We are digital nomads who work and travel the world, and we’ve visited over ninety countries. One of our all-time favorites is Japan. After two visits to Japan – in winter 2018 and summer 2019 – we decided we needed much more. Therefore, in April 2024 we took the Azamara Japan Intensive Cruise aboard the Azamara Journey. This post will detail our experience in each of the ten ports during this 15-night cruise.
Azamara Cruises is one of our favorite cruise lines for several reasons. First of all, their ships are small, which not only allows them to get into smaller ports, it also makes it easier for us to get around the ship. Secondly, they offer a lot of country-intensive itineraries like this one, which allows you to get to know a country and visit lesser-known towns. Lastly, we find the fellow passengers (less than 700) to be well-traveled and friendly.
❤️ Find Out Why We Love Azamara Cruises
Tokyo
We spent a few days in Tokyo before embarking on the cruise. April is a very busy month and finding a hotel can be a challenge, especially if you’re looking for something affordable. We stayed in Shinjuku at JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Shinjuku, which I highly recommend. It is only a two minute walk to the enormous JR Shinjuku Station and direct access to Harajuku, Shibuya and Akihabara. It wasn’t cheap but we were able to use Citi points to defray the cost somewhat.
🌸 Sakura
April heralds the beginning of Sakura – cherry blossom season – all over Japan. There are hundreds of species of cherry trees and each one blooms on its own schedule and depending on the climate in which it’s found. There are apps that tell you with great accuracy where to find cherry blossoms in Japan and to what degree they are blooming, but if you are in Japan in April, you will see them everywhere.
Navigating Tokyo (and Japan) with the Suica App
Navigating the trains, subways, buses, and ferries in Japan is super-easy with the Suica app. It used to be a card you had to get, but now it’s an app on your phone you add money to, then just tap to ride any of these conveyances. We’ve used it all over Japan – even at vending machines – and it’s quite convenient.
Plan Your Trip?
Need help planning your trip from start to finish? Check out these helpful links:
Cheap flights
Affordable car rental options
Savings on accommodations from budget to luxury hotels
The most popular day trips and sightseeing tours
Our favorite travel gear
Easy eSims for your mobile phone
If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. See our full disclosure.
Azamara Japan Intensive Cruise
To augment the country-intensive experience, Azamara provided some additional resources:
➡️ Japan Ambassador
On this cruise, Azamara provided a “Japan ambassador,” a Japanese guide who provided us with maps, logistical information and recommendations on food and sights in each port. It was a great resource to have and she was extremely helpful to our planning.
➡️ Destination Lecture Series
Dr. Craig Benjamin, an Australian historian and college professor of East Asian history, gave a series of lectures on Japanese history throughout the cruise. He was an interesting and animated speaker who added tremendous context to the places we visited.
➡️ Cultural Extras
Azamara tries to add surprise cultural extras in many ports. These can vary from sailing to sailing, but the ones we had (detailed below) were fun and interesting.
The Ports
Aomori
WHAT WE DID: SHIP SHORE EXCURSION
After departing Tokyo, the ship headed north. Our first port was Aomori in the northernmost prefecture of the main island of Honshu. Situated in the shadow of Mt. Iwaki, Aomori is the apple capital of Japan – the beloved Fuji apple was developed here back in the 1930s. In the interest of research, we had apple pie three times! We visited Hirosaki Castle, which was built in 1611. We also learned about the beautiful and elaborate nebuta floats built out of wire and paper for the annual Nebuta Festival in August. Since it was colder here, the cherry blossoms had not begun to bloom; they were still about two weeks out. If you arrive here closer to the end of April, you should find an explosion of blossoms.
CULTURAL EXTRA
In the afternoon, after our return to the ship, we were treated to a performance by local musicians playing the shamisen, a three-stringed local instrument similar to a guitar.
Akita
WHAT WE DID: EXPLORE ON OUR OWN
Our next stop was Akita, perhaps best known for Akita dogs. Sadly, we didn’t see any, but we walked around Senshū Park and enjoyed the crisp breeze and sunny weather. Akita is also known for inaniwa udon – a type of noodle that is hand-stretched and thinner and flatter than normal udon noodles. They are served cold with dipping sauces, so we headed straight to Sato Yosuke for lunch. It’s a revered local restaurant with great reviews and two locations. Delicious!
Niigata
WHAT WE DID: EXPLORE ON OUR OWN
Upon arrival, we took the ship’s shuttle into town and it was met by a large group of university students who would approach a visitor and offer to walk them to their destination. We had a couple of students who had recently studied in Seattle, and they walked us along to a park, chatting excitedly, peppering us with questions, and practicing their English. It was really sweet!
