Cruising Around Japan
In 2014, I booked a cruise on Princess Cruises to explore more of Japan. I wanted to get off the beaten path without the stress of finding hotels and studying bus and train routes. These are brief summaries of my observations of the ports of call as we travelled around Japan.
Yokohama. The departure port was Yokohama and since I arrived a day early, I was able to walk around the Osanbashi Pier area. The highlight of my stay was a visit to Cupnoodles Museum. I learned the story of the amazing and inspirational inventor of Chicken Ramen, Momofuku Ando. Ando’s vision was influenced by his own poverty and business failures, and the long lines for food he witnessed after WWII. After many years of experimentation and development, he invented Chicken Ramen in 1958, Cupnoodles in 1971, and Space Ramen in 2005.
The Japanese are known for group consensus and conformity, but the theme of the museum was creativity and all the exhibits and hands-on activities stressed the value of original thought.
Aomori. The first port was Aomori in northern Japan. I signed up for an English speaking tour and enjoyed learning about the mid-size city and its citizens who endured destruction of their buildings from earthquakes and heavy bombing during WWII. The Seiryuu-ji Temple was built in 1982 and features a bronze Buddha, Japan’s tallest sitting bronze Buddha.
We went to the Nebuta Warasse Museum and learned about the Nebuta festival, one of three major festivals in Japan. Communities used to create floats based on Japanese folklore and mythology, and the success of the festival eventually brought in corporate sponsors and professional designers. The ordinarily mellow citizens of Aomori, who live in a place where there is heavy rain every calendar month and 25 feet of snow each year, come alive during the first week of August for a grand and joyful celebration.
Toyama. A tour of Toyama brought us to the Toyama National Treasure, Takaoka-zan Zuiyuji Temple. We also went to the Masu Sushi Museum, which is not a museum, but a trout sushi factory where workers demonstrate how pressed trout sushi is made.
Maizuru. This was a delightful stop because the businesses and tourist venues had blue banners welcoming the passengers of Princess Cruises and it was easy to take a self-guided tour.
It was in Maizuru that I tried kaitensushi (conveyer belt sushi) for the first time at Sushi Ro, a chain sushi restaurant. The attendant helped me but I still got it wrong and the experience felt awkward. Since then I have learned that the yellow plates mean that the sushi has wasabi and the sushi on white plates do not. The sushi on elevated plates are those that were special ordered by patrons. You can place a special order by using the screen that is located above your place setting.
Busan, South Korea. The cruise ship stopped in Busan, South Korea, where I found block after block of seafood vendors. The Jagalchi Fish Market was started by women peddlers during the Korean War and has evolved into a modern seven-story building. The food offerings were wonderful and I enjoyed a genuine feast.
Hakata. I didn’t get to acquaint myself with this city as I took the opportunity to visit my relatives in Miyakonojo. Because of the stop in Busan, South Korea, however, I had to go through the immigration process by appointment and my train ride took a large bite of time. I was only able to see my relatives for a couple of hours before catching a train and taxi back to the ship.
Nagasaki. I visited the Oura Catholic Church and Glover Garden and toured some of the western style residences. Nagasaki was an important trading port, mainly for Portuguese freighters, and we have the Portuguese to thank for sharing their recipe for tempura with the Japanese. I took a photograph of one of two heart-shaped stones embedded in the path in the garden.
I learned that there are wonderful surprises in any part of Japan you find yourself. My dining companions on the ship from the United States, Norway, and Australia made the trip all the more enjoyable as we shared our daily adventures. We learned a lot from each other and continue to keep in touch.