We rode the Higashi Nihon ferries to and from Hakodate, Hokkaido from Aomori City. Going we took the slower boat - it was about a 4 hour trip. On the way back we opted for the fast ferry - only two hours and with real seats. The slow boat just had big rooms with everyone sacked out on the floor - I never did figure out whether you had to pay extra to be allowed to hang out there. We just sat in the dining room and played gin rummy for the first three hours. Then we walked the decks until arrival in Hakodate.