{
  "id": 4611847,
  "title": "New Ferry to Link Kyoto and Hokkaido in About 21 Hours",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/new-ferry-to-link-kyoto-and-hokkaido-in-about-21-hours",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T09:06:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "News On Japan",
    "slug": "news-on-japan",
    "url": "https://newsonjapan.com/article/150573.php"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new large ferry named Hamanasu, measuring 199 meters in length and weighing about 14,000 tons, has been unveiled for service between Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture and Otaru in Hokkaido. This ferry will link the two cities with a journey time of approximately 21 hours, offering spacious passenger facilities including a three-story atrium at its entrance and a two-story salon providing panoramic views of the sea. The vessel's restaurant will feature menus made from seasonal ingredients sourced from the various ports along the route. Passengers can also enjoy an immersive visual experience on the screen room equipped with projection-mapping technology. The Hamanasu is set to commence operations between Maizuru and Otaru on September 1.",
  "summary": "A new large ferry linking Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture with Otaru in Hokkaido has been unveiled ahead of its first voyage on September 1, offering spacious passenger facilities and a journey time of about 21 hours. (News On Japan)",
  "key_points": [
    "Hamanasu, a 199-meter ferry, unveiled for Kyoto-Hokkaido service",
    "Journey time of approximately 21 hours between Maizuru and Otaru",
    "Operations commence on September 1 with spacious passenger facilities"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}