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"Amazing service," "Makes me want to go on a cruise," and other comments expressing emotion as ferry from Hokkaido continues to sail despite tsunami warnings, delivering passengers. "Go Sanflower!"
On July 30th, the ferry Sunflower set sail from Hokkaido to Ibaraki Prefecture, but was unable to enter the port from the sea due to a tsunami warning. Numerous posts describing the situation on board the ship have received many messages of support, such as "great response" and "Go Sunflower!"
From inside the Sunflower ship 🚢 The captain said, "Be prepared." What we need to be prepared for is that, based on the captain's experience, tsunamis from overseas will prevent the port from entering for quite some time!
Quoted from @hibike291's post
Captain Sunflower: "This ship cannot dock at Oarai Port, so we will continue sailing until the alert is lifted. We have enough fuel and food." We are literally sailing in a circle about 50km in diameter! The crew is working hard to get us safely to land 🙏 Thank you!
Quoted from @hibike291's post
The poster was Hibiki Fukui, who was on board the Sunflower from Tomakomai Port (Hokkaido) to Oarai Port (Ibaraki Prefecture). He was touched by the crew's continued safe navigation even as the tsunami approached, and posted a live report of the situation on board the ship in real time, saying, "I want to share the Sunflower's efforts from the ship."
"#GanbareSanFurawa" - The hard work of the ship is broadcast in real time
Captain: "We have decided not to enter Oarai Port today. We will provide simple meals for tonight and tomorrow morning. We apologize for the continued difficulty in contacting your family and work while at sea." I think all the passengers were thinking, "Captain, please don't apologize." It's amazing how the captain directly announced all the information. #GanbareSanflower
Quoted from @hibike291's post
The dinner that was suddenly served was curry rice🍛 Everyone from the wheelhouse to the restaurant staff is working together to help. The people in the wheelhouse, wearing their white uniforms, even put on aprons and prepared for the day. 🎓 They were saying, "This is a bit of a problem," but they were smiling as they had a meeting about tomorrow's breakfast, and it really made me realize how much they love working on a ship. 🚢 #GanbareSanFurawaa
Quoted from @hibike291's post
The large communal bath is just like a traditional Japanese inn. 🚢 You can't take pictures inside, but it even has a full-fledged sauna! For all you sauna lovers, the boat might have been a blind spot. I challenged a member of the Self-Defense Forces, who seemed to have just returned from training in Hokkaido, to a test of endurance, but I quickly lost.
Quoted from @hibike291's post
Images of the ship's interior were posted with the hashtag "Ganbare Sanflower," and voices of support were sent in one after another, such as "I want to board a ship with such a wonderful captain working on it," "I'm becoming an even bigger fan," and "I hope it reaches port safely." Then, on the morning of the second day after boarding, an announcement was made for passengers to disembark.
As breakfast began to be served, the captain made an announcement to disembark. 🚢 The ship is scheduled to dock around 9:30. However, this appears to be a temporary port permit to unload passengers, and once that's complete, the ship will immediately depart for sea until the warning is lifted. I'm truly humbled. Everyone, please choose Sunflower for your next trip! And I'm sure there are many ferry companies across the country. Knowing that all of them are making these efforts to ensure safe operation, I hope everyone will take the ferry and experience a safe and enjoyable trip.
Quoted from @hibike291's post
Sunflower Sapporo has just arrived 🚢 Thank you very much to all the crew members for your hard work. They're going to let passengers off soon and then evacuate back out to sea, but please hang in there for a little while longer! Now's the time for everyone to plan their trip by ferry! #GanbareSanFurawaa
Quoted from @hibike291's post
Users who saw the post commented, "I've always traveled by plane, but now I want to try traveling by ferry," and "I want to ride the Sunflower." We asked the poster, Fukui, about the charms of the Sunflower that he felt particularly during this trip.
I think the biggest attraction of Sunflower is the food. I remember that the food at the onboard restaurant was delicious not only on the Tomakomai-Sendai route, but also on the Osaka-Kagoshima route, so the food is definitely one area where you can really feel Sunflower's commitment. The restaurant has limited opening hours, so the key is to go in as soon as it opens, grab a beer, pick up lots of snacks from the buffet, and enjoy the restaurant for as long as you like, chatting away.
Fukui-san highly praises the dinner buffet
What surprised me the most was the sauna facilities. There was a full-scale sauna with a woody scent in the bath area, and as a sauna lover, I really enjoyed it. I ended up using the sauna five times before disembarking.
The unique charm of traveling by ship, different from traveling by plane or bullet train
While there are many different means of transportation, such as airplanes and bullet trains, there are probably many people who have never ridden a ferry. For those people, Fukui says, "Try a short-distance ferry first, and you'll be captivated by the elegant way you can spend time on a boat. I highly recommend taking a summer getaway to Hokkaido between July and September." If you're planning a trip to Hokkaido this summer, why not consider a boat trip as an option?
Interview cooperation and photo provided by: Hibiki Fukui -Bicycle Washer- ■X: @hibike291
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