Celebrity Millennium Japan - 10/24/2023 - Live(ish) Report

[Miaminice]

2023 – Japan – Celebrity Millennium – Day 14 - Yokohama - Part 1

What a treat! This could and should have been the headline of the journal of this day. Unexpectedly, we experienced so much that day that I am splitting the journal of the day up.

 

But of course it sure didn’t feel like a treat when we woke up to the sight of Yokohama´s Osanbashi pier. A sight which unmistakably told us that the cruising fun was over. We had a last breakfast at Blu, said good bye to our waiters and disembarked our home away from home of the past two weeks.

 

 

For our last night in Japan we had chosen the Oakwood Suites Hotel near the port. So it only took 5 minutes by taxi to reach the hotel within one of the prominent highrises of Yokohama. An elevator took us to the lobby on the 46th floor and we had a fantastic panoramic view over Yokohama and Millennium.

 

 

 

We dropped our luggage off and headed to the next subway station. Just the night before we had come up with the idea to take a train to Kamakura to make the best of the day. Around 45 minutes later we left the train station of Kamakura and walked to the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Lucky travelers that we are, we lucked out again. We happened to be there during the Kamakura International Exchange Festival. So we were not only able to visit the colossal copper statue of Amitabha Buddha but also had the pleasure of watching different performances.

 

 

 

 

When we reached the temple, a line dance group was just getting ready to perform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While watching the dance, we noticed a group dressed in red costumes gathered around large Alphorns and a German flag attached to a small music stand. When I took a closer look, a lady came over and I told her that we were from Germany. Big smiles were the response. They were from the Japanese German Society and eager to talk to us in German. Then they had to get ready for their show and played a few songs on the Alphorns, accordions and with cow bells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who would have thought? We had to travel all the way from Germany to Japan to see this. Buddha´s kind facial expression told us that he forgave them the occasional off-key notes and when we shouted “Dankeschoen” after the songs, they were all smiles. We still had some Ricola Swiss Herb candies in our pockets and they highly appreciated them as a token of our appreciation.

 

 

 

 

 

Because of the festival there were various stalls with food and information behind the statue. At one of them a few ladies encouraged foreign visitors to write down their names which they then wrote in Japanese letters on colorful paper. You can´t imagine the fun they had while they discussed how the names Birgit and Oliver should be written and then proudly handed over the result.

 

 

 

When we left the temple, three dancers performed a dance from Ryukyu and we had to smile because they were wearing the traditional, brilliantly colored Hanagasa hats which we had also put on for photos on Okinawa just a few days before. This day had sure started with loads of fun experiences…

 

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Miaminice

[Jim_Iain]

What a wonderful live report.    It has been my companion every morning while sipping coffee and counting the days to our next cruise.  

 

Your photography was incredible and brings back so many memories.

 

 

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

What a wonderful live report.    It has been my companion every morning while sipping coffee and counting the days to our next cruise.  

 

Your photography was incredible and brings back so many memories.

 

 

Thanks! Not quite finished yet… but I am a bit behind. 
Worklife and a cold caught up with us. 

[DaKahuna]

@Miaminice The pictures of Daibutsu bring back some wonderful memories.  It is an amazing stroke of luck that you were there for the festival.   I am just asked the wife for a 'kitchen pass' to visit when we are there for our cruise. 

 

[fergorama]

Well done for taking the time and effort to post and report. We saw a few photos we regret not taking and a few deja vu moments. Next time skip Uniqlo and try GU !

We spwent two plus weeks prior to the cruise walking the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage route, the Japanese equivalent to the Camino and recommend it those whose like to walk and explore.

[StopTheWorld]

17 hours ago, Miaminice said:

2023 – Japan – Celebrity Millennium – Day 14 - Yokohama - Part 1

What a treat! This could and should have been the headline of the journal of this day. Unexpectedly, we experienced so much that day that I am splitting the journal of the day up.

 

But of course it sure didn’t feel like a treat when we woke up to the sight of Yokohama´s Osanbashi pier. A sight which unmistakably told us that the cruising fun was over. We had a last breakfast at Blu, said good bye to our waiters and disembarked our home away from home of the past two weeks.

