Several passenger boats operate between Japan and the Asian mainland. Two weeks ago, my traveling partner and I took a ferry from Shanghai to Osaka. The trip takes two days and a roundtrip ticket is about $300.
We were the only Americans on board, and most of the passengers were Japanese. Some were tourists, but many had a familial or business connection to the continent. Over the two days on the boat I talked with a Japanese-Tibetan couple, an Osaka woman preparing to start a business importing Chinese medicine, a group of Shanghai teenagers off to study in Japan, and many Chinese-Japanese couples and their young children. With little to do for entertainment, it’s a great way to meet people and make new friends. I just recieved a letter from one of those new friends, an 80-year old man from Hokkaido who grew up in Manchuria and who spent December visiting the town he lived during the 1930s. He wrote a Japanese Buddhist idiom in the letter: “With the brush of sleeves come the meetings of former lives.”
Seven photos follow.
The Shanghai Pearl Tower.
Ships and industry north of Shanghai.
More ships.
Cargo, most likely destined for international consumer markets.
Japanese and Chinese passengers socialize on-board.
A computer monitor shows our progress; in this picture, we’ve just passed through Japan’s Inland Sea and are about to arrive at Osaka.
Unloading the cargo upon arrival in Japan.
Ah, the smog of Shanghai … makes me ache to get back!
What would that phrase be in Japanese?
袔“振㔚ŠåÂ?ˆãÂ?” 㔚”šÃ¤Â»”“ç”?ŸãÂ?®ç¸Â?〔š
I’ve taken the ferry from Pusan to Fukuoka numerous times (cousin used to live in Kyushu), just an overnighter. Always at least a few English speakers, but it still can be boring. Two full days could be grueling.
Still, it’s an interesting way to travel at least a few times. I’ve taken the overnight ferries from Hong Kong into China along the Pearl River. It’s very quaint.
Who needs English speakers? As I said, we were the only two Americans and it was a great chance to meet lots of fun people. And friendships: I went to a sake brewery this past weekend with one of the people I met on the boat.
I didn’t mean to say I need to speak with English speakers. I usually end up in some Korean-language conversations (often as an impromptu interpreter), but my Japanese is very limited, so if I want to converse at length with a Japanese person or some other person on the boat, that person had better speak English or Korean (which a few do).
Hi there, I stumbled across your blog doing a google search… I’m planning on doing the same this summer, taking the ferry from Shanghai to Osaka. How/when did you purchase your tickets? Should I book my trip in advance through one of those websites you linked, or am I better off buying the tickets once I’m in Shanghai? Any info would be greatly appreciated, thanks, Al.