Niigata is Japan’s largest agricultural city and capital of rice production. The city is located on Japan’s longest river. We walked along it, noting that it was lined first with shrubs, then cherry trees and then tulips. The shrubs were covered with white blossoms but the cherries and tulips were primed to bloom, but just not quite yet. In another few weeks, the showy display along the river will be spectacular. After Aomori, we began to head south, so each port brings a better chance of seeing cherry blossoms.
For lunch, we headed to the fish market, Bandai, in search of Benkei, a popular conveyor belt sushi restaurant. It took some effort to find, as there wasn’t much English signage, but we eventually found it. They told us the wait would be about an hour. We weren’t sure it would be that long, but 59 minutes later our number came up and we were awarded seats at the bar. The sushi was of very high quality and really delicious, especially with an ice-cold beer. Despite the long wait, it was a very enjoyable meal.
Kanazawa
WHAT WE DID: EXPLORE ON OUR OWN
In Kanazawa, we discovered a really awesome city, and here the blossoms were in full bloom. We walked to Kanazawa Castle, taking photos of every blooming cheery tree we found, then we entered Kenrokuen Gardens and our jaws dropped. A massive city garden loaded with cherry trees in full bloom. Spectacular. Japanese women in traditional kimonos were there with their families to have photos taken with the cherry blossoms. It was a festive atmosphere.
I can’t say enough about this amazing country. Maybe some of these smaller ports aren’t used to having visitors, but they have been so welcoming. In Niigata, we had the university students who escorted us around… And here in Kanazawa, when Mark and I were in a mall looking for a specific restaurant, we asked a woman at a stand and she literally left her post to walk us to that restaurant. Polite, welcoming people, gorgeous scenery, well-manicured parks and cherry tree-lined rivers, transportation that functions extremely well, heated toilet seats, y’all, and some of the freshest, best food you will ever find. We love Japan.
CULTURAL EXTRA
In the afternoon, the ship welcomed seven Japanese women who demonstrated how to wear a kimono. They explained all the different components of their traditional clothing and showed us how everything is worn. As our ship prepared to depart, a troop of baton swirling students performed for us on the dock, which was fun.
Sakaiminato
WHAT WE DID: SHIP SHORE EXCURSION
We arrived at the small fishing port of Sakaiminato on a cold, rainy day. It’s a major trading port with South Korea and also the crab capital of Japan. One of the highlights of ur shore excursion was driving over the Eshima Ohashi Bridge, which has made the rounds on social media as one of the most terrifyingly steep bridges in the world. Turns out it’s a bit of an optical illusion but it was still fun.
We drove to nearby Matsue, on Lake Shinji, where we visited Matsue Castle, constructed in 1611 and surrounded by cherry blossoms. We also went to the observation deck of a bank to get a panoramic view of the city.
Once we returned to the port, we took advantage of the ship’s free shuttle to visit Sakaiminato, which was home to Shigeru Mizuki, a very famous manga artist. Kitaro Road is dedicated to the ghosts and monsters that appear in his stories, and one hundred bronze statues of the story’s characters line both sides of the road. It was a cool street but quiet and mostly closed on this rainy day. We felt like it would be very lively on a warm summer weekend.
Busan, South Korea
WHAT WE DID: SHIP SHORE EXCURSION
Our lone departure from Japan was to the city of Busan. The second largest city in South Korea – and the world’s seventh largest container port – is situated spectacularly on the water with a dramatic coastline and modern bridges and buildings. Asia’s largest film festival, the Busan International Film Festival, is held here every year. Our first stop was the transparent Oryukdo Skywalk, which projects out over the water. We toured the Jagaichi Fish Market, as well as Yongdusan Park near Busan Tower, then were given some free time for lunch. We found our way to a highly-rated traditional Korean restaurant, Sulgodang, where we ordered stir-fried pork. It was served with kimchi stew, rice and about six other sides. It was delicious.
CULTURAL EXTRA
Back onboard the ship, we enjoyed Azamara’s signature AzAmazing Celebration, which they include on each cruise. We were entertained by local musicians playing Korean instruments, traditional Korean dancers and a fantastic group of kids doing Tae Kwon Do, while we sipped makgeolli, a milky sweet alcoholic drink made from rice. It was a very special experience and the perfect ending to a great day in Busan.
Kitakyushu
WHAT WE DID: EXPLORE ON OUR OWN
The harbor area near the ship terminal was a nice place to walk around – situated on a lake with lots of shops – we took the train out to Kokura to see the castle and have lunch. The train station was very close to the port and Kokura was about four stops away.
