Islands, Gardens & Temples of Ancient Japan

Fly by scheduled flight to Tokyo.

Arrive and transfer to our hotel for an overnight stay. The remainder of the day and evening are at leisure.

After breakfast in the hotel, a guided morning city tour will include the Meiji Shrine and Sensoji Temple. We will continue to the train station to join our bullet train to Kanazawa where, on arrival, we will transfer to the MS Island Sky. Enjoy welcome drinks and dinner as we moor overnight.

Kanazawa is a thriving centre of the arts, long known for its lacquer ware, outstanding collectable pottery of the Kutani style, gold leaf workmanship, delicate hand painting of silk for kimonos and Noh theatre dramas. The narrow and winding cobblestone streets have a quaint photogenic charm with old fashioned streetlamps and wooden lattice windows hiding elegant restaurants and craft galleries. Around each bend is a traditional house, museum, art gallery, craft shop, historic samurai residence and even a geisha house to explore. The fascinating open-air market displays a vast variety of items from flowers to fish and local handicrafts. Next to the Kanazawa Castle ruins, we will visit one of Japan’s premier highlights, the famed Kenroku-en Garden, ranked among the country’s top three gardens. Alternatively, you can choose to head towards the mountains and explore the town of Inami, built by expert wood carvers, whose magnificent craftsmanship can be seen in Zuisenji Temple. Today the town is home to 120 woodworking studios, with craftsmen keeping the traditional practice alive. From here we will drive to Gokayama where we will see the traditional gassho-zukuri style houses, which are still used today as homes. Walking through the village here we will experience the history and heritage of Japan.

From our berth in Maizuru, we drive inland to Kyoto, Japan’s former historic capital and Emperor’s home for nearly 1000 years. Our full day tour begins with a visit to the bamboo forest before continuing to the World Heritage Site of Tenryu-ji Temple, ranked first amongst the city’s five great Zen Temples. After lunch we continue to the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), which was built as a retirement villa for the Shogun and converted into a Buddhist Temple after his death. Built on the edge of a tranquil pond with the second and third stories covered in gold leaf we can walk through the peaceful gardens and marvel at the reflection in the still waters. Alternatively, spend the morning at the quaint fishing village of Ine, famous for its ‘funaya’ boat houses which line the bay. Enjoy a walk through the village and a boat tour in the bay for the picturesque views from the sea.

From the port of Sakaiminato we visit Matsue, the ‘town of water,’ which nestles between a scenic lake and a large lagoon. We will visit the cultural attractions of the town including the 17th century Matsue Castle before enjoying a boat ride on the local canals. Alternatively visit the Adachi Museum of Art which is set in a beautiful natural environment and well known for both its superb Japanese gardens and its collection of contemporary Japanese paintings, comprising approximately 1500 of the country’s most highly regarded paintings produced after the Meiji period. Return to the ship for lunch as we sail for South Korea this afternoon.

Crossing over to South Korea we embark on a full day excursion to magnificent Gyeongju, a World Heritage Site which is often described as the world’s finest open-air museum embracing ancient Korean history and Buddhist culture. As the ancient capital of the Shilla Dynasty, Gyeongju’s cultural heritage dates back to the first millennium. Today, as we stroll through some of the hundreds of excavated monuments, temples, tombs and pagodas, there will be time to explore the National Museum with its exceptional collection of finely worked gold jewellery, metal weapons and distinctive pottery. At lunchtime, we will sample Korean delicacies and enjoy a cultural performance of traditional dance.

From our berth in Masan we head inland to the Haeinsa Temple. Regarded as one of the three great temples in Korea, it was first settled in 802 AD and its name derives from a verse in a Buddhist Sutra as “reflections on a smooth sea”. In the 13th century when Korea was at war with the Mongols, the government commissioned the Triptaka Koreana, a complete copy of Buddhist scriptures, in the hope of Buddha’s intervention in the war. They were carved onto 81,258 double sided wooden blocks and stored on floor to ceiling shelves in the Janggyeong Panjeon complex. We also visit the Daejeokkwangjeon, the main worship hall of the temple. After lunch in a nearby restaurant we will return to Masan this afternoon where you may want to visit the vibrant fish market selling the daily catch as well as dried and salted fish and seaweed, and try a sample at one of the raw fish restaurants.

