Diamond Princess is a treasure trove of exceptional delights waiting to be discovered. Dine on freshly prepared sashimi in Kai Sushi, watch street performers in the dazzling Atrium, or take in a lavish production show in the state-of-the-art theater. And for a unique treat visit the Izumi Japanese Bath, the largest of its kind at sea.
Day 1 Yokohama (Tokyo)
Yokohama is located on the southern part of Honshu Island, on the western shore of Tokyo Bay, and is our gateway to Tokyo. It has excellent harbour facilities and is one of the leading ports industrial centres of Japan. There are numerous shrines, temples, and Christian churches and a number of beautiful parks. A small fishing village in 1854, Yokohama was almost totally destroyed in 1923 by an earthquake. Gradually reconstructed the city is now among the most modern in Japan. It was heavily bombed in 1945, during World War II.
Day 2 Toba
Day 3 Kyoto (Kobe)
Kobe, located in Japan, is capital of Hyogo Prefecture, southwestern Honshu Island, on Osaka Bay, near the city of Osaka. Since the 1890s several adjoining cities, including Hyogo, have been absorbed by Kobe. Behind the narrow coastal site of the city are mountains on which suburban residences and hotels have been built. Many Christian churches, Shinto and Buddhist temples and shrines, two famous statues of Buddha, a fine arts museum, and a municipal museum with a collection on Western cultural contact are in Kobe. From here you can also visit Kyoto, Nara and Sorakuen Garden.
Day 4 Kochi
Kochi has beautiful lagoons and lakes and offers travelers an extraordinary setting for a stay of a few nights.
Day 5 Hiroshima
Hiroshima in southwestern Honshu has grown rapidly as a commercial city, and after 1868 it was developed as a military base. Every August 6 since 1947, thousands participate in multidenominational services in the Peace Memorial Park built on the site where the bomb exploded. After the war the city was largely rebuilt, and commercial activity gradually resumed. Visit the Peace Park but also explore Miyajima Island and its colourful shrines and mysterious forests.
Day 6 Kanmon Straits
Day 7 Seogwipo City
Day 8 Nagasaki
One of Japan's most historic cities, Nagasaki was a major port, trading with the Portuguese and Dutch in the 16th century. You can still see this colonial legacy in the brick buildings, old forts, canals and curving cobblestone streets. On a hill overlooking the bay, beautiful Glover Mansion, the setting of Madame Butterfly, is typical of the fine homes built by wealthy foreign residents. But Nagasaki's ties with Korea and China are equally apparent in the famous Chinese temple, a large Chinese colony and the numerous fine Korean and Chinese restaurants.
Day 9 At Sea
Day 10 Omaezaki
Day 11 Yokohama (Tokyo)
Yokohama is located on the southern part of Honshu Island, on the western shore of Tokyo Bay, and is our gateway to Tokyo. It has excellent harbour facilities and is one of the leading ports industrial centres of Japan. There are numerous shrines, temples, and Christian churches and a number of beautiful parks. A small fishing village in 1854, Yokohama was almost totally destroyed in 1923 by an earthquake. Gradually reconstructed the city is now among the most modern in Japan. It was heavily bombed in 1945, during World War II.
Day 12 At Sea
Day 13 Hakodate
The fan shaped city Hakodate was once an island but now straddles a sandbar linking it to the mainland. Sites worth visiting include Mount Hakodate (cable car), the Old Public Hall, the Russian Orthodox Church and Goryokaku Fort. Nearby is the Onuma Quasi-National Park and Mount Komagatake.
Day 14 Niigata
Niigata has a long history as a port and is distinguished for being the site of one of only five international ports opened in 1868 when Japan resumed contact with other countries after nearly 250 years of self-imposed isolation. Since that time, Niigata has developed into one of Japan's most important modern international ports.
Geographically, the city is distinctive in that it is surrounded by water. The Shinano and Agano, two of the largest rivers in Japan, run through the heart of Niigata before emptying into the Japan Sea. In addition, until relatively recently, the city was crisscrossed by a series of canals used to transport goods. Although the canals have been filled in to make the construction of modern roadways possible, the willows that lined these canals still remain today and now serve to lend a gentle air to the bustling downtown area.
Although Niigata has grown into an important regional center of activity, the city has pursued a plan of careful development in order to preserve its traditional culture, natural environment, and distinctive local character. When Niigata is mentioned, many people often think immediately of the area's delicious rice and sake or the city's beautiful sunsets, but the residents of Niigata themselves take pride, rather, in the spirit of hospitality and community that so distinguishes the city.
Following this tradition, the city's long held goal has been to create a society where every citizen is valued and allowed to shine. Numerous cultural and civic facilities support the activities of local groups and organizations. In addition, Niigata's conscientious system of social welfare seeks to preserve the dignity as well as the well-being of all of the city's residents. The city is constantly trying to tackle society's problems in progressive, innovative and caring ways.
Day 15 At Sea
Day 16 Pusan (Busan)
Korea's "museum without walls" is akin only to China in its depth and cultural wonder. From Pusan, you can journey to the ancient Silla capital of Kyongju, a dynasty which reigned in Korea for almost a thousand years. Today this small provincial town is virtually a museum without walls, dotted with many splendid ruins. Nearby, the forested mountains and valleys shelter hundreds of beautiful Buddhist shrines including the renowned Sokkuram Grotto, and Tongdosa and Pulguksa Temples. Pusan is also a shopper's mecca and Korea's vital southern link to Japanese and American trade.
Day 17 Nagasaki
One of Japan's most historic cities, Nagasaki was a major port, trading with the Portuguese and Dutch in the 16th century. You can still see this colonial legacy in the brick buildings, old forts, canals and curving cobblestone streets. On a hill overlooking the bay, beautiful Glover Mansion, the setting of Madame Butterfly, is typical of the fine homes built by wealthy foreign residents. But Nagasaki's ties with Korea and China are equally apparent in the famous Chinese temple, a large Chinese colony and the numerous fine Korean and Chinese restaurants.
Day 18 Kagoshima
Kagoshima, a seaport on Kyushu Island, Japan, is sheltered within Kagoshima Bay and is the commercial and cultural center of southern Kyushu. Products manufactured here include a famous type of earthenware known as Satsumaware. Sights of interest include the Iso Garden and the local Theatre.
Day 19 Kochi
Kochi has beautiful lagoons and lakes and offers travelers an extraordinary setting for a stay of a few nights.
Day 20 Shimizu
Shimizu is located on the northwest coast of Suruga Bay on the island of Honshu. Protected by a sandspit, it is a major commercial port and fishing centre. Places of scenic and historic interest include the Pine Groves of Miho, the Ryuge Temple, containing a fern palm believed to be more than 1,000 years old, and the nearby Nippon-Daira plateau.
Day 21 Yokohama (Tokyo)
Yokohama is located on the southern part of Honshu Island, on the western shore of Tokyo Bay, and is our gateway to Tokyo. It has excellent harbour facilities and is one of the leading ports industrial centres of Japan. There are numerous shrines, temples, and Christian churches and a number of beautiful parks. A small fishing village in 1854, Yokohama was almost totally destroyed in 1923 by an earthquake. Gradually reconstructed the city is now among the most modern in Japan. It was heavily bombed in 1945, during World War II.