Drebay

I have been negligent in reporting on our final two ports from our Mar19 cruise - and as I’m about to be lapped by the Apr3 cruise, here goes: Kobe, Japan Overall: our apologies to Kobe, but we really used this port call as a jumping off point for Kyoto and Himeji (to be fair everyone we met who did the ship excursion to the gardens in Kobe on day two raved). Kyoto (day one) was magical as always and we hit it on the day the Japan Meterological Society declared Kyoto to be in “Peak Blossom”. You’ve got to love a city where you can’t swing a cat without hitting a temple, shrine or palace. Very long and very tiring day (watch said 10+ miles and >20k steps)! Himeji (day two) quick but worth it. Arrival: No band or mascots - back to real life I guess (well except for the very sweet woman waving to everyone from the terrace of the terminal). Exciting thing was the only port outside of embarkation in Tokyo that used a “jetway” style gangway from deck 5. Day one was funny as there were more than a dozen people lurking aft on Deck five at 7:45am - we were all touring independently and all had early Shinkansen tickets. Was like a scene from Amazing Race. Access: Shuttle to Motomatchi shopping street from (as I recall) 8:30am to 22:00 “ish” on day one and noon on day two. Taxis available outside the terminal. Metro stop also located directly outside the terminal (although a connection required to catch the Shinkansen). General comment on bullet trains - be aware that many cities (Kobe included) have separate Shinkansen station (usually referred to as “Shin-city name” - like “Shin-Kobe”). Always make sure to check this beforehand as there is no rhyme or reason to it. Another tip (we had to rely on it for our morning Shinkansen) - bullet trains require a special fare (sometimes covered if you have a rail pass) and you can reserve seats, but you don’t have to. If you miss your train (as we did) just keep moving and get on the next train (which on this stretch of Shinkansen was 9 minutes later). Unreserved Shinkansen seating cars are “usually” the first two cars in the direction of travel (which are either the lowest or highest carriage numbers depending on your direction of travel). Just go to the track, find those cars and you can usually get a seat there (if not this stretch is two stops and 28 min total so not the end of the world). You don’t have to stop at a ticket office to do this, you’re just not guaranteed a seat. You can also sit in a reserved car if there is a seat free, just be aware if anyone boards and has it reserved, you have to move. Ship excursion: Didn’t use. Sites we saw: (Day I) - Kyoto. Just deal with the fact that you won’t be able to see it all, or even get close. We were with two other couples who had never been to Japan before so we hired a driver and guide and designed our own “Kyoto must-sees Tour” (realize this is a matter of opinion). (A) Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple). Temple covered in (real) gold leaf with lovely grounds. One of the symbols of Japan for many. The setting, the sun glinting off the temple (it was 71 degrees and sunny)- majic and a “sigh, this is Japan” moment. (B) Ryoan-ji. Actually one of my favorites in Kyoto (and basically “next door” to Kinkaku-Ji). Trust me on this one, you go for the zen garden and it is truly spectacular. Can’t explain why, but probably because it’s a study in minimalism that has unexplained “depth”. One example, the garden represents islands in a sea with 15 stones - but when seated (as you’re meant to be to enjoy it) it’s impossible to see all the stones. Zen! (C) Fushimi-Inari. The famous red gate temple. By now you’ll have seen plenty of red temple gates (maybe even the floating one on Miyajima) and you’re thinking “so what”. Again, trust me - there are over 5,000 of them here! They’re arranged in rows like an arcade and the visual is spectacular. (Note that Kyoto is the #1 tourist destination in Japan outside of Tokyo which - on peak blossom day - means we were there with a few thousand of our closest friends. Deal with it and hike about 10 minutes up the hill if you want a chance at a photo with no one in it, or come very early or very late). Not to destroy the atmosphere, but each gate is “sponsored” and marked with the name of the company, person or family that donated it (the first gate is Dentsu - the Japanese ad agency, for example). That means that what we see as a beautiful visual is actually either corporate advertising in many cases! (C) Kiyomizu-dera - the Water Temple. Built on a hill overlooking Kyoto (the view is one of the attractions) dedicated to the city’s water source. Imposing and sprawling with a chance to cleanse from the original spring. (D) “Walk Down” - the walk down from Kiyomizu-dera (we ditched our driver at this point) is worth it on its own. Charming old streets and architecture, which at the same time is packed with people and almost exclusively tourist shops (but in a good way - mostly pretty authentic). Consumerism is part of modern Japan (considering every temple has stands selling charms, amulets, etc - it’s part of ancient Japan) so it’s authentic. Plus, most of the shops specialize (often in one thing like mochi, matcha, etc). Note you will see a bunch of geishas and traditionally dressed people in this area - they are all tourists! (E) Gion - the traditional geisha district (again to be clear you won’t get to go to a tea house with geishas - they don’t allow outsiders - and you’re unlikely to see a real geisha on the street either, they’re all tourists) which is simply beautiful. Fully preserved. Go at night where the lights, the canal and the houses make for a wonderful atmosphere. The main “plaza” on the canal and its uplit weeping Cherry in full bloom was even a first for my husband who has been to Kyoto literally dozens of times. (F) Dinner - if you’re going to splurge on a dinner in Japan, beyond sushi in Tokyo, teppanyaki in Kyoto would be my second choice. We made reservations six months in advance and later found out we were the envy of all of our fellow Amazing Race colleagues who apparently spotted us in the window of our private dining room from across the canal! (II) Himeji - We chose to do a “fly through” of Himeji castle on the second (half) day in Kobe. Totally doable and worth it. It’s essentially the oldest original structure castle in Japan (1600s) and even if you’re ‘castled out’ at this point, worth it. 14 minutes on the Shinkansen from Shin-Kobe and a 20ish minute walk from the station. Most Japanese castles were fortifications and not palaces/homes so they feel a bit “hollow” from a Western perspective. Himeji is also on a larger scale than the others we had seen. Again, framed from the entrance with cherry trees in full bloom made it extra special. We did not go through the gardens afterwards (had more to do with tired rather than time) Fun story - on the way back we booked a “regular” train because it went directly to the station closer to the ship. We got to the station early because we skipped the gardens so decided to take an earlier train. As we were getting on I said to the group that I wasn’t sure whether we had the right tickets. Sure enough, we were on a “Super Limited Express” and our regular tickets were unworthy. We got kicked off! Now don’t get me wrong, this is Japan so it was the most polite and deferential ejection you can imagine, but we were told in no uncertain broken English terms - “next you leave”! Worked out fine as the next stop was 3/4 of the way back to Kobe anyway and we caught the next train 3 minutes later on the same track (and met some Mormon missionaries). We wear our ejection as a badge of pride though - it’s not a trip to Japan if you don’t get thrown off a train!

