Arrive in Maizuru and embark on Le Laperouse between 5pm to 6pm. 

Located on the western coast of Honshu island, in the province of Kyoto, the charming town of Maizuru boasts one of Japan’s most exquisite closed bays. A climb to the observatory will allow you to appreciate the splendor of this inlet scattered with tiny wild islands. You can also admire the treasures of traditional architecture by visiting the temple of Enryu-ji or the Tanabe-jo castle. The town also bears traces of a rich military past, which you can see in the old arsenals of the navy, red brick buildings that today house a museum.

Located on the south-west coast of Honshu Island, the busy fishing port of Sakaiminato celebrates the comic writer and artist Shigeru Mizuki, who was born here. As well as a museum a dedicated tourist route leads through streets and squares that feature 134 bronze statues representing his beloved characters. This isn't the only thing Sakaiminato has to offer; try some local seafood specialties and enjoy the stunning views of Mt Daisen and the Yumigahama peninsula.

Optional Excursions:

MATSUE CASTLE & PAPER MAKING EXPERIENCE

From the pier, embark your coach for the one-hour drive to Matsue Castle. Built in 1611 and still symbol of Matsue City, the Matsue Castle is the only remaining castle structure on the Japan Sea Coast, offering commanding views of Lake Shinji-ko and Mt. Oyama.

The castle is unique in that the second floor is wider than the first-floor base. Most of the original building has been destroyed through time, but the stone wall and six-floor donjon remain. Besides the great view from the top floor, the castle features a museum of swords and samurai armors.

Next, visit Abe Eishiro Memorial hall. This municipal museum contains documents and materials about the life and times of Abe Eishiro (1903-1985), a master craftsman in hand-made Japanese paper (washi).

Washi is a style of paper that was first made in Japan. Washi is commonly made using fibers from the bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub, or the paper mulberry, but also can be made using bamboo, hemp, rice, and wheat. The word washi comes from wa (Japanese) and shi (paper). As a Japanese craft, it is registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. Washi paper is generally tougher than ordinary paper made from wood pulp, and is used in many traditional arts.

During your visit, you will be able to try the ancient art of making washi paper.

IZUMO MYTHOLOGICAL TOWN

From the pier, take your coach for an hour and half westerly drive visit (outside) Izumo Taisha Shrine. It is one of the oldest shrines in Japan, and for many centuries was the largest wooden structure in the country.

The present building has a height of 25 meters (80 feet), about half of the original scale. The main hall of the shrine is dedicated to the Shinto deity of Okuninushi-no-Mikoto, a god associated with love and happiness. The shrine contains many old artifacts, especially swords, as sword making is one of the crafts of the surrounding area. The shrine's architectural style is the oldest in Japan. A ceremonial rope made from plaited straw decorates the entrance. The rope is 8 meters (25 feet) long and weighs one and a half tons.

You will then walk to the Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo for a visit. It shows the unique culture which has been handed down over the generations in Izumo. This museum was established to introduce this unique history and culture. Significant displays include burial mounds with four protuberant corners, bead making of Izumo, the Iwami-Ginzan silver mine, and the iron manufacturing process. Also, experience some of the great ancient history by seeing a specimen of cross-sectional buried tree, and a replica of a silver coin from the Iwami-Ginzan silver mine.

After a traditional Japanese lunch, visit Adachi Museum of Art. Located near Matsue city, it combines superb Japanese gardens with an outstanding collection of modern painting. Adachi's museum is famous for its beautiful garden. In the 2011 ranking of Japanese gardens by the Sukiya Living Magazine, the gardens of the Adachi Museum of Art were ranked number one for the ninth consecutive year. The museum collection includes 1,300 of Japan's most prized paintings since the Meiji Period. Taikan Yokoyama, who is known for harmonizing Western and Japanese painting styles, is the most prominently featured artist. Viewed through the framed windows of the museum, the garden outside also can also seem like a beautiful painting.

 

With around four million inhabitants, Busan is the second largest metropolis on South Korea, after Seoul. This dynamic harbour city, located in the south-east, surrounded by the warm waters of the Sea of Japan, benefits from a mild, pleasant climate. You’ll find delightful simply to stroll around the lively streets and explore the city’s outstanding cultural heritage of art galleries, museums, and Buddhist sites, such as the Haedong Yonggungsa temple, which elegantly sits on the waterfront. Rich too in magnificent beaches and superlative natural landscapes, Busan’s peaceful atmosphere will win you over, as will its inhabitants, whom you’ll have the pleasure of meeting.

