By Wayne Chang, CNN
Keelung, Taiwan (CNN) — You can now fall asleep on a ferry in Taiwan and wake up in Japan.
On the surface, the Yaima Maru offers a perfect slow-travel escape — a passenger ferry equipped with saunas, karaoke rooms and a top-deck cafe.
Launched in Taiwan last month to the sound of drums and a traditional lion dance, the 21,000-ton civilian vessel connects the northern Taiwan port of Keelung with the island of Ishigaki, in southwestern Japan’s idyllic Okinawa prefecture.
But as Beijing ramps up military pressure around Taiwan and Japan shores up its own southwestern defenses, the route has drawn scrutiny — not least because the vessel has been officially earmarked by Tokyo to assist in emergency evacuations if regional tensions erupt into open conflict.
For tourists, however, the ferry offers a chance to explore a unique destination far from the Japan most are familiar with. That’s because Ishigaki sits about 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) away from Tokyo, but only 270 kilometers (168 miles) from Taiwan.
“Many people think Japan is quite far away,” says Tiger Hong, general manager of the Wagon Group, which operates the ferry. “So the moment when they realize how close it actually is, they are really shocked.”
Currently, only one airline in Taiwan operates a direct flight to Ishigaki — which takes just an hour — while others require transferring at Okinawa’s main air hub of Naha.
Ishigaki is renowned for its pristine beaches, sapphire ocean and Wagyu beef. It strategically sits within the Nansei Islands, a 1,050-kilometer-long archipelago in southwestern Japan stretching from Kyushu to nearby Taiwan. The chain of islands has become critical to Japan’s defense in the event of armed conflicts between China and Taiwan.
“Beijing is certainly not pleased to see this development, as the opening of the ferry service could complicate its strategic calculus in the event of a Taiwan contingency,” Chen Yu-hua, an assistant professor in foreign policy at Akita International University in Japan, told CNN Travel.
But officials and executives brushed off regional tensions and security implications, insisting that the ferry is just for tourism.
“This is fundamentally a matter between countries,” Tatsuya Ohama, president of Shosen Yaima, which owns the ship, told reporters. “As a private ferry operator, our first step is to get the service up and running.”
‘Wake up in Japan’
While the boat trip takes eight hours, Hong, the ferry company’s general manager, says it suits budget travelers or those who would like to chill and “take their time.”
“The biggest appeal of this experience is being able to go abroad at low cost and enjoy a slower pace of travel,” he adds.
The vessel runs once every week in June during its trial period, and twice a week from July. Ticket prices range from approximately $63 for the most basic type of accommodation in off-peak times to $334 for the most luxurious suites during peak seasons.
Officials from Taiwan and Japan are optimistic the route will boost tourism, foster trade and deepen bilateral ties.
Yoshitaka Nakayama, mayor of Ishigaki, says the ferry serves as a “new bridge” that will support a wide range of exchanges.
“It is an important route that will connect the future of Japan, including Ishigaki city, and Taiwan,” he says.
As the ferry slowly pulled into the Ishigaki port on May 29, a group of people waved the Taiwan flag and brandished a banner to welcome the first batch of visitors.
CNN Travel spoke with some of the approximately 200 passengers who took part in the ferry’s maiden voyage. They highlighted the novelty of the experience, the relatively low price and flexibility in travel time as the main draw.
“The price was pretty reasonable, and it seemed super