What coastal scenery comes to mind when you think of Chubu, Hokuriku and Kinki?
Across central and western Japan, these regions offer varied coastal landscapes: the shores of Hokuriku backed by mountains, broad bays along the Pacific coast, and islands scattered across the Seto Inland Sea.
Along these shores, ports large and small welcome people travelling between cities, coastal communities and islands.
Using the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s *Annual Report on Port Statistics*, we have mapped passenger arrivals and departures in Chubu, Hokuriku and Kinki.
What journeys might you discover along the shores of these three seas? Why not explore the map with us?
Find the Ports of Chubu, Hokuriku and Kinki on the Map
The circles on the map represent passenger arrivals and departures by ship.
You can switch between 2019, 2021 and 2024, and choose all routes, domestic routes or international routes. Select a circle to see the figures for that port.
You can also search by port name. Start with somewhere you know or a stretch of coast that catches your interest.
A few notes about the map
Domestic and International Routes
Domestic routes connect ports within Japan. International routes connect Japan with other countries.
Switching between route types changes the size of the circles, even at the same port. Some ports mainly connect places within Japan, while others also see international passenger traffic.
The Difference Between “0” and “Not Listed in the Source Data”
“0” means that the port appears in the source data for that year, but no passenger arrivals or departures were recorded for the selected route type.
“Not listed in the source data” means that the port has no row in that year’s passenger table. This does not necessarily mean there were no passengers, so the two are shown separately.
These Figures Count Passenger Movements, Not Unique Individuals
The figures combine passenger embarkations and disembarkations. If the same person travels several times, each embarkation and disembarkation is counted separately.
The map does not show cargo volumes or the overall size of a port.
Passenger Arrivals and Departures in Chubu, Hokuriku and Kinki
The data card lets you explore the regional totals as well as the figures for individual ports in 2019, 2021 and 2024.
What differences might you notice at the same port when you switch between years or route types?
Take a closer look at the figures for any places that catch your interest on the map.
Discovering Differences Between Ports
One thing that struck me while exploring the map was that fewer ports along the Sea of Japan coast had passenger figures shown than I had expected.
I also imagined that more people would be arriving and departing at Nagoya and Kanazawa. The figures told a different story.
By contrast, I was surprised by how many passenger arrivals and departures were recorded at Akashi and Himeji, both on the Seto Inland Sea.
The impression a port’s name gives us does not always match the passenger traffic we find there.
Where might the people travelling through Akashi and Himeji be heading, and what brings them aboard?
With the ports of your own country in mind, why not join us in making new discoveries?
Sources
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, *Annual Report on Port Statistics*, 2019: Class A Ports, Table 2, Passenger Embarkations and Disembarkations
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, *Annual Report on Port Statistics*, 2021: Class A Ports, Table 2, Passenger Embarkations and Disembarkations
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, *Annual Report on Port Statistics*, 2024: Class A Ports, Table 2, Passenger Embarkations and Disembarkations
Note: The ports included are those listed in at least one of the three years of source data used here. This is not the total number of ports in the region.
Note: Port locations on the map are representative points.