Japan Intensive - do tell

[uktog]

51 minutes ago, nonrev1 said:

If you’re talking about the trip to the bridge yesterday, … We were not on a bus for two hours. We took a bullet train to the bridge and we were only on a bus for about 15 minutes. On the way back we did take a bus, and it was just under an hour to the Peace Park.   So, we were never on a bus for two hours straight I am not sure where you’re getting that misinformation. . Also, the bridge was not difficult to walk. it is listed as strenuous, but most people I spoke to would have categorized it as medium difficulty.  

Great to hear.  I am presuming at the bridge yesterday it is one of those things you can do a little of it if you feel able, or a lot, or none of it.  I really liked the sound of your trip and as soon as the facilities to book excursions are open I will be jumping for this one.  

 

I have struggled with misinformation and confusion on this thread over the last two cruises, but your posts and those of @Drebay earlier have been so clear and helpful.  I have a spreadsheet all filled in and know what I will be heading for. 

 

Shikokumuro certainly sounds like one to bypass for me, I dont do rope bridges!!!!  Thanks for that warning.

[Drebay]

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. 

Edited April 13, 2023 by Drebay

[nonrev1]

If you did not want to cross the bridge you did not have to.  We had a few people that were not the best walkers but they made it across easily.  Celebrated with ice cream.  When you crossed the bridge, there is a guided tour. An easy, slow walk on flat surfaces.  We walked back across the bridge and had lunch near the bridge. One gentleman from another bus chose not to walk and he went directly to the hotel and waited there.   I have a spreadsheet too.  If you want it one day, I will definitely share.  I am attaching a picture of the steps.  The most difficult thing I found was the first step heading down the bridge. They are very short steps up and down.  ( They are wide ….so no worries there) the hump of the bridge has no steps.  So, after you come over  the hump on the way down, you have to watch where the step begins.  The wood blends in.  Notice the picture on the right you can’t see the steps going down.  No one tripped or fell when we were there….just watch where the first step down begins. 

[uktog]

Oh that’s very doable I get misled by other posts thanks so much! 

[nonrev1]

It might be better if you don’t comment on a tour that you were not on. The lunch was a combination. We had sashimi, another type of raw fish, three types of cooked fish, a typical soup, and also we had shrimp tempura and vegetable tempura, along with a typical egg pudding cup and other fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. I think we have had enough comment on a tour that you were not on. Let’s move on.  Thank you.

[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!

Edited April 14, 2023 by Drebay

[nonrev1]

Everyone has a right to comment but it is a shame when inaccurate information is given about a tour by someone who was not on that particular tour.  This horse was beaten to death so I am moving on to Kobe.  
What a fabulous day.  I booked a tour for 6 of us through All Star Osaka.  Our guide was excellent and it was a great day.  Our guide (Aki) met us at the ship and we used public transportation for our tour.  (We spent the day in Kyoto). The tour started on the monorail, express train and then regular train.  Aki gave us each a SUICA card for the day.  Our first stop was Fushimi Inari Taisha.  This is known as one of the most iconic sights of Tokyo.  Unlike Drebay, we were not here during the peak of Cherry Blossoms, but we were also there with thousands of our closest friends. I have never seen so many people taking selfies.    We spent quite a bit of time here and then we hoped in taxis and went to Gion ( the Geisha district).  It was nice as we walked through the area before it got too crowded.  Next stop was lunch.  We went to a small restaurant and the food was very good.  Part of our group likes sushi and part does not so this restaurant gave everyone options.  After lunch we hopped into taxis and went to Kingakuji…..the golden Pavillion.  Beautiful!  The weather was cooperating and the reflection off the water surrounding the Pavillion looked like a reflection in a mirror.  Of course we had to have ice cream while we were there.  The ice cream is served with gold flakes.  ( real or not?). The green tea ice cream was some of the best I have had while in Japan.  Next stop by taxi was the Bamboo Forrest.  I have never seen so much bamboo that tall.  From there, we walked to the train station and took a regular train to connect with the Bullet Train.  What an experience on the regular train.  Kids were getting out of school and all trying to get on the train.  I was surprised how many people could fit on one train car. When the doors opened at the last stop everyone just poured out of the train.  We connected to the bullet train and made our way back to the ship.  The tour was wonderful because we had flexibility to design our schedule.  Loved taking trains and taxis.  Everything was included in the price so there was no guessing how much money we needed for transportation or lunch. Taking the bullet train back to the ship was great since it shortened the returned a bit.  We did everything without feeling rushed in 8.5 hours.   If you want a great tour option in Kyoto I would highly recommend this tour company. 
 

