I wandered through the grounds of Japan’s Daisho-in Temple until I found the perfect spot: a small pond covered in lily pads and surrounded by trees, flowering bushes, and mossy rocks.
A tiny, perfectly crafted pavilion sat at the pond’s edge.
With a contented sigh, I lowered myself onto a bench for a moment of quiet contemplation.
I was on Miyajima Island, on a hill overlooking the strait between the island and the port of Hiroshima, towards the end of Heritage Expedition’s “Japan’s National Parks, Art & Culture” voyage, a small-ship expedition cruise circumnavigating Honshu, Japan’s main island
(Heritage Expeditions).
For two weeks, we docked at small towns and cities on Japan’s coastline — most of them inaccessible to large cruise ships — to see national parks, temples, shrines, museums, and gardens rarely visited by Western tourists.
We also stopped in Ulsan, South Korea, Hiroshima, and Osaka, where the cruise began and ended.
A Small, Intimate Cruise Ship
The ship, the Heritage Adventurer, accommodates 140 guests on four decks, with a lounge and two dining rooms.
Most of the passengers on this cruise were from the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and Germany.
They were in their 60s and 70s, educated, well-informed, thoughtful, and curious, especially about the political and economic situation in the U.S.
Most every day, we had at least two options for full-day shore excursions with different levels of activity, including hikes up mountains to spectacular viewpoints and visits to museums, art galleries, historic villages, temples, or shrines.
We also had the option of staying on the ship and getting a massage; using the pool, spa, gym, or library; lounging on the deck; or taking a nap in our staterooms.
The staff and crew gave daily presentations on topics ranging from Japanese history to its current obsession with exotic ice cream flavors, such as wasabi, squid ink, gold leaf, red bean, miso, and sweet potato.
Highlights of the Daily Itinerary
Osaka
Since I had been to Osaka before, I opted for an option that showcased a destination that I had not experienced on my previous visit – a walk through Minoh Park, one of Japan’s smallest national parks.
The walk started at the 100-foot high Minoh Waterfall, then wound through a lush forest and past Japanese-style buildings and a group of lively but well-behaved school kids on an outing.
Ise-Shima NP
The day began with a steep hike up a set of stairs to the Yokayama Observatory Deck for a view of the coast and the many small islands offshore, often referred to as the “pearl of Shima.”
It ended at the Ise Jingu Naiku Shinto Shrine, a nearby pond filled with colorful Koi, and a shopping promenade lined with shops selling exotic Japanese treats, including many of the aforementioned ice cream flavors.
Izu Oshima Island
On a stormy day, I visited a tiny 100+ year-old workshop for the production of camellia oil.
In this age of automation and artificial intelligence, it was refreshing to observe a traditional manufacturing process that was based on human labor, ingenuity, and intelligence, not sleek, cutting-edge technology.
Ishinomaki
On a small boat, we cruised through Matsushima Bay, winding our way among more than 200 islands, ranging from small rock formations to large tree-covered islands.
Hachinohe
We hiked through the woods around Tsutanuma Pond in the heart of Towada-Hachimantai National Park.
The sublime hike, only a couple of miles long, meandered through thick woods and past brooks gurgling around moss-covered rocks.
Muroran (on Hokkaido)
We ascended to the summit of Mount Usu via the Usuzan Ropeway cable car.
The summit was socked in by thick clouds, so we didn’t have a chance to take in the sweeping views of the volcanic caldera, but the short hike through the clouds evoked mystery and magic, especially when the craggy summit and patches of yellow rapeseed blossoms peeked through the mist.
Akita
Japan’s version of the “boogeyman” can be found in the Namahage, scary figures in frightening masks and straw capes who, in a local New Year’s Eve tradition, visit misbehaving children and scare the hell out of them.
The Namahage Museum displays the costumes, offers a dramatic live enactment, and a documentary film that was both amusing and disturbing.
Best Akita Prefecture Tours & Excursions
Nigata
After another fog-shrouded cable car ride, this one to Mount Yahiko, a peak sacred in ancient Shinto beliefs, we visited the serene and historic shrine deep in the woods at the foot of the mountain.
From a respectful distance, we watched a Shinto priest officiate a ceremony for a visiting Japanese couple.
