Tomogashima Fort Ruins

"This was a wonderful island to visit and hike the morning. The sights from the anime, summer time rendering, are very clear to see. I can see its relation to ghibli films as well. The hiking was a great challenge and seeing the wildlife was neat. Also its history as a former military outpost was cool to see. The cafe on the island is run by a very kind woman and having a drink after a good walk was a perfect end to my hike."

Scott Combs

"It is a nice and quiet place for a quick getaway from the city although there is not much else to see if you’re not a fan of “Summertime Render” or artillery battery ruins. The hiking trails are easy and relatively doable even for those with no hiking gear. Just be wary of loose leaves and rocks. Walking sticks are provided at the port area. I came in April 2025 and was surprised to see plenty of fish and jellyfish around the port area. You can see them clearly from the ferry.

The lighthouse is small and underwhelming up close, but from Takanosuyama Observatory it is a cute thing to photograph.

Takanosuyama Observatory is a good place for a picnic. We brought boxed lunch and mats and enjoyed the view of the sea and boats.

The ferry ride now costs 2,500 roundtrip. We arrived at 8:55 am and were surprised to see that the 9 am ferry was already full as the train itself had few passengers when we got off at Kada Station. It turns out, of course, that the other visitors came by car.

Depending on the number of visitors, they occasionally add 10 am and 2 pm departures. The staff mentioned they only allow around 70-80 people on the ferry as a safety precaution even though its capacity is at 100. If there aren’t that many visitors, the first ferry leaves at 9 am and the next one at 11, so better head there early because the last boat leaves from the island at 3:30 pm.

The artillery ruins are interesting themselves and can make for good photo ideas if you’re not scared of dark underground structures made of red brick. Some of these catacomb-like areas are dimly lit, but for some you may need to use the flashlight from your smartphone.

There is trash on the island, but we saw a group of volunteers doing cleanup work. It’s the usual plastic waste, PET bottles and then some.

At Nonaura Square which is right next to Nonaura Port, there is a flat clearing with chairs and tables. That is the start and end point of the hiking trails. They sell coffee and soft-serve ice cream for 500 yen. We decided to get ice cream at the end of our hike which was a good call because we started around 10:30 am and was back there by 2 pm. By the time we finished our ice cream, the 2:30 pm ferry started loading passengers back to Kada Port.

There are also vending machines and plenty of benches, so it is not a tough hike at all, but rather a pleasant walk around the island.

It reminds me a bit of Rabbit Island (Okunoshima) in Hiroshima because of the same red bricks used in the military ruins and the overall size and feel of the island.

Towards the end of the trail (about 2-3 hours, shorter if you take away stops and breaks), we saw a nice wooden cabin which we believe opens during the summer. That area had plenty of squirrels. I saw about 7 or 8 of them. The staff also seems to leave them food on flat dishes and I saw one cautiously climbing down a tree to get a piece.

The train to Kada Port is small and quaint. The pink and rainbow designs of the interior reminds me of a kindergarten. The other car had sea creatures on it. Even Kada Station itself features designs from a local elementary school."

Jendell Kirong

"Beautiful island with history as a battery placement. Take a 20 min boat ride from wakayama to get here. The walking trail is both relaxing and tiring. Certainly a great exercise physically and mentally."

Gladwin Suryatin