Maybe of all of them, Kitakyushu may require some more details as it seems to provide some confusion. Ship docks further away from Kitakyushu. Specifically it docks in Mojikō, right in front of the Prefectural Straight Museum (Google Mojikō Eki and look for a large oval building nearby on the water). On the dock in front you;ll see the words “Welcome to Kitakyushu”. That’s where Azamara docks. From Mojikō Eki, the main town is a three-stop 14min ride away to the main JR station as well as Shinkansen that can take you both north and south. In the immediate area around the downtown station is the Castle and Park as well as the major shopping street (covered arcade). This is where you’ll find the things from the guide books.

Actually there were three ports without shuttles on the Mar19 cruise: Aomori, Kitakyushu and Takamatsu. You didn’t need them in any of those ports given either proximity to town (Aomori) and/or public transit (Kitakyushu & Takamatsu).

Takamatsu, Japan Overall: Honestly at this point in the cruise (2/3 point with the big Kyoto day coming up) we were looking for a quiet day and we took it here. Nice sailing in the Inland Sea in the morning and a quiet (stunning) visit to the gardens in Takamatsu were the only things on our agenda. Arrival: Small welcome. Tents setup again with some samurai and other tourist info types around. White Party was in the evening so a little more action (including the girls high school acrobatic troupe who greeted guests on their return to the pier, performed on deck and were adorable later having dinner in the MDR). Access: no shuttle and none needed. Ship directly in town at a transportation nexus, with the pier, ferry terminal, bus station and main train station all within a few hundred meters of each other. Ship excursion: Didn’t use. Sites we saw: (I) Ritsurin Gardens - WOW! Fabulous traditional Japanese garden. Don’t know why this one isn’t on the list of the “Big Three” gardens in Japan. Probably because it’s a bit smaller (certainly than Konrokuen in Kanazawa that we saw the week before), but it’s a stunner nevertheless. Didn’t hurt that it was sunny in the high 60’s at peak bloom! I mean this place will check all your Japanese garden boxes for sure. Easy access with either the direct train or bus. (II) Shopping arcade - some in our group walked back via the covered shopping street and reported a very nice assortment of shops and local eateries (including an almost overwhelming tea shop).