We don’t typically eat meals in port since they are included with our cruise, but (as you have seen) Japan is a notable exception. With an assist from our onboard Japanese ambassador, Mark has done a terrific job of finding highly-rated places where we can try local specialties. So in Kokura we went to a ramen place that turned out to be really awesome. Ichiryu Ishida Ogataya (Uomachi store), down a covered shopping street. They were highly rated with multiple locations. We encountered very little English there (which adds to the adventure) but just enough, and they were so excited that we were from Texas 🙂 Really nice ramen, with creamy tonkotsu broth, tender mushrooms, a perfectly jammy egg, and (get this) gyoza on top! And a beer (like always in Japan) that was ice cold and so satisfying.
After lunch, we dropped by Mr. Donut again for an old fashioned and (my favorite) angel cream-filled.
CULTURAL EXTRA
Kitakyushu was another lovely port, and when our shipped sailed out this evening, they sent us off with FIREWORKS! It was magical and we could really feel the love.
Hiroshima
WHAT WE DID: PRIVATE GUIDE
In Hiroshima we booked a private tour through Viator. Our guide, Hide, picked us up at the cruise port and took us all around. We started our warm, sunny day in Hiroshima in the elaborate Shukkeien Garden which was constructed in 1620, destroyed by the atomic bomb, then later rebuilt. One of the highlights of Hiroshima is taking a ferry over to Miyajima Island (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Itsukushima Shrine was built on water, and its massive O-Torii Gate stands in bay and seems to float on the water during high tide. Wild deer roam the island, along with tens of thousands of visitors.
After we returned from Miyajima, we sat down to a lunch of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki at one of the more than 200 okonomiyaki restaurants there. It’s a dish consisting of cabbage, noodles, pork, egg and a few sauces. Tasty!
After lunch, we headed to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It was a somber afternoon of quiet contemplation. We walked along the park, which consists of several different elements – foremost, the Genbaku Dome, one of the few buildings left standing near the bomb’s hypocenter. Next, we visited the museum which told the story of the bombing and the nearly 80 years of fallout that followed among locals.
Our guide told us his grandmother’s heartbreaking story. Because of bombing raids, many cities in Japan were evacuating their citizens away from the center. His grandmother was evacuated in July, but her sister was scheduled to be evacuated on August 7, the day after the bomb was dropped. Such sadness, but also many lessons to be learned.
Takamatsu
WHAT WE DID: EXPLORE ON OUR OWN
We spent our day in Takamatsu walking around and exploring. As in other cities, there are beautiful gardens here – Ritsurin Gardens – and it was nice to stroll the grounds. For lunch, we hit a joint on the way for traditional Takamatsu-style udon – a dish of fat soft noodles topped with egg and various tempura vegetables and seafood. It was hearty and fueled our walk through Tamachi, the massive covered street mall.
Kobe
WHAT WE DID: EXPLORE ON OUR OWN
Kobe is compact and easily walkable from the Naka Pier Cruise Terminal. It has a large Chinatown area which we strolled through, then we wandered up and down the shopping streets and covered mall area.
The ship overnighted in Kobe, primarily to allow passengers to visit nearby Kyoto and Osaka. Since we had visited them before, we remained in Kobe to get to know the city. And that meant meat.
Kobe is ground zero for Wagyu A5 beef and there are many, many places where you can have steak. Mark found a good one – Ishida – which has several locations around Kobe and other cities in Japan. We made reservations in advance, which required payment, but we wanted to make sure we had a quality Kobe lunch. The restaurant has Teppanyaki-style counter seating where you can watch the master chef cook your beef to perfection. The first bite of succulent steak, with a dusting of sea salt, was melt-in-your-mouth incredible. A nice salad, a cold beer and grilled vegetables rounded out the meal. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, they served hot tea and some yuzu ice cream.
CULTURAL EXTRA
Some local Japanese singers came on board to perform pop songs in the theater before dinner.
Shimizu
WHAT WE DID: SHIP SHORE EXCURSION
Set against a backdrop of iconic Mount Fuji and a forest of pine trees, Shimizu is considered one of Japan’s most beautiful ports. We took a ship excursion to Shiraito Waterfalls – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – as well as the nearby Otodome Falls, which were also beautiful. Our second stop was Fujisan Sengen Shrine, built around a thousand years ago. We finished at Miho no Matsubara, a massive grove of centuries-old pines situated along the water and the ideal place for quiet contemplation.
Tokyo
Our cruise ended with an overnight in Tokyo.
Summary: Azamara Japan Intensive Cruise
The Azamara Japan Intensive Cruise was a fun and fantastic way to easily visit many of Japan’s smaller and lesser-known cities. Onboard cultural events, a historian of the East Asia region, and a Japanese guide greatly enhanced our knowledge and enjoyment of these ports.