 

[nonrev1]

Kobe Day 2- we had every intention of being ambitious today but, the weather got the best of us. This cruise is very intense as it is advertised so having a windy and rainy day, gave us a good opportunity for a little downtime. We were hoping to go to the cup o noodles museum where you have an opportunity to make Ramen noodles or you can design your own cup o noodle container and make your own cup o noodles with whatever ingredients you want. By taxi it is 45 minutes from the ship again… We lost our mojo today. So, we took the complimentary ship shuttle from the port.  From there  we took a hop on/hop off loop bus and stayed on the bus for the entire loop. ( the shuttle and loop bus are at the same bus stop).  I bought the tickets in advance and they are ¥700 a piece.        ( roughly 5 USD) . I would not recommend buying them in advance, but I thought it would make it easier.  They had trouble reading our QR code, and since everything in Japan is very punctual, after a certain amount of time the driver said just get on the bus - it doesn’t matter. At least that’s what I think they said in Japanese. Lol.  You can buy the tickets on the bus.  It is easier.  There is a sign…. Just point to it and pay.  It really was kind of funny because for a while, we were the only ones on the bus and they had a very well dressed woman giving a presentation between stops.  The only problem was it was in Japanese, and we do not speak a word  of Japanese. So every time she stopped speaking I would turn to her  smile and nod my head.  I felt much better when one of the stops was at a train station and about 10 other people got on. We walked a little bit through Chinatown when we got off the bus. ( Chinatown is where the shuttle drop off is)   We arrived back on the ship in time for a great Dim Sum lunch.  
The sail aways  have been great but something about this one was better.  Today we had a high school drum band.  What set this group apart from the others was that it was primarily girls.   We were standing in the rain watching them with awe.  Seriously, rain and wind but we just stood watching and could not take our eyes off of them.  They were amazing!  

 

[nonrev1]

Shimizu - today we chose a ship tour as we wanted to go to Hakone National Park and there really was no other feasible way to get there.  If anyone is interested in this tour and is scared by the “strenuous “ and requires a one mile walk and 200 steps -   I don’t know where that comes from.  People on a Moderate tour had steps and walking, we did not.  The bus travel was longer on this one,  but we knew it going in.   This is where we wanted to go. The tour guide was the best ship excursion guide we have had.  We started off with lunch and this was the only disappointment.  We had lunch at the Hyatt Hotel which was beautiful.  The service and lunch were excellent……but, it was the first place we have eaten while off the ship where we had forks, knives and spoons.  No chopsticks.  We were all quite surprised that it was an American style lunch.  It was very good…..just surprising.  ( there were 3 buses- we all went to different restaurants so I am not sure what the others had for lunch). After lunch we went down to the lake and took a pirate boat across the lake and had beautiful views of Mount Fuji.  It did get crazy windy but the sun was out and Mount Fuji was fully visible.  After we left the boat, we took the cable car up the mountain ( even crazier windy) and again had great views of Mount Fuji.  Upon reaching the top we saw areas of thermal springs and sulfur springs.  One of the specialties of the area is boiling eggs in the sulfur water and having the egg shells turn black.  Back to the stairs and walking- we were dropped off at the hotel front door and took an elevator down to the restaurant.  When we reached the boat, we walked maybe 100 yds from the ticket office to the boat.  The boat had an elevator if needed.  Left the boat and walked maybe 50 yds into a building and took escalators.  Got on/off cable car  and you could take an elevator to the ground level or walk stairs.  That’s it.  So, if you are interested in this tour, don’t let the description scare you.  That being said…..we had absolutely clear and perfect views of Mount Fuji.  This is one of those tours I would book after having a better idea what the weather will be.  We did not and we were either lucky or the Weather Gods were making up for some bad weather we  had along the way. The original forecast was rain.    I would have been very disappointed if I took this tour and there was no visibility or it was raining.  
 

