"On my second road trip to Hokkaido, I boarded the Yukari ferry from Tomakomai back to Niigata. My fellow passengers had to walk from the terminal building, which was quite inconvenient. I booked a deluxe twin room a month in advance, taking advantage of an autumn travel discount, and it cost about 55,000 yen for my wife and me and our car. The area around the Tomakomai East Ferry Terminal is quite deserted, and the terminal building's shops are open according to the ferry's arrival and departure times, making it an inconvenient location. The Yukari ferry is about 20 years old, but it's well maintained and safe. On our way to Niigata, we made a port call in Akita (no disembarks). We arrived at the port around 7:30 AM. There were many windmills. I thought I saw a large ship following behind me, but it turned out to be the luxury cruise ship MSC Bellissima. It was my first time seeing one in person. I was surprised at its size—170,000 tons, about ten times the 18,000-ton Yukari ferry."

isibonsan

"This is the terminal for Shin Nihonkai Ferry, also known as the "Bosozoku of the Japan Sea" and "Dragstar of the Japan Sea."

Although it's called Tomakomai East Port, it's actually located in Atsuma Town, about 25km away from Tomakomai West Port, where ferries other than Shin Nihonkai Ferry depart and arrive, so it could be quite a hassle if you get confused.

Across from the terminal is Hokkaido Electric Power's Tomakomai Atsuma Power Station, which caused a complete blackout across Hokkaido in September 2018, but other than that, the terminal is located on the edge of the almost deserted Yufutsu Plains, and naturally there are no shops nearby, so it's best to do any shopping in Tomakomai city or around Mukawa before boarding.

The building is new and clean.

From here, direct ferries to Tsuruga (operating daily) depart and arrive, speeding at a whopping 50km/h on the sea despite being large ferries, as well as ferries to Niigata via Akita (operating only once a week (Saturday) to Tsuruga) (which runs at around 40km/h, which is normal for a large ferry)."

ガチャピンムック

"I stayed in Tourist A's room during the Obon holiday in August 2025. Departed Tomakomai East at 11:30 PM and arrived in Tsuruga at 8:30 PM the next day.
Bicycle/original. Total cost ¥24,500.
Ferry name: Suinsen.
The boarding and disembarking order is by foot, car, bicycle, and motorcycle. Apparently, the boarding and disembarking order varies depending on the day.
It's a long voyage, so you can enjoy a leisurely journey. There's a large communal bath with sauna on board. There's also a mini shop.
The shop at the ferry terminal is more extensive. If you forget to buy souvenirs, I recommend the shop at the ferry terminal. There's a limited selection on board, but they do have souvenirs. They have Shiroi Koibito.
Smartphone reception is unstable or out of range at the time of departure and until around noon the next day.
I recommend downloading e-books so you can read them even when you're out of range.
Tourist A's private beds were always out of range.
There is a restaurant on board, but it is expensive, so we recommend bringing your own food. However, please note that there are no convenience stores near the terminal. In fact, there is nothing near the terminal. The nearest station, Hama-Atsuma Station, is a secluded station. It is a 20-minute walk.
The structure of the ferries Suinsen and Suzuran is the same."

InoNouE