdays / ¥2,700 weekends online; Benesse House Museum ¥1,300 online. Times count from when you step off the ship.
+0:00Walk to the Shikoku Kisen ferry pier (about 4 min, our estimate)
+0:20Ferry Uno → Miyanoura, about 20 min, ¥370. Take a ferry that leaves you 90 minutes before your Chichu time slot
+0:45Town bus to Tsutsuji-so (¥100), then the free museum shuttle to Chichu. The shuttle stops at Benesse House Museum and Lee Ufan Museum on the way
+1:30Chichu Art Museum, inside the hill. 10:00–17:00, last admittance 16:00; closed Mondays. Date-and-time ticket bought online before the call: if slots sell out there are no door sales that day
+3:00Shuttle to Benesse House Museum. 08:00–21:00 every day
+4:30Shuttle and town bus back to Miyanoura. Be early at the stop on a weekend afternoon
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 Uno 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
No exchange or ATM is listed at the berth. Carry yen for the ferry (¥370) and the Naoshima town bus, which takes coins only. Korakuen takes cards, IC cards and QR payments.
Wi-Fi and SIM
Okayama Free Wi-Fi covers the Chikko waterfront outdoors; it needs an e-mail or SNS log-in. An eSIM bought before sailing is simpler.
Toilets
On the quay, per the prefecture. Also in JR Uno Station.
Luggage
Nothing at the berth. The tourist information centre's luggage service is suspended.
Steps and slopes
The walk from the berth to the station and the ferry piers is flat, along the quay. On Naoshima, the museum area has hills; the town bus and the free shuttle cover it.
English
The Tamano Tourist Information Centre is inside JR Uno Station, 09:00–17:00, closed at New Year.
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
Under-16s enter Chichu, Benesse House Museum and the Teshima Art Museum free. Okayama Korakuen is free for high-school age and under until 31 March 2027.
Three things to eat in Uno, and where
Dish
Where, price, hours
Tamano onsen-tamago-meshi: fried rice with conger eel in a sweet kabayaki sauce, under a soft hot-spring egg
The pickAsk the tourist information desk in JR Uno which shop serves it that dayThe local dish named on the Japan Tourism Agency's Uno page.
Inland Sea sushi
The pickIkedaya Honten, 築港1-10-27, 3 min from JR UnoLunch 11:30–14:00 (last order 13:30); closed Tuesdays
Lunch any day of the week
The pickSetouchi Restaurant BLUNO, UNO HOTEL, 1 min from JR UnoLunch 11:30–14:00; café 10:00–20:00; no closing day
Mistakes to avoid
Planning Chichu on a Monday.Chichu, the Art House Project, the Naoshima New Museum of Art and I♥︎湯 close on Mondays, and the museum shuttle does not run. Le Soléal's 10 May 2027 call is a Monday. Benesse House Museum opens every day.
Turning up at Chichu or the Teshima Art Museum without a ticket.Both need a date-and-time ticket booked online in advance. If they sell out there are no door sales that day.
Planning the Teshima Art Museum on a Tuesday.It closes on Tuesdays from March to November. Heritage Adventurer's 27 April 2027 call is a Tuesday.
Waiting for a shuttle bus at the pier.The prefecture says none is needed: JR Uno Station is 5 minutes on foot and the ferry piers about 4.
Missing the last ferry back.Ferries and passenger boats use different piers at both ends, and the Naoshima town bus can be full on weekend afternoons. Aim for a ferry with a later one in reserve.
Uno cruise port questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Uno?
At the large passenger-ship berth on the First Pier in Chikko, Tamano: 280 m, 10 m deep, in use since 2006. There is no terminal building; toilets are on the quay and immigration is done on board.
Can I walk into Uno from the ship?
Yes. JR Uno Station is 0.4 km, about 5 minutes, and the Shikoku Kisen ferry piers about 4 minutes by our estimate. The prefecture says no shuttle is needed.
How do I get to Naoshima?