[nonrev1]

A beautiful send off on our last official “cruising” night.

 

[nonrev1]

Sad that this amazing adventure has come to an end.  When I get home and recover from my vacation I will post a summary.  Tomorrow is a very long day.  
Tokyo- today we toured with the same company we used while in Kobe the first day.  All Star Osaka.  I cannot say enough good things about them.  In both ports they arrived early, the guides were both excellent, everything was included and they made sure we were having a good tour and were willing to be flexible.  We started off going to the fish market.  It was very different than the fish market in Busan.  Busan was all live fish….this was sushi, cooked fish cakes, and many types of foods.  I would consider it a market vs. fish market.  The original fish market ( live fish) moved and is not open to the public.  From there we moved on to lunch.  We went to a food court near the market and we each had the opportunity to order whatever we wanted.  Next stop was Shibuya Crossing.  First we went to Shibuya Sky.  What was great was that we could go to the 14th floor and then to the top.  Along the way we watched a 3D ad ….it happens every hour on the hour.  Wow.  The ad sign turns into a clock, then a 3 D Akita dog jumps out. Truly a must see.  From the top the views were amazing.  We returned  down the last 14 floors by escalator and saw all of the stores in the building.  Good thing we stayed on the escalator because I could easily had done some retail therapy.  We then crossed the Shibuya Scramble.  So fun!  Then it was off to Asakura Sensoji Temple.  Very impressive.  Again there was more shopping leading up to the Temple that was tempting me.  Our guide took us to her favorite sweet place.  A man makes hot mini waffles stuffed with big chunks of red bean paste while you wait.  Absolutely delicious. Nice and hot.   I can see why it is her favorite.  We walked a bit more and she pointed out many local landmarks including the Asahi Beer building that was designed to look like a mug of beer.  It was a full day and an excellent choice for our last day in Tokyo.  

[nonrev1]

I was planning to wait and do my summary when I arrived home but I have 5 more hours at Haneda airport before boarding our flight.  ( pardon my spelling auto correct and my not so nimble fingers are a bad combo) 
 

Airport:  Haneda airport was the closest airport to the cruise terminal we used.  
 

Hotel: we stayed at the Hotel Nikko Tokyo Daibo. When we arrived in our room we could see the ship down below.  They had a special promo when we booked that gave us executive room access, along  with compl8mentary snacks in the afternoon and evening.  Breakfast was also included.  Very nice hotel and the staff was excellent. If you don’t have a lot of luggage it is not a difficult walk to the ship.  
 

I am only going to put a small section in regarding the sins of the mothership and the onboard consequences because by the time you take this cruise I am confident this will all be resolved.    They worked triple hard onboard as there were many that arrived with missing OBC, missing tour tickets, tour tickets with incorrect times, missing refunds, and missing loyalty points that affected those that had reached the next tier and were eligible for free nights.  It definitely did impact the onboard experience.  But, wow….they went above and beyond to try to make up for everything.  The Hotel director had local talent onboard at many ports including Geishas ( still working), some outstanding drummers, saki tastings etc.   I hope those that were new or chose not to make a future booking based on some of the struggles reconsider when things settle down.  
 