Back in Japan, this morning we will explore Nagasaki, the second city destroyed by an A-bomb in World War II. Our tour will include the Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Museum and Glover Garden. This afternoon we will visit Dejima Island which was built during the Edo Period to house Portuguese Christian missionaries and prevent the propagation of their religion. It was also the residential quarters of the Dutch, the only foreigners allowed to trade in Japan during the Sakoku isolation period for 200 years until Japan reopened to the world. Alternatively, there will be a visit to the abandoned Gunkan-jima, or Hashima Island* that lies just off the coast of Nagasaki. The island was populated until 1974 and served as a coal mine with more than 5000 residents living on an island only 480 metres long and 150 metres wide. To accommodate so many people in such a small area every piece of land was built on, so the island came to resemble a battleship and given the name Gunkan-jima or ‘Battleship Island’. In 1974 the coal mine closed and the residents had to leave the island. Over the years the natural elements have taken hold giving the island an eerie atmosphere. In more recent years the island has become a set for several movies, including the James Bond film, ‘Skyfall’. During your visit the guide will walk you through the island to observation areas before taking the local ferry back to the mainland. *Please note that the visit to the island is weather/tidal dependent. If the ferry is unable to access the pier, there will be a cruise around the island instead.

Sailing down the coast of Kyushu this afternoon we arrive on the island of Yakushima which became Japan’s first World Heritage Site in 1993. Yakushima is famous in botanical circles for many great garden plants, including dwarf plants that have evolved to grow smaller than their mainland cousins. We will spend time here on nature walks, including Yakusugi Land, a nature park populated by a number of the island’s ancient cedar trees such as the Buddhasugi, Futagosugi and Sennensugi.

Today we arrive on Amami Oshima, a natural subtropical paradise situated in the Amami Islands and surrounded by transparent waters, brightly coloured coral reefs and tropical fish. The island is almost entirely covered in forest and mangrove and offers fantastic bird watching and wildlife sightings. We have the day to explore and will visit the Nature Observation Park where we can walk through the forest and hope to see the Amami jay, ruddy kingfisher, Ryukyu akashobin, butterflies and possibly the rare black hare. We will also see local industry and watch the process of making tsumugi and kasuri silk-cotton fabrics, used for making kimonos, at the Oshima Tsumugi Village, a craft complex in a beautiful hillside setting amongst flowers. In the afternoon we will visit the Amami Park which focuses on the artist Tanaka Isson with a museum of his works which depict the natural beauty and life of Amami.

Enjoy a day at sea with time to relax on deck and join the lecture programme in the lounge.

Our final call in Japan will be at the Yaeyama Islands, a cluster of coral reefs and forested mountains. This morning, from our base in Ishigaki we will explore the island. Our tour will start with a visit to the Yoneko- Yaki Pottery to learn about the craft of making the famous Shisa – half dog, half lion statuettes, typically sold in pairs. From here we will drive along the scenic roads to Ishigaki Yaima Village. We will explore this open-air museum that has preserved traditional Japanese houses. Located in the forests, keep an eye out for the local wildlife such as squirrel monkeys. There will also be a chance to walk through the mangroves along the boardwalk and see the unique flora and fauna. Later, after lunch on board, we will take in more of the island with a visit to the Tamatoizaki Cape, where from the observatory there are wonderful views of the Hirakubo Peninsula and the sea of Ishigaki. We will continue to Kariba Park located on Kariba Bay, taking in the stunning views while exploring the shrines and statues that decorate the park. Our final stop will be the Yaesen Brewery which produces awamori, a sake-like Okinawan spirit.

We will disembark this morning and transfer to Taipei airport for our scheduled flight to London.

Arrive today.

Itineraries are subject to change.