By the Shikoku Kisen ferry from Uno to Miyanoura: about 20 minutes, ¥370 each way, 13 ferries a day from 06:10 to 20:25, plus passenger boats. On the island the town bus is ¥100 a ride, coins only.
Is Naoshima worth it on a Monday?
For the Red Pumpkin, the Naoshima Pavilion and Benesse House Museum, yes: they are open. Chichu, the Art House Project, the New Museum of Art and I♥︎湯 are closed, and the museum shuttle does not run.
How do I get to Okayama Korakuen and Kurashiki?
By JR from Uno: about 55 minutes to Okayama (¥590); direct trains are few in the middle of the day, so many change at Chayamachi. Then the tram 4 minutes and 10 minutes on foot to the garden. Kurashiki is about 20 minutes beyond Okayama by train, then 15 minutes on foot to the canal. A taxi is about ¥10,300–11,000 each way by our estimate.
How much is a taxi?
Okayama Prefecture's fare from 27 November 2025: ¥700 for the first 1.10 km, then ¥100 per 250 m. No taxi stand is published at the berth.
Which cruise ships call at Uno?
In 2026 the prefecture's list had 20 calls: Le Soléal and Heritage Adventurer six each, Island Sky five, National Geographic Resolution two and Mitsui Ocean Sakura one. For 2027 the cruise lines list calls by the same expedition ships from late April to June, and Windstar's Star Seeker overnight on 13–14 October; the prefecture has not published its 2027 list yet.
Do I need to book Chichu in advance?
Yes. Chichu sells date-and-time tickets online; if they sell out there are no door sales that day. Book before the call and pick a slot about 90 minutes after your ferry lands at Miyanoura.
Can I see the Teshima Art Museum from Uno?
Yes, on a long call that is not a Tuesday (March to November). The Shodoshima Teshima Ferry runs Uno to Ieura for ¥780, and the museum is about 2.7 km from Ieura by island bus or bicycle. Sailings are few; check them for your date.
Where can I eat near the ship?
By JR Uno Station, 5 minutes away: Ikedaya Honten for sushi (lunch 11:30–14:00, closed Tuesdays), BLUNO in UNO HOTEL (lunch 11:30–14:00, every day) and Omachido for fruit shaved ice (closed Wednesdays).
Is there anything to do in Uno itself?
Uno no Chinu, a sea bream built from beach rubbish, stands on the pier, with other Setouchi Triennale works along the quay. Seto-uchi Onsen Tamano-yu has outdoor baths facing the sea, 10:00–22:00. Shibukawa beach and the Tamano Marine Museum are about 20 minutes away by bus or taxi.
What is the weather like in spring?
JMA normals for Okayama: April averages 19.8 °C by day and 8.5 °C at night, May 24.8 °C and 14.8 °C, with about eight or nine wet days a month. Cherry blossom is usually in full bloom around 4 April.
Read on
Uno in depth: the places, the history, the myths
1,213 words · 11 chapters
Why Uno is worth getting off the ship for
Uno is a small port with two big days out of it: the art islands by ferry, and Okayama and Kurashiki by train.
The ship ties up in town, 5 minutes on foot from the station and a few minutes from the ferry piers. This guide is built from Okayama Prefecture's call list and berth sheet, the ferry and rail operators' pages and the sights' own hours, checked on 13 November 2026.
Naoshima: 20 minutes across the water
The Shikoku Kisen ferry reaches Miyanoura in about 20 minutes for ¥370. Ferries leave Uno at 06:10, 06:30, 07:20, 08:22, 09:22, 11:00, 12:15, 14:25, 15:30, 16:30, 17:05, 18:53 and 20:25; from Miyanoura at 06:00, 06:40, 07:50, 08:52, 09:52, 11:10, 12:45, 14:55, 16:02, 16:35, 17:35, 19:02 and 20:25.