Optional Excursions:

HAEDONGYONGGUGNSA TEMPLE & FISH MARKET

A 45-minute drive from the port will bring you to the Haedongyonggungsa Temple. En route, you will cross the Gwangan Grand Bridge. With its 4.6-mile length, it is the country's longest suspension bridge, offering wide views on the Oryuk Islets, Dongbaek Island and the Dalmaji Hill.
 
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is located on the seaside. Unlike other temples, which are normally located in the mountains, this Buddhist temple is situated near the sea. This temple was originally built in 1376 and then reconstructed in 1970 using all the colors that were traditionally used in the structure. The birth of Buddha, celebrated in April-May (following the lunar calendar), offers spectacular night time views as the temple area is surrounded with lit lanterns. Haedong Yonggungsa is one of three sacred places related to the Goddess Buddha. There are 108 steps down to the Temple, the number of steps representing 108 anguishes in the life in Buddhism. So, you can pray to be out of the 108 anguishes, step by step, 108 times.
 
Next, you will visit the Yongdusan Park and its Busan Tower. This very popular park is situated in Yongdu Mountain from where the whole Busan area can be observed from the 120 m/370 ft high Busan Tower.
 
Back in Busan, you will visit the Jagalchi Fishery Market located next to the Fisherman's Wharf. This market was established by women peddlers during the Korean War. Today the market rivals in the world, with a rich variety of fresh catches from shellfish to exotic seaweeds and carved filets, ready to cook.

 

Optional Excursions:

POTTERY TOWN & HISTORICAL PARK

From the pier, embark your coach for the one-hour drive to the Yoshinogari Historical Park and its Ruins. The sprawling park covers a large settlement from the Yayoi Period (300 BC to 300 AD) where dozens of pit dwellings, elevated storehouses and over 2000 tombs were unearthed. It is the largest and most important Yayoi Period site in Japan and the best place to learn about this era of Japanese history.

The settlements unearthed at Yoshinogari are believed to have been some of the largest moat-encircled villages of their time and are speculated to have been the seat of one of the earliest forms of state government found in Japan. Today the ancient site has been preserved with impressive reconstructed villages for visitors to explore and learn about Yayoi life and culture. The careful reconstructions include dozens of pit dwellings, elevated storehouses, watchtowers, shrines and other structures, many of which can be entered. Some contain tools and implements, while mannequins reenact jobs and ceremonies in others.

After lunch, visit the Okawachiyama village. Japanese pottery and porcelain are one of the country's oldest art forms. Although pottery had been fired in Japan 12,000 years ago, porcelain was only produced when skilled Korean ceramics artisans were taken to Japan following Toyotomi Hideyoshi's raids of Korea at the end of the 16th century. These Korean potters produced Japan's first porcelain after discovering fine kaolin clay near Arita. The kilns in Okawachiyama first opened around 1675 to produce exclusive wares for the Nabeshima lord's personal use. The area was chosen for its hilly location to keep its ceramics technology under tight guard. Today Okawachiyama is a historical area in Imari - a village of ceramics in harmony with traditional culture, history, and landscape. A ceramic arched bridge marks the entrance to the village surrounded by a necklace of steep hills. Old-fashioned shops selling beautiful Imari porcelain cluster together along a narrow road that winds steeply uphill.

Next, visit the Kyushu Ceramic Museum in Arita town.  Learn about the history of Kyushu porcelain through exhibits, charts, chronological tables, and photographs. See a variety of old and contemporary Kyushu porcelain. There is also a collection of Mr. and Mrs. Shibata, which consists of Arita ware from the Edo period.  

The seaside city of Kagoshima, at the south of Kyushu Island, ﾠis best known for Sakurajima, an active volcano that faces Kinko Bay. A visit to this busy metropolis will remind you just how much the volcano is part of the inhabitantsﾒ everyday life: in the wake of the almost daily eruptions, a delicate layer of ash settles on everything. The top of a buried torii (traditional Japanese gate) measuring three meters that swallowed up by a giant lava flow in 1914 can still be seen. The power of nature will send a shiver down your spine.

