On a night in May 2023, I started the third chapter of my bicycle journey around Japan, starting from Kobe Port in Hyogo Prefecture after taking the ferry from Osaka. I planned to have dinner at the restaurant on board the ship called "Sess." However, as it was a late lunch, I first went to the large communal bath to relax, then spent some time in my room before heading to the restaurant. I had Nagasaki-style plate udon for 720 yen, along with oden (egg, thick fried tofu, and konjac) for 130 yen each, totaling 1110 yen. The Nagasaki-style plate udon consisted of crispy noodles fried in oil, topped with quail eggs, vegetables, and a flavorful sauce. The noodles and ingredients were well-coated in the sauce, creating a delicious dish. The oden, including the egg, thick fried tofu, and konjac, were all soaked in a rich broth, offering plenty of umami flavor. It was a satisfying meal.

Onboard there was an unexpected open-air bath?? (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*) The restaurant had a selection of the top 3 bottled beer brands, and nowadays, ship travel is so comfortable♡ [Bullet Train to Fukuoka vol.3] After enjoying the delicious blowfish sashimi at Misaki, we moved from Shimonoseki Station to Moji Station. From Moji Station, we took a shuttle bus and arrived at Shin-Moji Port in about 20 minutes... It's a bit confusing with places like Moji, Moji Port, and Shin-Moji Port, right? We came all the way to Shin-Moji Port for a surprising reason... to go back to Osaka by ferry! Last year was by Shinkansen, the year before was by highway bus, but I never thought we would come by ferry♡ Everything from planning the trip to making reservations was done by my companion (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*) To be honest, I had a strong impression that ferry travel was cheap and not so great, so it wasn't even considered as an accommodation option... but I was pleasantly surprised♡ "Hankyu Ferry Setsu" Born and raised in Kansai, when I heard "Hankyu," I automatically thought of "Hankyu Railway," but it's actually "Hankyu Ferry" ( ・∇・) Hankyu Ferry currently operates 4 vessels: Izumi, Hibiki, Yamato, and Setsu, and for some reason, the one we rode, Setsu, isn't listed on Tabelog ( ；∀；) So, I took it upon myself to forcibly register the store on Tabelog♡ First of all, I was impressed by the size of Setsu when we boarded from Shin-Moji Port (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*) I was expecting a smaller boat, but it was a very impressive ship♡ The real highlight was not just the appearance, but the inside... well, I could go on and on, so I'll summarize below in bullet points: ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ ♣️ Summary ① [Super cafeteria with a selection of top 3 bottled beer brands♡] I was honestly shocked... I thought the ship's cafeteria would be on par with a university cafeteria, but there was a wide variety of dishes and an abundance of sake options♡ Oh man, this is irresistible for a sake drinker. I had already indulged in blowfish sashimi and blowfish porridge beforehand, so I opted for Nagasaki's plate udon, oden eggs, mozuku vinegar, and pickled wild vegetables as a light choice, but if I were hungry, there were still more menu items I wanted to try. The most amazing thing was that the cafeteria covered the top 3 bottled beer brands - Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo. And not just that, there were also local sake, draft beer, shochu, whiskey, wine, chu-hi, and more. So, the alcohol consumption rate among the passengers on the ship was quite high (probably over 80%) ② [Unexpected... an open-air bath on the ship♡] Another surprise!! Honestly, I thought a ship would only have shower rooms like an internet cafe, but there was a splendid large public bath and even... an open-air bath♡ On a slightly chilly night at the end of September... soaking in a warm bath while feeling the cool sea breeze of the Seto Inland Sea and gazing at the lights of a distant town or fishing fires was such a blissful experience... Of course, I also enjoyed a morning bath while overlooking the sparkling sea♡ I never expected the bath on the ship to be so luxurious. ③ [Comfortable bunk beds♡] Compared to the above ① and ②, the comfort of the sleeping quarters was slightly less impressive, but the bedroom was very comfortable. The concerns I had about the rocking motion were unfounded, and the 2-tier bunk beds were cozy. Overall, the ferry journey was a pleasant surprise in terms of comfort and amenities♡