14-Day Harvest Horizons: Japan's Coastal Charms

Overview

A 14-night voyage aboard Seabourn Encore, departing Tokyo on 6 Nov 2027 and returning to the same port, calling at 11 destinations along the way.

1. 1

   Day 1 ·Tokyo, JapanEmbark

   6 Nov 2027

   Depart 19:00
2. 2

   Day 2 ·Shimizu, Japan

   7 Nov 2027

   Arrive 08:00Depart 18:00

   Sprawling, semi-rural Shimizu Ward is dominated by forested coastal mountains, with hiking trails and ropeway rides to dramatic viewpoints above Suruga Bay. Miho Beach Park is popular for swimming and water sports in summer, and there are baseball and soccer fields nearby, plus an aquarium at the Marine Science Center. Busy fisheries supply sushi bars and seafood markets with local specialties like sakura shrimp.
3. 3

   Day 3 ·At Sea

   8 Nov 2027
4. 4

   Day 4 ·Kagoshima, Japan

   9 Nov 2027

   Arrive 08:00Depart 18:00

   Capital of Japan's southernmost prefecture, Kagoshima faces the Kinko-wan Bay and the active Sakurajima Volcano. Kagoshima played an important role in Japanese history, starting in the early 7th century when Bounotsu Port was a base for trading with China and other Asian nations. The region, formerly known as Satsuma was dominated by 29 generations Shimazu lords for over 700 years until the 1867 Meiji Restoration. Between the 9th and 15th centuries, Satsuma was an important trading port with the countries of east Asia, as well as Europe, becoming one of Japan’s earliest points of contact with the West.
5. 5

   Day 5 ·Nagasaki, Japan

   10 Nov 2027

   Arrive 08:00Depart 17:00

   Nagasaki is situated on the West Coast of Kyushu on a scenic bay. Located closest to the Asian mainland, it has historically been an important trading center and highly influenced by Chinese culture. When Japan chose to isolate itself from the Western world for two hundred years starting in the mid 1600's, Nagasaki was the only port open to foreign vessels. In recent history, Nagasaki was the second city after Hiroshima to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, bringing an end to World War II.
6. 6

   Day 6 ·Jeju (Cheju) City, South Korea

   11 Nov 2027

   Arrive 08:00Depart 20:00

   Jeju (Cheju) Island is a volcanic island, dominated by Halla-san (Halla Mountain), a volcano 6,398 feet high and the tallest mountain in South Korea. The island was created entirely from volcanic eruptions approximately two million years ago. Because of the relative isolation of the island, the people of Jeju have developed a culture and language that are distinct from those of mainland Korea. The most distinct cultural artifact is the ubiquitous dol hareubang ("stone grandfather") carved from a block of lava. Jeju translates to "Island of the Gods" and lives up to its name with beautiful beaches, waterfalls and volcanic rock formations.
   
   
7. 7

   Day 7 ·Scenic Cruising Kanmon Straits

   12 Nov 2027
8. 8

   Day 8 ·Hiroshima, Japan

   13 Nov 2027

   Arrive 07:00Depart 22:00

   Hiroshima means “wide island” in Japanese. The city was established in the 16th Century on Japan’s largest island, Honshu, and grew into an important shipping center and prefecture capital, boasting a fine castle. Although it was an important city in Japan throughout the imperial period, its reputation in the greater world was burned into history when it became to target of the first atomic bombing of a civilian target in August of 1945. The United States airplane Enola Gay dropped a nuclear device nicknamed “Little Boy” on the city that morning, obliterating everything within a two-kilometer radius and directly killing 80,000 people. Approximately 70 percent of Hiroshima’s buildings were destroyed. Within a year, injury and radiation illness had killed an additional 90, 000 to 116,000 citizens. The attacks on Hiroshima and nearby Nagasaki quickly led to the surrender of Japan and effectively precipitated the end of World War II in Asia. Within a few years, Hiroshima had begun to rebuild, and the city became the focus of an international movement to eliminate nuclear weapons from future wars. Relics of its past such as the impressive Hiroshima Castle and the tranquil Shukkeien Garden were rebuilt, and the city undertook the construction of a Memorial Peace Park, which today attracts visitors from around the world. The park, which holds a museum and a memorial “Atomic Dome” constructed on the closest remaining building to the blast site, is a moving and impactful place of pilgrimage in this re-born City of Peace. One notable feature is a colorful memorial to Sadako Sasaki, a young woman whose dying wishes for world peace were recounted in the story A Thousand Paper Cranes.
   
   
9. 9

   Day 9 ·Matsuyama

   14 Nov 2027

   Arrive 07:00Depart 17:00
10. 10

    Day 10 ·Kochi, Japan

    15 Nov 2027

    Arrive 09:00Depart 18:00

    Japan’s Shikoku island is a popular place of pilgrimage among Japanese Buddhists. Kochi has three of the 88 temples on the route. Chikurinji Temple, with its five-story pagoda, is one of them. Located on Mount Godaisan, it also features an adjacent botanical garden. The town is most famous for its castle, originally built in the early 17th century, but largely rebuilt following a fire in the mid-18th century. It is one of only 12 existing feudal-period castles in Japan. South of the town, Katsurahama beach is a popular destination, although swimming is not allowed due to strong currents. A picturesque shrine located on a high point overlooking the sea is the perfect postcard image of rural Japan. The beach is also a good spot to enjoy Katsuo no Tataki, the traditional local dish of lightly grilled and seasoned bonito tuna.
11. 11

    Day 11 ·Osaka

    16 Nov 2027

    Arrive 08:00
12. 12

    Day 12 ·Osaka

    17 Nov 2027

    Depart 18:00
13. 13

    Day 13 ·Shingu, Japan

    18 Nov 2027

    Arrive 07:00Depart 16:30
14. 14

    Day 14 ·At Sea

    19 Nov 2027
15. 15

    Day 15 ·Tokyo, JapanDisembark

    20 Nov 2027

    Arrive 08:00

Your ship: Seabourn Encore