Ise-wan Ferry
The Ise-wan Ferry, or Ise Bay Ferry is a passenger-car ferry between Toba, Mie Prefecture and Irago, Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The ferry route serves as the sea section of National Route 42 and National Route 259.
Route
The ferry service links in Toba and at Cape Irago in Tahara. A distance of, crossing the mouth of the eponymous Ise Bay takes around 55 to 60 minutes. The ferry passes a number of islands and dolphins and finless porpoises are often seen. As of 2022, there were eight round trips per day most of the year, and thirteen at peak times. The Toba-Irago sea route is also known as the Shiosai Kaidō.History
The service was begun in 1964 by the Isewan Car Shipping Company, a joint venture of Nagoya Railroad and Kintetsu Railway companies. In 1974 the operator's name was changed to the Isewan Ferry Company.In March 2010, the Isewan Ferry Company announced that, due to worsening business performance and other constraints, the service would terminate in September of that year. In recognition of the importance of the service for tourism and the fishing industry, the two prefectures and two cities came together to develop a programme of support and a revitalization council was formed, with the additional involvement of the Chūbu Regional Transport Bureau, local businesses, and academic advisers.
Ferries
Three vessels ply the route, each with a capacity of five hundred passengers:- Chita-maru
- Ise-maru
- Toba-maru