 

 

For our last night in Japan we had chosen the Oakwood Suites Hotel near the port. So it only took 5 minutes by taxi to reach the hotel within one of the prominent highrises of Yokohama. An elevator took us to the lobby on the 46th floor and we had a fantastic panoramic view over Yokohama and Millennium.

 

 

 

We dropped our luggage off and headed to the next subway station. Just the night before we had come up with the idea to take a train to Kamakura to make the best of the day. Around 45 minutes later we left the train station of Kamakura and walked to the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Lucky travelers that we are, we lucked out again. We happened to be there during the Kamakura International Exchange Festival. So we were not only able to visit the colossal copper statue of Amitabha Buddha but also had the pleasure of watching different performances.

 

 

 

 

When we reached the temple, a line dance group was just getting ready to perform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While watching the dance, we noticed a group dressed in red costumes gathered around large Alphorns and a German flag attached to a small music stand. When I took a closer look, a lady came over and I told her that we were from Germany. Big smiles were the response. They were from the Japanese German Society and eager to talk to us in German. Then they had to get ready for their show and played a few songs on the Alphorns, accordions and with cow bells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who would have thought? We had to travel all the way from Germany to Japan to see this. Buddha´s kind facial expression told us that he forgave them the occasional off-key notes and when we shouted “Dankeschoen” after the songs, they were all smiles. We still had some Ricola Swiss Herb candies in our pockets and they highly appreciated them as a token of our appreciation.

 

 

 

 

 

Because of the festival there were various stalls with food and information behind the statue. At one of them a few ladies encouraged foreign visitors to write down their names which they then wrote in Japanese letters on colorful paper. You can´t imagine the fun they had while they discussed how the names Birgit and Oliver should be written and then proudly handed over the result.

 

 

 

When we left the temple, three dancers performed a dance from Ryukyu and we had to smile because they were wearing the traditional, brilliantly colored Hanagasa hats which we had also put on for photos on Okinawa just a few days before. This day had sure started with loads of fun experiences…

 

 

We have just booked our flights and hotels for next October’s cruise, and decided to add on an extra day in Yokohama at the end. I am so glad now! This looks like a great day trip - and there’s more to come 😃 Thanks for your wonderful trip report - I’ve really enjoyed it. 

[Miaminice]

2023 – Japan – Celebrity Millennium – Day 14 - Yokohama - Part 2

 

Believing the Great Buddha was the highlight of the day, we walked down the road and reached the Hasedera Temple after 5 minutes or so. We had seen the sign on the way to the Buddha and now, on the way back, thought we might as well… Of course we couldn´t read the writing on the big red lantern at the gate. However, we now know what it should say: "Prepare to be wowed!"

 

 

We didn´t expect this temple to be so vast... and beautiful.

 

 

Past a nice pond we followed a path and took some stairs up the hill. On the first landing we were greeted by the friendly faced Ryo-en Jizo, a group of three little Jizo statues. 

 

 

 

 

A bit higher up we reached the Jizo-do shrine. Around and behind the small shrine you can find hundreds of small Jizō statues. Jizō is the guardian deity of children. In the past they were set up by parents to watch over their children. Today the statues are donated by parents who have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion. Jizō is said to watch over the souls of the children who have died.

 

The statues remain in place for one year. They are then buried or burned to make way for new statues. Since the Second World War, it´s estimated that over 50,000 figures have been erected.

 

 

 

 

 

Sitting in a small stream there is a larger black Jizo statue. It is believed that gently pouring water over the statue purifies one´s mind and soul.

 

[Miaminice]

On the next plateau sit the magnificent Kannon-do Hall and the Amida-do Hall.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Amida-do Hall houses a large and beautiful Buddha statue. The shiny statues put in scene by flowers which covered the walls.

 

 

 

The Kannon-do Hall is home to the miracle statue of Kannon. The legend says that in 721, the monk Tokudo Shonin commissioned two statues of Kannon, to be made from the same camphor tree. One was enshrined in Nara, and the other was thrown into the sea as an offering. However, it washed up not far from Kamakura  15 years later, and the Hasedera temple was built to contain it. Today, it is the largest wooden statue in Japan, standing at nearly 10 meters tall. It is absolutely stunning to say the least - but you‘ll have to take my word for it. Photography wasn’t allowed.