Hiroshima, Japan Overall: Hiroshima is a wonderful city. The juxtaposition of the emotionality of the Peace Park and the stunning natural and cultural beauty of Miyajima always moves me. Arrival: Nothing really, feels like we’ve peaked on arrival ceremonies! LOL. Nothing that I saw at sail away either (but we were tired after a long day and weren’t really looking either). Access: Shuttle provided, essentially to the Atomic Bomb Dome / Peace Park (<10min walk - Apple Maps “Hiroshima Prefectural Office North Building” and the stop is on the street between that and the “Citizens Hospital”). 8:30 am first, ~20-30min drive and 20:30 last back). Ship excursion: Didn’t use. Sites we saw: (I) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum - moving and emotional experience for (I think) obvious reasons.Truly almost everyone who emerges needed to take a minute and recenter. Excellent design as well in terms of the architecture and exhibits. (II) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park - lovely with a number of additional exhibits and memorials (recommend the victims’ memorial and Children’s) and I’m including the dome as part of the park (technically separate and across the river). (III) Miyajima / Itsukushima Shrine - the holy island and its most popular attraction the shrine with the Otorii (red gate in the water). Essentially this is the symbol of Japan (the gate) and the island is pretty and very quaint and very touristy/crowded. Think Disney does Japan (almost literally as it’s clear that Epcot Japan is modeled after some of the iconic images of Miyajima including the Otorii and the five story pagoda). Be prepared to fend off the deer looking for food and the tourists as well! Logistics:I’ll add some info on what worked especially well for us this trip (and the route worked in reverse for others on the cruise). If you are looking to combine the two World Heritage Sites in a Hiroshima day (it’s hard to do more in one day) use this route (or it’s reverse). Shuttle to Peace Museum/Park/Dome -> visit Peace sites -> Hiroshima World Heritage Sea route (Google it, it’s a direct high speed ferry between the Peace site and Miyajima -> Miyajima -> direct Ferry from Miyajima to Ujina Port ferry terminal. Note that the direct Ujina ferry uses a different (smaller) terminal on Miyajima (if you’re facing the big JR ferry terminal on Miyajima, it’s to the right). Azamara docks in Ujina port, just on “the other side of the ferry terminal”. It’s a bit of a hike (about a mile) between the ferry terminal and the ship pier (you can take a streetcar about halfway). I couldn’t really figure out in advance where the ship docks, but if you search for “Tower of Paradise” the ship docks just to the right of the park/green space on the map.

Kitakyushu, Japan Overall: Another surprisingly charming little city. It’s essentially the halfway point for the Intensive and a somewhat slower, less ambitious day was welcomed! It was peak bloom (literally posted as such on signs around the city) and the park was resplendent with lots of locals enjoying their Hanami outings. Arrival: Small welcome. Tents setup quayside with the normal local tourist info plus some unique experiences (we didn’t partake for full disclosure) including tea ceremonies and kimono “try-ons”. Departure was another charming junior high band. Immigration was apparently problematic for many. We were very lucky - although it wasn’t our scheduled time (plan was Azamara tours followed by deck numbers) we simply showed up at the cabaret at 9:30 after trivia and we were invited in by the crew. For anyone that knows the “true Japan” probably not a surprise that it was an organizational/bureaucratic nightmare. When we were there, 2 out of the 8 machines weren’t working and those that were, were not well positioned and required some contortions to fingerprint/face pic. Add in limited English capabilities and you could foresee this wasn’t going to go well. Having said all that, we were on shore by shortly before 10:00. Access: no shuttle and none needed. Ship was a 400m walk to the Mojikō train station, which is 3 stops and less than 15min to Konkura Station in downtown Kitakyushu. Ship excursion: Didn’t use. Sites we saw: (I) Kokura Castle - so by the time you’re done with two weeks around Japan you can get somewhat “castled out” (think a few weeks in Europe and cathedrals). While by no means original (very few are in Japan) we especially enjoyed Kokura as it had some interesting exhibits (as well as a super cute children’s museum), “modern steps”, you could keep your shoes on and an elevator. (II) Kokura Castle Park - as mentioned, peak cherry blossom and so beautiful. Peak blossom not only means beautiful trees but also a festival which included many food trucks (a craft beer table!), performers (including a performing monkey!) and so many locals picnicking and enjoying the beautiful weather and blossoms. (III) Shopping arcades - the area around the station is a maze of covered shopping arcades with places to eat/drink, shops, vendors and markets. Much fun to explore and our highlight was a great lunch of yakiudon (fried noodles - the local speciality) at a “we’re the only westerners here hole in the wall” with the most enthusiastic and charming staff (loving the chance to practice their English). Staff followed us outside for pictures after lunch.

