Japan Explorer

Departures & Pricing

Cabin grades, balcony upgrades and pre-cruise hotel options are quoted on enquiry — call 1300 414 198.

Itinerary

1. 1

   Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan

   Departs 03:00 pm.

   Yokohama and Edo began life as sleepy fishing villages. That changed in the early 17th century after Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun. Edo became the center of political power in Japan, a position the city retained even after the restoration of Imperial rule in 1866.Contemporary Tokyo may be the most astonishing city on earth. It's a paradoxical mix of ancient tradition and postmodern culture. The Ginza - an international shopping mecca - stands near the serene grounds of the Imperial Palace, and the hyper-speed of 21st century consumerism is mysteriously reconciled with the elegance and serenity of traditional culture. Tokyo provides the traveler with a dizzying experience.With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Edo was renamed Tokyo, the "Eastern Capital," to distinguish it from the old imperial capital at Kyoto, the "Western Capital."

2. 2

   Toba, Japan

   Arrives 07:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

   Toba, located at the northeastern end of the Shima-hanto Peninsula in Mie, flourished as the castle town of the Kuki family who ruled this region from the 16th century. It was also a landing spot for visitors on the sea route to Ise-jingu Shrine and belongs to Ise-Shima National Park.

3. 3

   Kobe (for Kyoto), Japan

   Arrives 08:00 am, departs 08:00 pm.

   Kobe is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshu. Its name comes from "kanbe", an archaic title for supporters of the city's Ikuta Shrine. With a population of about 1.5 million, the city is part of the Keihanshin (Keihanshin) metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kyoto.The earliest written records regarding the region come from the Nihon Shoki, which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingu in AD 201. For most of its history the area was never a single political entity, even during the Tokugawa Period, when the port was controlled directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kobe did not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the end of the policy of seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city. While the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake diminished much of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth busiest container port. The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kobe beef as well as the site of one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, Arima Onsen. Kobe is also your gateway to Kyoto, Japan's ancient imperial capital and the nation's cultural and spiritual center.

4. 4

   Kochi, Japan

   Arrives 07:00 am, departs 03:00 pm.

   Kochi sits on the broad alluvial plain facing Urado Bay. This city in Shikoku takes its name from the great feudal castle that sits at its very heart. Completed in 1611, Kochi Castle was the seat of Yamauchi Kazutoyo, a noted warrior who supported Tokugawa Ieyasu in his successful quest to become Shogun. Tosa Province and Kochi Castle were Yamauchi's reward for faithful service. There is an historical irony here: 250 years later, a Kochi native son - a former low-ranked samurai and now ronin named Sakamoto Ryoma - played a pivotal role in bringing the Tokugawa Shogunate to an end and restoring the Emperor of Japan to political prominence. The prize once awarded for faithful service had become a hotbed of support for the Meiji Restoration.Kochi is one of the wettest places in Japan - and a frequent target for cyclonic storms or typhoons. Southeast of the city, warm oceans currents washing against the Aki Mountains create a subtropical landscape of hibiscus, palm and ficus at Muroto-Anan Quasi-National Park.

5. 5

   Hiroshima, Japan

   Arrives 09:00 am, departs 07:00 pm.

   On August 6, 1945, human history was irrevocably altered when the American bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The bomb was code-named "Little Boy," but its detonation left half the city in ruins and aflame. Today, Hiroshima is a monument not only to the destructive forces harnessed by men but also to the indomitable will of the human spirit to overcome tragedy. At the heart of the city lies Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome. The gutted walls of the city's old Industry Promotion Hall and the skeletal frame that supported its copper dome, vaporized in the blast, are instantly recognizable symbols of Hiroshima.Travelers to Hiroshima will discover a more serene note at nearby Miyajima Island. One of the top-three scenic spots of Japan, the island is home to ancient Itsukushima Shrine, a designated National Treasure.

   Day 6

   Arrives 06:00 am, departs 08:00 am.

   Day 7

   Arrives 07:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

6. 8

   Nagasaki, Japan

   Arrives 07:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

   For most travelers, Nagasaki is a symbol of the horror and the inhumanity of war. An estimated 75,000 people perished in 1945 when the city became the second target of a nuclear attack. Today, Nagasaki's Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum draw visitors from around the world.But this beautiful city on Kyushu offers other sights. Often described as the San Francisco of Japan, the city occupies verdant hills surrounded by a deep-water bay. For three centuries, Nagasaki was Japan's sole window on the world. The city is also celebrated as the setting for Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly."

7. 9

   At Sea

8. 10

   Omaezaki, Japan

   Arrives 09:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

   Nestled at the mouth of the Pacific Ocean, facing Suruga Bay, the Omaezaki Cape is watched over by the Omaezaki lighthouse, faithfully guiding boats to its harbor since 1874. The coastal winds blow here, and windsurfers can often be seen adding pops of color to the blue waters. This small "beachy" town with the dramatic Hamaoka Sand Dunes is surrounded by rolling hills of green-tea plants which perfume the air. As one of the biggest producers of green tea in the area, Omaezaki infuses the elixir into many attractions, including plantation visits and treats like green tea ice cream. Experience the art of Zen meditation at Kasuisai Temple, or slip into the healing waters of Daito "Onsen" Seatopia, a therapeutic hot spring. Enjoy the tranquility of the Nihondaira Park Outlook, a scenic spot with panoramic vistas of Mt. Fuji in the distance. Then climb aboard the aerial ropeway and look down at all Omaezaki has to offer as you ascend to hilltop Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, a designated National Treasure.

9. 11

   Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan

   Arrives 06:30 am.

   Yokohama and Edo began life as sleepy fishing villages. That changed in the early 17th century after Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun. Edo became the center of political power in Japan, a position the city retained even after the restoration of Imperial rule in 1866.Contemporary Tokyo may be the most astonishing city on earth. It's a paradoxical mix of ancient tradition and postmodern culture. The Ginza - an international shopping mecca - stands near the serene grounds of the Imperial Palace, and the hyper-speed of 21st century consumerism is mysteriously reconciled with the elegance and serenity of traditional culture. Tokyo provides the traveler with a dizzying experience.With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Edo was renamed Tokyo, the "Eastern Capital," to distinguish it from the old imperial capital at Kyoto, the "Western Capital."

Book this cruise

Send us an enquiry and a consultant will be in touch, or call 1300 414 198 for personal help choosing a departure.

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