Ishigaki ferry cancellations: rough sea and typhoons

Most days the boats run. When they do not, the operators say it is the open-sea routes that go first: Uehara, Hatoma and Hateruma. Here is how to check, what each operator does with your ticket, and how to plan around it.

Which routes are cancelled first

• Anei Kanko: Uehara and Hatoma routes are cancelled more often than Ohara because they sail open sea. North winds raise waves, and in winter monsoon season cancellations often continue for days. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• YKF says the Uehara route runs on the open sea. North winds bring East China Sea swell, and cancellations are frequent in winter. Ohara, Taketomi, Kohama and Kuroshima are sheltered by islands and reefs. (YKF Uehara cancellation guide)
• Anei Kanko says the Hateruma route is open ocean, so waves rise easily and cancellations occur. If high waves last several days, all sailings can be cancelled for several days. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• YKF says it normally sails unless a typhoon approaches or a warning-level storm hits. Its suspension criteria are wind of 15 m/s or more, waves of 3.0 m or more, or visibility of 500 m or less. (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Q&A)
• YKF notes that forecast wave heights are for waters around Ishigaki, not for its routes. Sea conditions differ by route and wind direction, since its routes run among islands and reefs. (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Q&A)

How to check on the day

• Anei Kanko posts a daily status page with a per-route symbol (normal / partly suspended / all cancelled), a time stamp (14:34 when read on 3 Nov 2026) and a next-day outlook. No fixed update times are stated. (Anei Kanko status page (運航状況))
• Anei Kanko offers a status email service per route (Ohara, Kohama, Taketomi, Kuroshima, Uehara, Hateruma, Hatoma). It sends a mail when a route's status changes. (Anei Kanko status email signup)
• YKF's status page (本日の運航状況) is the place it points to for current sailings. It shows a per-sailing mark (○ or ×) for each route and a short text note. No update times are stated. (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry operation status)

This site reads both status pages automatically and shows the result at the top of the ferry pages. It is a convenience: the operator's page is the authority.

Your ticket when a boat is cancelled

Anei Kanko

• Anei Kanko: tickets bought on its own site and cancelled by the operator for weather are refunded via the card company. The booking QR code stops working. Debit cards may see a temporary double charge. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• Anei Kanko, outbound or one-way booking cancelled: for a same-day alternative, show the My Page screen and buy on site at the booking-time discounted price. For a later day, rebook online before 18:00. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• Anei Kanko, return-day cancellation: a same-day alternative sailing can be bought at the counter at the booking-time discounted price by showing the My Page screen. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• Anei Kanko: for any online ticket you will not use, you must cancel it yourself. An unused ticket is not refunded automatically. Before the day, use My Page; on the day, use the Ishigaki counter or call 0980-83-0055. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• Anei Kanko round-trip tickets: the return leg is an open ticket valid 14 days from the outbound sailing date. Time is not fixed. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• Anei Kanko: its tickets are valid only on Anei boats. They cannot be used on other companies' sailings. The joint high-speed-boat ticket with YKF ended on 30 Sep 2020. (Anei Kanko Q&A)

Yaeyama Kanko Ferry (YKF)

• YKF: its tickets cannot be used on other companies' boats. The shared-ticket system ended on 30 Sep 2020. So a YKF ticket does not work on Anei, and the reverse is also true. (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Q&A)
• YKF: an e-ticket can be cancelled up to the day before via the link in the confirmation email, or by phone before sailing on the day. Phone: 0980-82-5010, 07:00 to 18:30. (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Q&A and Uehara guide)
• YKF: for tickets booked directly with YKF, cancelling before issue is free. After issue, a fee of 30% of face value applies per person (minimum 200 yen). Other agents' bookings go through them. (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Q&A)
• YKF: a changed sailing time cannot be edited online. Cancel the e-ticket and buy again. (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Q&A)

Going to Uehara when Uehara is cancelled

• YKF: if Uehara is cancelled, travel to Uehara via Ohara is possible on an 'Uehara-bound ticket with bus coupon'. The Ohara trip is about 50 min, then the YKF connecting bus about 60 min to Uehara. (YKF Uehara cancellation guide)
• YKF: online Uehara tickets are NOT auto-cancelled when Uehara is cancelled. Show the e-ticket at the staffed counter to get a bus coupon, or cancel yourself via the email link or phone. (YKF Uehara cancellation guide)
• YKF FAQ: holders of an Uehara ticket or e-ticket need a 'bus ticket' for the connecting bus. Pick it up at the Ishigaki counter (Ohara to Uehara) or the Uehara counter (Uehara to Ohara). Seats are limited. (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry Q&A)
• Anei Kanko: if Uehara is cancelled, it runs a connecting bus from Ohara to Uehara. Ask at the Ishigaki counter and buy an Uehara ticket. You get a boat ticket to Ohara plus a bus coupon, which is required to board the bus. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• Anei Kanko: tickets bought on its own site for a cancelled Uehara sailing are auto-cancelled and refunded. They are NOT moved to the Ohara route, so buy a new ticket at the Anei counter. (Anei Kanko Q&A)
• Anei Kanko: on the status page, Ohara sailings marked 'bus' have a connecting bus when Uehara is cancelled. Seats are limited. Its connecting bus is only for holders of an Anei ticket. Bus schedule changed from 1 Jun 2026. (Anei Kanko status page and Q&A)
• YKF advises checking with tour or lodging operators in advance of an Uehara cancellation. Some meet guests at Ohara, others expect guests at Uehara via the YKF bus. A winter-season (Oct 2026 to Feb 2027) cancellation bus timetable is published. (YKF Uehara cancellation guide)

Typhoon season

• Visit Okinawa: typhoons mainly hit Okinawa from June to September. Ship services stay affected longer than flights, so prepare alternate plans. Many ship operators offer support only in Japanese. (VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN, Typhoon Precautions in Okinawa)
• JMA English tropical cyclone map: current position, forecast track and wind-area data for typhoons. (Japan Meteorological Agency, Tropical Cyclone Information)
• Azuma Bus: if a storm warning is issued for the Yaeyama region, all departures from the Bus Terminal after the warning time are suspended. Service resumes road by road after the warning lifts. The office also closes and no stop notices are posted. (Azuma Bus typhoon notice (台風接近時の路線バス運行について, 22 Apr 2025))

Planning tips

• Put Uehara, Hatoma and Hateruma early in your trip, so a cancelled day can move.
• Keep your last day on Ishigaki itself: ferries do not wait for flights.
• If you dive, keep a spare day, and at least 18 hours between repeated dives and your flight (see diving).