One editorial comment on the Destination Celebration (fka Azamazing Evening). This is a 15 night cruise called a Japan Intensive with 12 of 13 ports in Japan. Yet, the Destination Celebration was an evening of SKorean entertainment. No knock to the performance (which was interesting and fun), more an observation….

JAL always been my goto and use them a lot. Honestly, decision should probably be based on which program you collect miles on. Either JAL or ANA as the local carriers are excellent. We flew nonstop from JFK and arrived a week before departure. Remember that the Mar19 sailing has an apocryphal tale - group scheduled to fly in a day early. Missed their connection and were forced to overnight in DFW. Meant arrival on cruise day and almost didn’t make it because of traffic from Narita. Were very close to being left behind. Don’t want it to happen to me, but the reality on this itinerary is if you miss the ship in any port - you would easily beat the ship to the next port simply by taking the train.

Busan, SKorea Overall: Nice town with way too many sites to hit in a single day. Would gladly return. Arrival: Normal is how I would describe it - i.e. no band, etc. Also, first Port on the trip where we had another ship in port at the same time (MSC mega ship). Access: Shuttle (didn’t use) starting at 10:00 with last departure from town at 20:30. 45min to Nampodong (Gukje market). Ship excursion: Didn’t use. Sites we saw: (I) Gyeong-ju - capital of the Silla Kingdom and UNESCO World Heritage Site. 9B in Drive o/w but worth it, saw the Buddha Grotto, main temple complex and burial site and burial mounds. Very impressive and made all the better with peak cherry blossoms! (II) traditional Korean bulgogi bbq lunch. Super yummy! Only westerners in the place. For those that have never had it, traditional Korean BBQ is a main dish served with numerous (unlimited) side dishes. Lunch for 6 had, without exaggeration, 30+ bowls and baskets on the table. (III) Gamcheon Cultural Village - revitalized shanty town turned artists and tourist locale to the benefit of inhabitants under UN Urban Redevelopment guidelines. Picturesque, sprawling multicolored hillside village right in the middle of town. We spent an hour wandering in not ideal weather (somewhat chilly and drizzling) and loved every second of it. Somewhat crowded due to end of day timing coinciding with a couple of MSC buses.

Sakaiminato, Japan Overall: Didn’t spend anytime in town as we went to Matsue - the castle and river boat excursion were interesting and much fun. Arrival: Fairly low key compared to recent ports, but sail away saw a fun performance from a junior high swing band that used enthusiasm to overcome any lacking skills! Access: Shuttle (didn’t use) starting at 8:30 with last departure from town at 16:00. 15min to Sakaiminato Station. Ship excursion: Matsue castle and Moat Cruise. Fun! Castle is 5 floors with VERY steep stairs (be forewarned) where you have to remove your shoes (and carry them in a plastic bag, making the stairs even more challenging. Also, there are stairs and some fairly steep hills up to the castle. Believe the rating as strenuous). Wouldn’t rave about the guide. She was fine and we really used the excursion simply as the most convenient way to get to Matsue. Moat cruise was fun for our group. Some people didn’t like it as it required sitting on the floor (although the traditional Japanese Kotatsu heater - was welcome). Also, the boats go under 4 very low bridges where they winch down the roof and passengers have to huddle down. Those that didn’t enjoy it seemed to be those that were unaware in advance. We thought it was fun and hilarious (especially watching all of us try and get up again afterwards). We had a wonderful pilot, who sang traditional folk songs at various points.

We are in suites and our earliest available checkin was at 14:00 on Mar19 in Tokyo. We arrived at the terminal about 2:00 and were on board @ ~14:30. Suites (and all cabins) were available when we boarded. Two bags already at the cabin, the other 2 came about an hour later.

(IV) Sake brewery and tasting. For me, interesting tour and discussion of the process. Otherwise I’m not much of a sake fan so the tasting did nothing more than reinforce that LOL. Best I’ve ever had certainly, but just not my taste.