[Miaminice]

Behind the temple bell there´s the Inari-sha shrine. We were surprised to see that instead of the wooden plaques, as we knew them from other temples, oyster shells are used here to place wishes near the shrine. 

 

 

 

 

That’s because it’s been told that oyster shells protected the Kannon statue on her voyage across the sea and guided Kannon to the shore.

[Miaminice]

Besides a repository for Buddhist scriptures we followed the "Prospect Path" up the hill. It is also called Hydrangea Path. In June, 40 different kinds of hydrangeas bloom and offer a magificent sight. Today, even without the blooming flowers, we could enjoy the view accross Kamakura bay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way down we had a small lunch at the temple’s restaurant. Not only enjoying a nice pork bun and a ramen, but also the views.

 

 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Miaminice

[Miaminice]

 

 

 

 

As if this temple didn’t have enough to offer above ground already, it still had a cave waiting for us. So after our short break we took the stairs down again and entered the Benten Kutsu Cave through a Torii gate.

 

 

First you enter a larger cave with statues of Benzaiten carved into the walls. Benzaiten is the goddess of all that flows: water, music, arts, love, wisdom, wealth, fortune…

Then you continue to other caves by a low tunnel. I am 186 cm or 6 feet 1.4 inches tall. I almost had to crawl through the tunnel. The caves are larger, so I could almost stand up to see all the small Benzaiten statues lined up inside them. Visitors can write their name on them and leave them as an offering.

 

 

[Miaminice]

Last but not least we visited the exquisite Japanese rock garden or Zen Garden on the way to the exit.  The lines carefully drawn into the gravel express the flow of water and represent streams without the use of water.

 

 

 

I know I am writing quite a lot about this temple. Maybe too much - my apologies. And most of the details I only learned now by reading about them to write my journal of the day.
 

I can’t quite explain what it was with this temple… while we were there I was touched and moved and kept saying to Birgit: what a treat! And she fully agreed.
 

Maybe it was the unexpected surprise of its beauty. Maybe because, despite quite a few other visitors and worshippers admiring the temple with us, it still radiated an aura of calmness and peace. I really don’t know. I just know that it felt just like that - a real treat.

 

 

On our way out we walked past a larger Nagomi Jizo statue. It was placed there in 2010 to give visitors a peace of mind. The philosophy of Nagomi is characterized by a sense of ease, emotional balance, well-being, and calmness. All this rests within these statues. And don’t you just have to smile looking at it? And somehow all of it is present within the entire temple.

 

 

 

Extremely happy about this first half of the day, we took the local Enoden railway back to Kamakura Station. The starting point for even more to come…

 

[Miaminice]

2023 – Japan – Celebrity Millennium – Day 14 - Yokohama - Part 3
From Kamakura Station we followed the signs to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine and took the East Exit. Just accross the station, we entered Komachi-dori Street through a red Torii Gate. We coulnd´t have missed it. We just had to follow the masses - the masses of young people and families. All of Kamakura seemed to be on a Sunday walk through the narrow street. It was lined with over 250 boutiques, souvenir shops and mainly food stalls. There was nothing you couldn`t buy. Seafood skewers, Tempura, sweets, a local croquette specialty filled with fillings ranging from beef and sweet potato to chocolate, ice cream, sushi, crepes, Dango sticks... pure temptation left and right. I stopped at a place for smoothies and juices and bought a sweet potato latte frappé - OMG, so good 🙂 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

Being able to resist most other culinary temptations we reached the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine. The shrine was founded in 1063 and is Kamakura´s most important shrine. The majestic main hall stands on a terrace at the top of a huge stairway. Many families dressed in traditional clothes climbed the stairs with us. Big and small were on their way to pray, make wishes or to attend a ceremony. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

Several ponds completed the beautiful landscape of the temple area. Families used the background of the ponds and bridges for photoshoots. The colorful kimonos of the kids competing with the autumn colors. They were all so cute and when we asked some of them if we could take photos, they smiled and proudly modeled for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

We left the temple grounds and took the main road back to the station. The elevated middle part was reserved for pedestrians and lined with cherry trees. The canopies of the trees formed a tunnel and we could only imagine how beautiful it would be to walk through the tunnel during cherry blossom. Birgit and I promised each other that we would find out…

 

 

[Miaminice]

The train took us back to Yokohama where we checked into the Oakwood Suites Hotel. From the lobby on the 46th floor we could still see Millennium at the pier below. Soon she would set sail and take more explorers to enjoy Japan.