Optional Excursions:

KAGOSHIMA HIGHLIGHTS & VOLCANO



Mount Sakurajima is the symbol of Kagoshima City, and one of the world's most active volcanoes. It sits on an island that was turned into a peninsula by the lava flow of 1914.
You will reach Mt Sakurajima by coach, followed by a short ferry ride. Sights there include a road through an old lava flow and the top of what was once a large torii-style gate, with the remainder buried in hardened lava. Mt Sakurajima also sports a hot spring and is known for the enormous radishes that grow in its volcanic soil. Your first stop will be at the Arimura lava Observatory, located on the small hill which was created by eruption in 1946. Enjoy grand views of Sakurajima and calm Kinko-wan Bay while walking along the 3/4-mile promenade. (many steps to access).
Back on the mainland, visit The Shoko Shuseikan Museum which was once a factory established by lord Shimazu Nariakira in 1852 to produce armaments and promote the weapons industry. Today, it is a museum of the 700-year Shimazu family history.
Continue with the visit of the Sengan-en garden, the former summer villa of the once powerful Shimazu clan, which overlooks Kinko Bay and Mt Sakurajima. Built in 1648, the garden has 48 hectares, but was once three times that size. The garden includes artificial rivers and mountains, a bamboo grove, plus a waterfall... Views of the bay and the volcano are exquisite.
After a traditional Japanese lunch, drive to lovely Chiran. Different samurai residences have been preserved along with several beautiful gardens, all perhaps 250 years old. Several of the residences are still being used by samurai descendants, and some gardens are open to the public. Though small in size, each garden is a fine example of "borrowed landscaping," in which surrounding mountains and scenery have been made part of the garden design. Next, proceed to the Peace Museum, dedicated to the young "kamikaze" pilots who trained near Chiran before embarking on suicide missions against Allied sea vessels in World War II. The museum commemorates the bravery and sad sacrifice of these young Japanese men, and makes a plea for world peace.

A TRIP TO CHIRAN

Embark your coach for the one-hour southbound drive to Chiran, sometimes called "Little Kyoto" for all the samurai residences that have been preserved there. Several houses have been preserved along with several beautiful gardens, all around 250 years old.
The gates to the residences, moss-covered stone walls, hedges and black tile roofs help recapture the flavor of the Edo Period. Several of the residences are still being used by samurai descendants, but several gardens stay open to the public. Though small in size, each garden is a fine example of "borrowed landscaping," in which surrounding mountains and scenery have been made part of the garden design.
Not far from the Chiran Samurai Residences is the Peace Museum or Tokko Heiwa Kaikan. Dedicated to the young kamikaze pilots who trained near Chiran before embarking on suicide missions against Allied sea vessels in World War II, the museum commemorates the bravery and sad sacrifice of these young Japanese men, and makes a plea for world peace.
Return to Kagoshima and the ship following your in-depth visit to Chiran.

Located on the west coast of Shikoku island, Uwajima will delight lovers of history and traditional customs. The magnificent Uwajima Castle was built in the 17th-century by the powerful Date clan and has a beautiful ornamental garden and bridge. The much-visited Taga Shrine is dedicated to fertility and is full of phalluses. Another interesting tradition is togyu, a Japanese variant of bull-fighting where two bulls are pitted against each other without a toreador. As for eating, you must taste jakoten, a local delicacy based on fried fish.

Visiting Hiroshima is a moving experience. The town spreads along Honshu Island along the inside coasts of Seto. While firmly focused on the future, Hiroshima doesn’t forget its past, and a visit to the Peace Memorial Park and Genbaku Dome is a must. You’ll enjoy the city's modern, cosmopolitan atmosphere and effervescent nightlife just as much as the peaceful stillness of its natural parkland areas such as splendid Shukkei-en, the town’s historic garden.

Optional Excursions:

UCHIKO OLD TOWN

From the pier, embark your coach for the one-hour drive to Uchiko.

Located about 50 km northeast of Uwajima, the pleasant town of Uchiko is a vestige of traditional, rural Japan. Uchiko was once a prosperous centre of wax and paper production. One of the town's main attractions, the Kamihaga Residence, explores this historical industry. Next, enjoy a guided walk on the streets of Yokaichi, which is Uchiko's preserved street of houses where most of the town's attractions can be found. This historical district looks just as it did over 100 years ago, when wealth and prosperity came to Uchiko through its wax trade. Omori Candle-maker is one of the long-established makers and you can observe the sensitive work of the Japanese handmade candles. Your guided walk continues to the old pharmacy called museum of commercial and domestic life. You will see the various scenes of pharmacy life displayed by dolls dating back to 1921. Another symbol of Uchiko is found outside of the old district: Uchiko-za is a full-scale kabuki theatre equipped with trap doors, hidden entrances and a rotating stage. Reboard your coach for the one-hour drive back to your ship.

