User Guide

1. View the next departure

Open the home screen to see the next departure and, when available, the following departure from each port. The schedule switches automatically between weekdays and weekends/Japanese public holidays. All times and dates use Japan Standard Time (JST), regardless of your device’s time zone; keep your device’s clock accurate.

On a wide PC screen, Kagoshima Port appears on the left and Sakurajima Port on the right. On narrow screens, the cards are stacked vertically.

• Minutes remaining: A timetable-based estimate, refreshed every 10 seconds while the screen is visible and when you return to it. Waits of an hour or more are shown in hours and minutes.
• Departing soon: The scheduled departure is within the next minute.
• May have departed: The scheduled departure time has been reached. That sailing stays on screen until the next minute, then the display moves on at the next refresh. This does not confirm whether the ferry has actually departed.
• Last: The final scheduled ferry of the day for that direction.
• After the last departure minute, the First sailing tomorrow and its schedule type are shown. After midnight, the countdown is for the new day’s first sailing.

2. View the full timetable

"View timetable" shows every departure for both Kagoshima Port and Sakurajima Port, split by weekday and weekend/holiday schedule. On a wide PC screen, the two ports’ timetables are shown side by side. The current day’s schedule is selected first. The left column shows the hour and the right column lists departure minutes.

Click or tap a port’s departure card to open the timetable at that port’s next departure hour. "View timetable" scrolls to Kagoshima Port’s next departure hour. When viewing today’s schedule, the row containing each port’s next departure is highlighted; other schedules have no highlight. Close the timetable with ✕, by clicking or tapping outside it, or by pressing Escape.

On days with a special schedule registered in this app, the badge at the top of the screen turns red and reads "Special schedule", the countdown uses the special times, and a "Special" tab is added here and selected first. Registered notices appear above the departure cards and in the timetable during their display period, with a link to the official announcement.

3. Share

The "Share" button in the header opens a panel with sharing options. Choose "Share via…" on supported devices to open the OS share sheet, or "Copy link" to copy the app name and URL. A QR code is also shown, handy for sharing in person. In English mode, the link and QR code use the English home page (/en). If copying fails, try another available sharing option. Close the panel with ✕, by clicking or tapping outside it, or by pressing Escape.

4. Add to your home screen (use it like an app)

Adding it to your home screen lets you launch it with one tap, without opening a browser each time.

• iPhone (Safari): Safari’s Share button → "Add to Home Screen"
• Android (Chrome): Menu (⋮) → "Add to Home Screen" or "Install app"

5. Font size and language

The home screen’s "Text size" setting lets you choose between four sizes (S / M / L / XL). On a wide PC screen, settings appear to the right of "View timetable"; on a narrow screen, they appear below it. Just below "Text size", "言語 / Language" switches between Japanese and English. Text size applies to the home screen’s departure display and controls. The guide and other information pages use their own text size. Both settings are saved in the current browser on your device when storage is available; clearing site data removes them. The home page uses your saved language preference first, or the URL language (/ for Japanese, /en for English) if no preference is saved.

6. Dark mode

If your device or browser is set to dark mode, the app automatically switches to a dark theme. There is no separate toggle inside the app.

7. Works on a weak connection

Open the home page while online and allow the app’s offline data to finish downloading. In browsers that support offline storage, the saved timetable, guide, and FAQ can then open out of range or on a weak signal. An offline notice appears on the home screen, and the countdown continues using the saved timetable. Updates and external sites need a connection. Offline use may be unavailable if storage is blocked or your browser’s site data has been cleared.

8. App and timetable updates

While online, the home screen checks for app updates when you return to it and every five minutes while it is visible. When a new version is applied, the screen may reload automatically. Timetable changes are checked and entered by the operator before being published in an app update. Refreshing the screen does not fetch live ferry information.