BruceMuzz

No, they do not.

We all know that there are thousands of different types and styles of Soy Sauce - known as "Shoyu" in Japanese 醤油. The characters translate as "fermented food oil". No mention of soybeans, but Shoyu is almost always made from fermented soybeans. Most Westerners know only the mass market commercial brands, which are pretty awful. I have been collecting and sampling different Soy Sauces for decades. My current favorite is Goyogura, a traditionally made Soy Sauce from Noda, Japan that is the favorite of the Japanese Imperial Family, What about you?

It really depends on what you - as a passenger - are looking to see and do. It also depends on the size of the ship and the time of year you are cruising. It further depends on your plans to arrive earlier or remain later than your cruise. The first itinerary has several small ports that do not have much significance - except that they are the "Real Japan". That is, the Japan that most Japanese people are familiar with. The sight-seeing in those ports will not have the WOW factor that Tokyo, Shimizu, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki have. The second itinerary is more loaded with the classic tourist things that most visitors to Japan want to see and experience.

Disposable? If so, wood or bamboo? If not disposable? Lacquered wood? Metal? Sterling Silver?

Disposable? If so, wood or bamboo? If not disposable? Lacquered wood? Metal? Sterling Silver?

There will be taxis and transfer buses at the Terminal, going to Haneda Kuko.

Martincath, I was on the Masa’s opening Team. Masa moved to San Francisco after leaving Auberge du Soleil in Napa. I was one of the people who found Masa’s body when he failed to come to work. It is true that the Michelin Guide did not rate officially US Restaurants until much later. But when they visited Masa’s in 1985, they gave us a Three Star Certificate anyway.

No Caribbean Cruise for me - ever. If I want to spend a week with a few thousand Walmartians, I can camp out at Walmart and save a lot of money.

Phuket

I have been many times on ships that were diverted to assist in emergencies. I have never been on a ship that was Re-Diverted to assist in an emergency.

You will need to rent lockers - either at Haneda or at the Hamamatsu end of the Monorail. If you leave the bags at Hamamatsu Station, you can easily collect them on the way back down to Yokohama after you tour Tokyo.

Masa’s in San Francisco 1981 America’s first Michelin 3-Star Restaurant. Had to book a table 3 years in advance to get in.

Your guide is correct. You will be able to see the ship from Glover Garden.

Two streets away from Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama is the Nihon-Odori Subway station. The Minato-Mirai Subway / Train stops there every three minutes for most of every day. A few times every hour, an express train stops there. If you catch that express train, you will be in Shibuya in 29 minutes. If you remain on the same train, you will be in Shinjuku 8 minutes later. The one-way fare is less than 500 yen per person.

Most everyone here claims that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Occasionally somebody comes along and proves them wrong.

Tourists go to the Caribbean and many parts of Europe. Travelers visit the rest of the world. In most of Asia (the largest part of the world), credit cards are only marginally accepted and local currency is a must.

Which is your favorite; Takoyaki or Okonomiyaki?

Talleyho8, I feel your pain. Why is it that cooks on cruise ships don’t know how to properly cook Japanese Okonomiyaki? Although one can argue that a Tom Collins Cocktail is outdated and known only to the dead and the dying, Okonomiyaki is currently one of the most popular dishes in a country of 130 million people. We have over 30,000 Okonomiyaki Restaurants in Japan. But when I take a cruise and ask for it, the staff have never even heard of it. The World has gone crazy…………

Very few things in Japan - other than food and alcohol - are cheaper than in the USA. But most Japanese goods are higher quality. Quality Sushi knives in Japan range from US$50 to US$50,000. We have a saying in Japan: When Americans go shopping, they ask “How cheap is it?” When Japanese go shopping, they ask “How good is it?” On the plus side, the Japanese Yen is currently (18 June 2023) trading at an incredible 142 yen to the US Dollar.

I always recommend that you plan to board the Shinkansen early in the morning - around 6am or so. Pick up one of the very nice O-bento boxes and the English version of Japan Times before you board. Have a nice O-bento breakfast and read the newspaper enroute, In most cases, you will reach your destination before lunch time. Next, have a nice lunch near the station. Then do your sight-seeing and shopping through the afternoon. Around 5 or 6 pm, catch the Shinkansen back to Yokohama. In most cases you will be back in your hotel in time for dinner.

- Kamakura - Nara - Nagano - Tokyo is the largest city on earth. You could spend weeks there and still miss many amazing things. If you are flying from Narita, your JR Pass is good for Narita Express.

Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama has a Takkyubin desk inside the terminal, near the main entrance. There are also Kombini and Hotels within a block or two of the terminal, where you could also send your bags to your hotel. Japan has enormous bike parking lots all over the country - not bike racks. If you tried to lock your bags there, the police would remove them.

The best place in Japan to buy quality Japanese knives is Kappabashi in Tokyo. Also known as "Kitchen City". Located near Sensoji Temple in Asakusa (Northern Tokyo). There are dozens of shops there that sell only kitchen knives. Many will customize them with your name (English or Japanese) etched on the blade. All of them will ship to your home. If you do opt to carry the knives onboard a ship, you should alert the ship security in advance. They will hold the knives for you until you disembark.

Google is your friend.

The luggage forwarding service you are looking for is called “Takkyubin” in Japanese. Most good hotels in Japan offer it. If your hotel does not offer it, virtually every “Kombini” (Convenience Store) in Japan does offer it. Kombini are 7-11, Family Mart, and a few others. I can guarantee that there will be a Kombini near your hotel. Fees are based in the size of the bag. Average cost is about 2,000 yen per bag. Delivery is guaranteed overnight.