Wifi- hopefully it will change but the wifi was good when docked but very slow at sea.  We were told this was a Japan issue.  Due to some family issues and needing to ensure I was reachable, I got a pocket wifi through Japan Wireless.  Loved it.  Just had to make sure it was turned off while at sea and when we were in S. Korea.  Since we spent most of our time exploring while in port, the pocket wifi was wonderful.  Definitely helped with the google translate and map apps.   When I needed to make phone calls,  it was perfectly clear.  You can pick up the device at the airport on arrival or they will send it to your hotel.  They give you a mail pouch so when you are on your way out, you put it in the pouch and drop it in a post box. Easy peasy.  They offered a promo which made it even better. You can hook up to 9 devices and no limits or throttles on speed.  My husband laughed because if we were out and about he lost the wifi when I walked away.  His wifi came back when I got closer.  
 

Ports- each one was so different.  Someone asked which was our favorite and I honestly could not tell you.  They were all unique.  We are typically do it your selfers and at the beginning of the planning stage struggled to find ways to do things on our own.  But then as tourism started opening up again, it got a bit easier.  
Each port will be what you make of it.  We try to do it all because we know that some of the towns we will never go back to.  We are not fans of ships tours but some ports we did because we had an OBC or wanted to go someplace that a tour was going but there was not another way to get there.  I listed some of the tour companies we used and I woild recommend them all.  If you don’t want a tour but simply want transportation, they have taxi tours.  You can book most of them in advance and there is a set itinerary.  The driver does not speak English but has your itinerary.  They also have a sheet in the taxi that you can point at and it has the sentence in both English and Japanese.  The taxi will drop you off at a location for a set amount of time and will be there when you return.  
 

Azamazing Evening - ours was a destination immersion. It was nice, but not the same.  Plus, it was a Japan Intensive cruise and our on ship experience was in S Korea. Hopefully we will get back to off ship events soon.  

[nonrev1]

Part 2

 

Food onboard - I was not on the first Japan cruise so I cannot compare  except from what I read that there was not a lot of Japanese food onboard their cruise.  We had quite a bit so I think they took the feedback and made improvements.  We were in a suite so we were able to eat in Prime C or Aqualina ….but, the menus have not changed in a long time.  Every night they offered a chefs special but we did find on a 15 night voyage it lacked options.  I wish they had a menu that rotated every few days.  We limited our time at the specialty restaurants and ate in Discoveries or on long tour days at Windows.  The food at both was very good.  We never had slow service in Discoveries.  Some had stated they did.  I did notice they now have a sign at the entrance letting you know what the busy times were.  
 

entertainment- we did not watch too many of the shows but those we did were very well presented.  After a long day we preferred to get a nice pot of tea and relax in a quiet area by Mosaic.  
 

We learned so much on this cruise:  there are no trash cans outside in Japan.  You are expected to throw away your trash where you bought the item or take the wrappers home with you. 
It is considered rude to walk and eat. ( that’s why you throw out wrappers where you bought the item) 

japan is spotless. 
the people of Japan were very happy to see us and could not have been nicer. 
If you have a question, they thank you for asking a question. 
if you are lost they will walk with you to try to help

There was so much more.  I have to end with one that was especially fun.  The ship was delayed leaving Tokyo because the gangway was stuck and they could not lock it into place.  A gentleman that worked for the port tried his hardest to get it to move.  He finally attached it to two cars. ( it looked like they were towing the ship with two cars) the employee looked like a symphony conductor directing the cars to go or stop.  It was quite a performance but he finally got it locked into place.  Today when we docked I saw him as we went down the gangway.  I said something to him about the great job he did.  He acted like I just gave him a million yen.  He was so excited that I saw him and told everyone around that I saw him two weeks ago.  He then gave me a big hug.  This is quite unusual for the Japanese….but it was a great ending moment of a terrific voyage.  
 

We have taken over 20 cruises on Azamara and this is definitely in our top 3 

 

if you have any questions, ask away…..I am sure there are also some on the first cruise that will also answer questions. 
 