Niigata, Japan Overall: Another small city that we kind of dismissed in advance but we’re surprisingly charmed by. Definitely see the Saito Villa! Arrival: Three days ago I had never really had so effusive a greeting for a cruise ship as the last two ports, but somehow it was still a disappointment when there was no band this morning (but there were mascots!). What there was, was a crowd of tourism people (including little stalls under a tent) to greet and provide information. As it was Quest’s inaugural call on Niigata, there was (apparently) a traditional plaque ceremony at 11am and we received a drum send off at sail away. Access: Shuttle to Niigata Eki starting at 8:30 with last return at 16:00. Train station about 30 min. Dock (as in Akita) industrial and located a distance from town. Again, no taxis waiting but the tourism people called a few for us within 10-15 min. Ship excursion: didn’t use. Sites we did: (I) Honcho Ichiban market - Japanese shopping arcade that a combo fish and produce market and also has an Itoh Department Store that has incredible grocery ‘ produce section (the strawberries looked like they were a photograph using a color filter they were so vivid). If you go, make sure to explore the stalls “outside” the west side of the market! (II) Hakusan Park & Shrine - beautiful Japanese gardens and nice shrine (we saw a Shinto priest blessing a new car). (III) Saito Villa - wonderful example of a Meiji era villa (it had glass in the windows) with stunning gardens. Our ‘must see’ in Niigata. Can’t describe how charming the docents were, who are all volunteers, and they laid on English speaking ones because the Quest was in town.

Akita, Japan Overall: Cant say much about Akita as we hightailed it out of town right away to Kakunodate - which we thought was a charming small town with fascinating Samurai history. Although we were there too early this season, it’s clear this town will be stunning for the Apr3 sailing - with hundreds of weeping Cherry trees. Although chatting with a local florist on the street she said even that may be too early and she expected first bud to be Apr 15/16. Arrival/Departure: First foreign cruise ship in over 3 years again. Slightly smaller reception but again there were mascots, drummers (at arrival and departure), husband was interviewed by tv crews and print reporters and on departure they had another performance and even fireworks! We’re getting spoiled. Access: Shuttle provided to Akita Eki (train station). First one at 8:30, last one from town 4:30. We didn’t use it and took cabs instead (20min to station). No cabs waiting so we had the tourism people call us a few. Ship excursion: didn’t use. Sites we did: we went to Ishiguro and Aoyagi houses (each fascinating) as well as the Craft/Cultural museum, did a little shopping and had a delicious local Udon / Okonomiyaki lunch. Arrived at 10:00 (9;12 Shinkansen out of Akita) and left on the 14:21 back. Thought that was the perfect amount of time to see what we wanted to see. We spent most of the day as a small group of 6, had to share the first house with the Azamara excursion (which made it very crowded and glad we had done it on our own) for less than $100 pp which was probably half of the excursion cost.

I’ll try and provide some info from our port calls that I would have found useful in our planning. Let me know what to add going forward: Aomori, Japan Overall: Charming small city that I didn’t think was going to be anything special. Pleasantly surprised. Beautiful scenery with a “mountains meet the sea” vibe. Can’t stress how lovely and welcoming all locals were (see below - our arrival was an “event” which meant we were constantly being thanked for visiting). Arrival: First foreign cruise ship in over 3 years. Essentially band, dancers and mascots on arrival (husband and cousin interviewed on TV upon disembarkation). Think this may be the norm for many stops on this cruise. Don’t know that it will be for future cruises. Access: No shuttle needed as you essentially dock a 10 minute walk to downtown and the tourist center. Many taxis waiting for disembarking passengers. Tourist loop bus available from tourist center (although was a disaster for us as very small and very crowded, vowed never again). Used taxis after that. Ship excursion: didn’t use. Sites we did: (I) Jomon Archeological Site (UNESCO World Heritage) - interesting pre-industrial village dig and recreation self-guided with small museum and film (we spent 1hr total). Would have been better with a guide - tours in Japanese only. (II) A-Factory - restored wharf warehouse, hipster feel, all things Aomori (which means everything Apple), great cider tastings, small artisanal food vendors, souvenirs. (III) Nebuta Museum - “Must do” think Japan does Mardi Gras floats, impressive, fun and photogenic. (IV) Aomori Tourism Center - worth a visit for overall souvenir shopping plus amazing apple pastries (we didn’t go up to the 15th floor observation deck).