Naoshima sight
Hours
Price
Closed
Red Pumpkin, Naoshima Pavilion
outdoors
free
—
Benesse House Museum
08:00–21:00
¥1,300 online
open every day
Chichu Art Museum
10:00–17:00
¥2,500–2,700 online, timed
Mondays
Art House Project (five houses)
10:00–16:30; Kadoya, Ishibashi and Haisha close 12:00–13:00, Go'o Shrine and Gokaisho 13:00–14:00
JR Uno Station is 5 minutes from the ship. The Uno Minato Line reaches Okayama in about 55 minutes, ¥590. On weekdays direct trains leave Uno at 07:10, 07:33 and 08:28 and come back from Okayama at 15:15, 16:15, 17:15 and 18:15; between them you change at Chayamachi, and from 11:00 to 15:00 only one train an hour reaches Uno (JR West timetable revised 3 October 2026).
You do not need to leave Uno to fill a short call. Everything below is within about 10 minutes of the gangway; walking times are our estimates on OpenStreetMap, and we do not repeat that on every line.
Uno no Chinu is a black sea bream, the local fish, built by the artist unit Yodogawa Technique from rubbish and driftwood picked up on the Uno coast and Kojima Lake. It is a Setouchi Triennale work, and so is the smaller Uno Kochinu beside it.
Tamano-yu is a day spa with two outdoor baths, the Sawa-no-yu and the Tanada-no-yu, looking over the Inland Sea. It closes on the third Tuesday of each month. Cards and IC cards are accepted.
Teshima: the long-call island
The Teshima Art Museum is a single white concrete shell on a hillside, by the artist Rei Naito and the architect Ryue Nishizawa. It needs a date-and-time reservation made online in advance: ¥1,800. If online tickets sell out there are no door sales.
Item
Item
Ferry
Shodoshima Teshima Ferry, Uno → Ieura, ¥780: eight sailings a day each way, about 25 min by passenger boat, 40 min by car ferry
Tuesdays from March to November; Tuesday to Thursday in winter
The ferries to Teshima are far fewer than to Naoshima. Check the operator's timetable for your date and keep a later sailing in reserve.
Farther out: Shibukawa and Ojigatake
Shibukawa beach is a kilometre of white sand west of Uno, under Ojigatake, a 234 m hill of boulders in the Setonaikai National Park. From the top you see the Seto Ohashi bridges and the islands.
Place
How
Hours
Price
Tamano Marine Museum (Shibukawa Marine Aquarium)
express bus about 20 min, or taxi about ¥3,700
09:00–17:00, closed Wednesdays
¥800
Ojigatake summit
bus about 40 min, then about 45 min on foot; taxi about ¥4,800
open
free
The aquarium keeps northern fur seals and spotted seals among about 180 species.
Who calls, and when
Uno's calls come in spring and early summer, from mid-March to June, with a few in September and October. In 2026 the prefecture listed 20 calls. All but one were small expedition ships: Le Soléal and Heritage Adventurer six times each, Island Sky five times, National Geographic Resolution twice, overnight. Mitsui Ocean Sakura made a three-hour call in October.
Most 2026 calls ran from early morning to the evening: Le Soléal typically 06:00–22:00, Heritage Adventurer 07:00–20:00, Island Sky 08:00–18:00. The prefecture has not yet published its 2027 list; the cruise lines' own schedules give calls from late April to mid-June and one in October, and the schedule on this page shows them.
Money, cards and the practical stuff
Carry yen. The ferry (¥370), the Naoshima town bus (¥100, coins only, no change machine) and small shops are cash payments. Korakuen and Tamano-yu take cards and IC cards.
There is no terminal, shelter or kiosk at the berth, only toilets. JR Uno Station, 5 minutes away, has the tourist information centre, which also rents bicycles; its luggage service is suspended.
Okayama Free Wi-Fi covers the Chikko waterfront outdoors after an e-mail or SNS log-in.
The best things to do in Uno on a port day
The full list, with photos and times from the berth, is on the top 10 page.
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
Uno on foot: pier art, Tamano-yu, lunch; or Miyanoura and the Red Pumpkin
4–6 hours
Naoshima with Benesse House Museum; or Okayama Korakuen and the castle
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.