Kanazawa
Yunokuni no Mori, a traditional Japanese handicrafts village of classic buildings and gardens, offered a variety of hands-on experiences, including how to make paper, paint ceramics, and apply gold leaf to lacquerware.
It will be no surprise to those who know me or are familiar with my writing that I opted for soba noodle making, which also included the opportunity to consume the product of my labors.
Read More: 8 Reasons to Add Kanazawa to Your Japanese Itinerary
Matsue
One of my overall favorite experiences was a visit to the Adachi Museum and Gardens. The museum is renowned for its collection of modern Japanese art, as well as its award-winning gardens.
The museum featured the graceful art of Yokayama Taikan, a pioneer in the development of pre-WWII Japanese painting.
Most of his paintings depict subtle, monochromatic landscapes of swirling shapes, clouds, mist, and fog.
The garden adjacent to the Adachi Museum – a mix of forests, grassy hills, rocks, ponds, streams, bridges, pavilions, gravel lawns, and waterfalls – is framed by mountains in the background, a “borrowed landscape” that is not actually part of the garden but enhances its beauty.
Ulsan, South Korea
On our one-day stop in South Korea, we visited the Bulguska Temple, a historic and architecturally distinct Buddhist temple; the 6th-century burial mound tombs in Tumuli Park and the artifacts from these tombs displayed at the Gyeongju National Museum; and the Taehwagang Bamboo Forest.
But true to form, the highlight for me was the authentic Korean buffet we went to for lunch.
Shimonoseki
The highlight of our stop at the port founded by the Israeli Irishman, Shimon O’Seki (not really!!) was Akiyoshido Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Japan.
A one-kilometer path winds through the cave along a roaring underground river, past astounding stalactites and stalagmites, and through a soaring cavern.
The effect was surreal and otherworldly, appealing to my taste for the weird and exotic, sensibilities honed by a childhood and adolescence reading almost nothing but science fiction.
Hiroshima and Miyajima
We made a short but emotionally impactful visit to the Peace Memorial Museum, the Peace Memorial Park, and, most moving of all, the Children’s Peace Monument.
At the monument, a large group of school children recited and sang what I assume was a wish for peace.
We didn’t understand the words, but we felt the meaning and intent. Many of us, including yours truly, dabbed more than one tear from our eyes.
My afternoon visit to the Daisho-in Temple on Miyajima Island was one of my favorite highlights of the trip.
Maybe it was the steep hill, the time of day, or the lure of stores in the charming town below offering fried oysters and “deer poop” ice cream (with chunks of chocolate) inspired by the island’s famous wild deer, but for several tranquil minutes, I had the pond, pavilion, and garden all to myself.
Takamatsu
Another all-trip highlight was a visit to the Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, on Shikoku Island. Unlike the viewing-only Adachi Gardens, we were able to stroll through the Ritsurin Gardens.
We spent a good two hours wandering through its forests and along its koi-filled streams, observing its teahouses, pavilions, colorful water lilies, bridges, and stone lanterns.
A Fuller, More Serene Perspective
By visiting small cities, the countryside, and sites far removed from the hustle and bustle of major cities and tourist attractions popular with Western tourists, this trip revealed a different, fuller side of Japan, a side full of natural beauty, intimacy, and calm.
The temples, the national parks, the museums, and especially the gardens had a subtle but profound effect on me.
If I were rich, I would buy a house with lots of ground, cover the walls of the house with Yokayama Taikan wall hangings and screens, and install a Japanese garden or two.
Then, I would throw away my blood pressure meds and spend a good portion of the day just gazing, strolling, and chilling out.
If You Go
The cost of the cruise on Heritage Expeditions starts at under $13,000 per person for a shared cabin.
All costs other than internet access, laundry, tips, and liquor are included. Heritage Expeditions hosted Don Mankin on this trip.
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Author Bio: Don is an award-winning travel writer. After a 40+ year career as an organizational psychologist, consultant, and academic, he transitioned to travel writing with the publication of his National Geographic book, Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean: Fifty Extraordinary Adventures for the Seasoned Traveler (with Shannon Stowell, 2008). The Wall Street Journal called this book, “ One of the best travel books to cross our desk this year…A wonderful – and inspiring – read.” Don specializes in writing about transformational travel and adventure travel for 60+ travelers.
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