 

 

[uktog]

Thank you to @nonrev1 it has been so wonderful to sail with you virtually and to read of your comments at every port. You and those on the previous cruise really have helped with our forward planning and I and many others would have been none the wiser if we’d stripped your posts out of this thread. 

You had a very proactive hotel director on board who I know always pulls the stops out via contacts to get that special local extra be it food or entertainment. It obviously paid off this time!

 

Youve given us some confidence to venture in some ports on our own and we really sense we have to be ready for the intensive nature of the trip. That’s fine, it’s going to be a once only trip so we will be ready for it. 
Thanks again, you’ve reassured me we can manage it despite the language barrier and it will be special. 

[nonrev1]

Thank you for your kind words.  Yes, the Hotel Director is excellent.  We sailed with him on our first Azamara cruise in 2010 on the Quest and he was Food and  Beverage Manager.  It will be a huge loss when he leaves the ship.   

[dcl999]

Does anyone have thoughts about what ports they wished they had more time in or things they missed going by ship instead of land? I’m noticing a few things I’d like to do in addition to the port stops listed. Thanks 

[kool kruiser]

Rather late to this party but many thanks for the two posters for their brilliant blogs. This itinerary is now very much on my radar and I have pasted the great insights for future reference. Hoping that AZ keeps all those wonderful little 'extras' and that they were not just for this year !

[nonrev1]

I think if you start early in Tokyo or stay longer in Tokyo you can go to some inland areas pretty easily.  The train system in Japan is excellent.  I wish we stayed longer in Kobe.  We were there a little less than a day and a half.  The second day was Sunday and many things open later plus we had to be back to the ship around noon or 12:30?  So, the second day did not give us much time.  The first day in Kobe we went to Kyoto which we loved .  The second day we woild have gone to Nara but there was no time.  

[batlady66]

Does anyone know where we dock in Busan?  I am looking at a tour https://www.viator.com/tours/Busan/Busan-One-Day-Tour-Special-places-in-Busan-you-must-introduce-to-other-people/d4615-361415P1 and it seems to start quite close to somewhere called the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal.  Is this where we dock? 

[gazzer159]

On 4/12/2023 at 12:36 AM, nonrev1 said:

For our day in Kitakyushu we took the train to Kokura.  I had arranged a walking tour through a company called Trip Insight and it turned out to be just the two of us.  Our guide was so nervous as this was her first English tour since Covid began.  She had no one to,practice with to keep up her language skills.  It was a fantastic tour and her English was excellent.  ( she had done a summer program at Harvard). 
we walked about 2 miles and went through the Gintengai Shopping street, Tokiwabashi bridge, Kokura Castle Gardens, Yasukata Shrine, Kokura Castle and the Tanga Local Market.  As a bonus she took us to the top of RiverWalk to show us the amazing views of the city and the Castle.  We took the train back to Kitakyushu which was very easy and then a short walk once we were off the train.  Our guide was excellent and she provided great information on everything we saw.  

Hi, could you tell me the name of the guide please

[Cruiser Craig]

On 4/16/2023 at 5:28 PM, nonrev1 said:

A beautiful send off on our last official “cruising” night.

 

Wow, nonrev1 and Drebay, thank you so much!  We've been to Japan several times, but I have to say that the info you've posted about ports, shuttles, guides and your experiences will be invaluable for us during the 2024 Japan Intensive.  

どうもありがとうございます!

Edited October 6, 2023 by Cruiser Craig
Year correction

[debcip]

Many many thanks to @Drebay and @nonrev1! The prep for this trip is rather overwhelming and your details re so helpful!  
 

I have a question about money—is it true that we should plan to use cash for most transactions in shops and restaurants?  If so, can you give the denomination of yen we should try to bring? I have found that, at times, an ATM provides large bills which we have found difficult to use in some countries. Thank you!