Japan (Golden Week) - Q316 Queen Elizabeth departing 28 Apr 2023

The Japanese port city of Yokohama to the south of Tokyo on the main island of Honshu. It is a starting point for excursions to Tokyo, Mount Fuji or the Hakone National Park, but the local attractions are worth a visit as well.In addition to bars and restaurants, the former lighthouse at the port of Yokohama has an observation deck which offers a beautiful view of the city and the surroundings. If weather permits, you can even see Mount Fuji in the distance.

On the southern tip of Kyushu lies Kagoshima, a place of spectacular scenery. Why not enjoy the rugged mountain vistas, the rivers and bubbling hot springs, and the unexpected palm tree lined streets.

Busan is South Korea’s second largest city and seaport, and it’s a laid-back, metropolitan destination. Its pace is slower, and its diversity more pronounced, than the country’s capital city of Seoul.
Busan has an intriguing medley of culture and history, beautiful natural settings and exciting adventures. It’s also near South Korea’s cultural capital, Gyeongju, and the fortress of Jinju.

Fukuoka is the capital of the province of the same name. It sits on the north shore of Kyushu, the most southwesterly of Japan’s islands, home to beaches, modern malls and ancient temples.
While Fukuoka is often seen as the gateway to Kyushu, it’s perhaps equally a gateway to Asia. After all, it’s less distance to Seoul than to Tokyo. As is a common occurrence in Japan, Fukuoka and its near neighbour Hakata merged in 1889 to create a single metropolis. It was to be named Hakata, until the intervention of disgruntled samurai from Fukuoka, an important feudal city. Indeed, you can still explore the gardens around the ruins of Fukuoka Castle, where you can spot remnants of the turrets, walls and moat system.

Japan’s first real contact with the West was through Portuguese explorers and Jesuit missionaries, and then Dutch merchants. Apprehensive Shoguns thus closed Japan to foreign trade except at Nagasaki.
Stop by Peace Park for a moment of serenity, or visit the Confucian Shrine to see the influence that the Chinese community has on Nagasaki.

The Japanese port city of Yokohama to the south of Tokyo on the main island of Honshu. It is a starting point for excursions to Tokyo, Mount Fuji or the Hakone National Park, but the local attractions are worth a visit as well.In addition to bars and restaurants, the former lighthouse at the port of Yokohama has an observation deck which offers a beautiful view of the city and the surroundings. If weather permits, you can even see Mount Fuji in the distance.