 

Although we had booked one of the smaller rooms, our studio on the 49th floor was huge. It had a fully equipped kitchen and a generously sized bathroom. The balcony provided a fantastic view over Yokohama. We took a nap and when we woke up again, it was already dark outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dinner we went to Yokohama‘s Chinatown, happy about this fabulous last day in Japan.

 

 

 

 

[StopTheWorld]

43 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

The train took us back to Yokohama where we checked into the Oakwood Suites Hotel. From the lobby on the 46th floor we could still see Millennium at the pier below. Soon she would set sail and take more explorers to enjoy Japan.

 

Although we had booked one of the smaller rooms, our studio on the 49th floor was huge. It had a fully equipped kitchen and a generously sized bathroom. The balcony provided a fantastic view over Yokohama. We took a nap and when we woke up again, it was already dark outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dinner we went to Yokohama‘s Chinatown, happy about this fabulous last day in Japan.

 

 

 

 

I can’t believe you did all of this in 1 day! 😊

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, StopTheWorld said:

I can’t believe you did all of this in 1 day! 😊

and with no rush at all… We even had time for a nap in the afternoon.

 

[hcat]

so Amazing...

I will return to the photos of this last phase of your review again and again.

 

it is calming, easy to to enjoy...and mediate upon....

... sadly contrasted with what I am seeing on TV these days.  

 

Thank You..

[Miaminice]

2023 – Japan – Celebrity Millennium – Day 15 – The End

The next morning we took the train to Haneda Airport and had a last Ramen for breakfast, before a 14.5 hour flight over Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland and the UK brought us back to Frankfurt.

 

 

Do you think these egg eyes on our Ramen looked sad? Is it possible that the moist spots on our polo shirts were not just the typical collateral damage of having a Ramen but teardrops? YES, absolutely !!!

 

While having the last Ramen at Haneda Airport it slowly sunk in - we were leaving this beautiful country and its friendly and lovely people. This had been our third time in Japan and definitely not the last. Our hearts had begun to beat, or maybe drum, a bit Japanese.

DOMO ARIGATŌ GOZAIMASHITA, NIPPON!

We love you, and we will come back.

 

Thank you all for following along on our trip!

 

Sorry the last parts took a while. When we were back home, real life took over again.

 

Our next cruise will be unusually soon, Singapore to Hong Kong on Solstice over the holidays. Of course we´ll try to report here again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Miaminice

[agape01]

1 hour ago, Miaminice said:

 

 

Our next cruise will be unusually soon, Singapore to Hong Kong on Solstice over the holidays. Of course we´ll try to report here again.

 

 

 

 

You might want to check out this thread in the Asia forum when you start planning for Singapore.
 

 

[poppymum]

Just want to say thank you so much, I feel sad your trip is over! I have enjoyed reading your posts, so helpful as well for our future trip. I will look forward to your next one!

[Miaminice]

34 minutes ago, agape01 said:

You might want to check out this thread in the Asia forum when you start planning for Singapore.
 

 

Thank you! Always interesting to read new things.

Singapore is not unfamiliar to us. It’s one of our favorite cities. We have been there a couple of times and once had the pleasure of staying in Singapore for a week, A fabulous price we won with Singapore Airlines 😁 Our favorite airline - not just because of the price we won.

 

Unfortunately we’ll only stay for a night this time. And we already have our favorite (food) places on our agenda 👍

[DaKahuna]

@Miaminice  Thank you once again for this beautiful cruise review.  You stories and pictures of your journey were wonderful and inspiring.  It makes us look all that much more forward to our upcoming sailing on Millie this coming May.