What coastal scenery comes to mind when you think of Chugoku and Shikoku?
Chugoku lies in the western part of Honshu, Japan’s largest island, with Shikoku to its south. Between them stretches the Seto Inland Sea, dotted with islands.
Chugoku’s northern shores face the Sea of Japan, while Shikoku’s southern coast looks out onto the Pacific Ocean. From sheltered waters among islands to open ocean shores, this region offers many different coastal landscapes.
Using the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s *Annual Report on Port Statistics*, we have mapped passenger arrivals and departures in Chugoku and Shikoku.
What journeys might connect the islands and coastal towns of this region? Why not explore the map with us?
Find the Ports of Chugoku and Shikoku 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 Chugoku and Shikoku
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 Passenger Traffic Around the Islands
What struck me while exploring the map was how many people were arriving and departing at ports along the Seto Inland Sea—more than I had expected.
There are ports on the Chugoku side, on the Shikoku side, and among the islands between them. Who might be travelling by ship across these waters?
Looking towards the Sea of Japan, the ports of the Oki Islands, off the coast of Shimane Prefecture, also stand out for their passenger traffic.
The islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan may reveal journeys you would miss if you looked only at the mainland.
With the islands and 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.