Overview
- A commemorative ceremony was held in Keelung on May 28, 2026 and the first voyage left late that night, arriving in Ishigaki the next morning as the service begins with one weekly round-trip.
- The vessel is the 21,535-ton Yaima Maru with capacity for 545 passengers and an approximate eight-hour, 270 km crossing, and fares start at ¥14,560 excluding tax.
- Ishigaki City funds the third-sector operator Shosen Yaima, which has contracted a Taiwanese company to run day-to-day operations and plans to monitor demand before adding more trips.
- Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama framed the route as a bridge for tourism, logistics and cultural exchange that could create local jobs and expand opportunities for young people.
- City officials say they will press the national government to allow the ferry to be used for evacuations in gray-zone incidents or disasters, and the route is reported to be the only regular passenger ship link between Japan and Taiwan.