Heading to the Ogasawara Islands in Tokyo, this is the only scheduled passenger ship between Tokyo and Chichijima. The time required is: 24 hours.

The trip, which takes 24 hours, begins and ends in Tokyo, covering the captivating route between the two locations. (In reality, it’s a 48-hour journey, accounting for the return trip.)

The passenger ship I’m taking this time is called The Ogasawara Maru, and the operating company is Ogasawara Shipping.

The last aspect I want to discuss is the price. The basic second-class bed costs about 25,000 yen per person one way, while the second-class Japanese-style room is approximately 23,000 yen one way. A round trip costs about 50,000 yen, equivalent to around 3,300 Hong Kong dollars. It's not inexpensive, but considering the uniqueness of this voyage and the allure of the Ogasawara Islands, it's deemed acceptable. For a more economical option, consider the official 6-day and 5-night package, which includes a round-trip ferry ticket for 2 nights and a 3-night stay on Chichijima or Hahajima with breakfast and dinner. The starting price for this deal is only 65,000 yen, offering significant savings.

Unlike Chichijima, accommodation options on Hahajima are quite limited, with no actual hotels and only about three larger-scale homestay hostels. During this visit, I stayed at Island Resort Hahajima Minamikaze, the most popular and largest homestay hostel, featuring two floors and about 10 guest rooms.

Basically, as the homestay hostels provide two meals every day, travelers only need to consider their three lunches during their stay. Generally, the itinerary on the main island involves a day at sea and a day in the mountains. The homestay hostel can arrange simple lunch boxes for tourists during their sea or mountain excursions, usually at an additional cost. Regarding what to eat? The culinary approach is to combine tropical-style cuisine with seafood using the island's ingredients. For example, the famous Okinawan dish of bitter melon with scrambled eggs is also available on the main island. A standout specialty is island sushi, known for its robust flavor. Generally, the food on Hahajima Island is straightforward and unpretentious, yet satisfying and filling.

There are no convenience stores on the island, just a few small shops providing daily necessities. While the selection may be limited, you can find essential items at prices comparable to those in Tokyo.

The two primary activities on the main island include exploring the sea and ascending the mountain. Today we will go up the mountain first. This is the Kofuji route in the southernmost part of Hahajima Island.

The whole journey takes about 4 to 5 hours. It mainly focuses on viewing the original marine ecology of the island. There are also many rare plants along the way.

Walking to the southernmost tip of the island, the scenery is superb. You can also walk to the top of Kofuji to enjoy the scenery of neighboring islands, and you can even make a crayon stamp as a souvenir.

Originally, we had planned to go out to sea for whale watching on the second day, as one of the highlights of the mother island is the opportunity to observe whale behavior up close. Unfortunately, the tour guide who was supposed to be on duty that day had to go to Tokyo, and a replacement tour guide could not be found in time. As a result, we went hiking again the next day. This is the Breast Mountain route. The whole journey takes about 6 hours. Breast Mountain is the highest peak on Hahajima and even the entire Ogasawara Islands, with an altitude of 462 meters.

This route starts from ground level and ascends all the way to the peak at 462 meters. It is much more challenging than the Nanqi route mentioned earlier. The hiking trails along the way are narrower and more difficult to traverse. However, when you reach the summit and gaze into the distance, the scenery at the top of Breast Mountain is so beautiful that it defies description.

Due to its geographical location, Hahajima Island experiences very low light pollution. This means that, given good weather conditions, you can enjoy an exceptionally clear night sky, making it one of Japan's most acclaimed spots for stargazing. Basically, you can already take good photos of the starry sky in the Chonggang Pier area or even at the empty mines in the settlement. Alternatively, you can walk for about 30 minutes to the old helipad, where you can take a 360-degree starry sky. .

The museum mainly displays exhibits related to the historical development of the Hahajima, as well as photos from the time when the then emperor came to inspect.

In addition to being the pier where ferry tickets are sold, this is also the tourist center. On the day when tourists from Hahajima Island are going back to Chichijima and then back to Tokyo, this place will be transformed into the only souvenir shop on Hahajima Island, where you can buy various unique souvenirs of Hahajima.

You can stop by Chichijima Kaigandori, the street outside Chichijima Pier, to take a walk or have lunch. This is the busiest area of Chichijima, with souvenir shops and restaurants on both sides.

There are also large supermarkets.