HIGHLIGHTS OF UWAJIMA

Uwajima is located deep inside Uwajima Bay with its coast facing the Bungo Channel in southwestern Ehime. Since the early 17th century, the city has flourished as a castle town of the Date family. Upon arrival, your first visit will be the beautiful terraced fields of Yusu Mizugaura. An epithet used for these terraced fields is "Plough a way to heaven". The steep mountain slope has been transformed with stacked stones into a staircase of farmland. Its majestic scenery has been selected as an important cultural landscape and one of hundred famous views of rural Japan. Next, you will visit Doi Pearl. The Uwajima Pearl is one of the highest graded pearl in the world. Here, you will learn about natural pearls: the method of pearl culturing, the production and distribution of pearls. After a lecture, you will have a chance to purchase pearls. Driving back to Uwajima city, visit Uwajima Castle, located in the heart of the city and built by Lord Takatora Tohdoh, who was a master castle designer during the Edo era. The well-balanced donjon is one of the very few which remain as originally built and is designated as national important cultural assets.
Your last stop is at Kisaiya square, a place with several types of shops selling local products, snacks, souvenirs and other goods, as well as some restaurants. Kisaiya means "come and join us", or "please come" in the local dialect of this region. Enjoy some time at leisure to take in the atmosphere and observe local life. After the visit, return to the shipside.

Located on the island of Honshu, hugging the banks of the Sento Inland Sea, Tamano is a popular destination thanks to its sun-drenched climate. Upon arrival, marvel at the way in which the city has been built along the coast at the foot of a deep, dark forest. In the area surrounding Tamano, stroll down the streets of Kurashiki, known as the 'white-walled city' in a nod to the pretty façades of the houses that line the streets of this ancient Edo-period trading town. Another major regional attraction is the Seto Ohashi bridge. Its 12.5 kilometres make it the world's longest double-decker bridge.

Optional Excursions:

HIGHLIGHTS OF OKAYAMA

Okayama is the capital of Okayama Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chugoku Region after Hiroshima. The city developed as a castle town during the Edo Period (1603-1867) and became a significant regional power.

From the pier, embark your coach for the one-hour drive to the Bizen Osafune Samurai sword Museum. This is one of the few sword museums which features a variety of Japanese Samurai swords on display. Learn about the history and manufacturing process for Japanese swords as well as experience the beauty and power of the swords up close.  At the workshop, see how the craftsmen are maintaining the traditional skills of sword manufacturing.

Continue with a visit to the Korakuen garden, which is one of the three best landscape gardens in Japan along with Kairakuen Garden in Mito and Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa. With an area of 133,000 sqm, the garden was built in 1700 by the local feudal lord Ikeda Tsunamasa in the Enshu landscape style of stroll garden. The garden houses a tea-ceremony house, several ponds, a small waterfall and elegantly designed landscapes. As the seasons change, pine trees, maples, cherry and plum trees reach their peak of beauty.

HISTORICAL KURASHIKI

Located in the western part of Okayama Prefecture, Kurashiki is a historic city, developed as a port town along the Kurashiki River. It is also called the "white-wall town", for its lovely houses with white walls and black tile roofs.

From the pier, embark your coach for the one-hour drive to the Kurashiki Bikan historical area. This district along the Kurashiki River has preserved the atmosphere of the Edo Period, and still contains old storehouses that were a vital location in the distribution of goods throughout Japan at that time. The area includes numerous museums and sightseeing spots. All electrical wires are buried beneath the ground so there is nothing to mar the view of the buildings. Many of the buildings you can see were originally rice granaries built in the late 18th century. The tiled roofs, white-washed walls, black-tiled walls with lattice windows were the characteristics of Kurashiki.

Next, walk to the Ohashi family old merchant house, this 200-year-old merchant's house was appointed as an Important Cultural Property in 1978. The Ohashi family built their wealth on salt farming and financial business in the Edo period (1603-1867). The main wing is simple and solid, designed with fire-resistance architecture. A gate terrace, that was privileged to the high-class family, demonstrates their outstanding prosperity in the area.

From the variety of museums, you will visit the Kurashiki museum of folk craft, which exhibits more than 10,000 items collected by Mr. Kichinosuke Tonomura, the first President of this museum. His collection includes the whole range of practical goods for everyday use, such as ceramics, textiles, lacquers, baskets, wood 

 

Like its big sister Tokyo, Osaka is the product of ancestral traditions and amazing technological innovations. And despite its size, its location on the Pacific Ocean give it a sense of serenity.ﾠ The main historic landmark is the 16th-century Osaka Castle, which stands proud in the midst of majestic skyscrapers.