“A new ferry service to serve booming tourism between Taiwan and Japan began on Thursday on a ship that could be pressed into service to evacuate people on southern Japanese islands in the event of a war in the region.”
“The Yaima Maru is one of the ships that Japan’s government this year put on a list of vessels to be used to evacuate island residents to mainland Japan in case of a crisis.”
“[…] For now, the ship will be linking Taiwan’s northern port city of Keelung with Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture, shuttling tourists back and forth once a week on an overnight journey.”
” ‘This regular route is not merely transportation infrastructure,’ Ishigaki Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama said at Keelung port. ‘It serves as a new bridge that supports tourism, logistics, economic activity, cultural exchange, and education’.”
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/05/28/japan/taiwan-japan-ferry-service/