Japan/South Korea
Land of the Rising Sun: A Circumnavigation of Japan
Program No. 24833RJ
Experience Japan by sea, with a bonus day in South Korea, and discover the blend of tradition and innovation, geography and climate that makes the Land of the Rising Sun wholly unique.
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18 days
17 nights
46 meals
16B 14L 16D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Tokyo Discovery
Tokyo
6
Kobe, Kobe City Discovery
At Sea
7
Kochi, Kochi Castle
At Sea
12
Kanazawa, Geisha Quarters
At Sea
15
Otaru, Sake Distillery
At Sea
At a Glance
Have you dreamed of discovering of Japan by water? On a voyage unlike any other, experience the diverse regions of Japan, each home to unique cultures, traditions, landscapes and cuisines. Beginning and ending in Tokyo, circumnavigate the four main islands, stopping to spend one day in South Korea. Journey south to the warm climate of Shikoku, home to Kochi Castle, one of only 12 left in Japan. Along the way, enjoy onboard lectures by expert instructors as you discover lively urban centers, ancient roots and iconic landscapes.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 2 miles per day, occasionally more, on terrain varying from city streets to unpaved, uneven trails.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Explore the diverse culture and natural splendor of Aomori City, the northernmost city on Japan’s main island, including Japan's most active volcano, Sakurajima.
- Discover Tokyo's Imperial Palace and the Tokyo National Museum
- Enjoy Hakodate City Tropical Botanical Garden, a large pyramidal greenhouse paradise of rare and wild flora indigenous to regions. Also made famous for its unusual outdoor Onsen where you can spot adorable monkeys taking a relaxing bath in the hot springs from December to May
Suggested Reading List
(17 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Land of the Rising Sun: A Circumnavigation of Japan
Program Number: 24833
Tokyo, A Biography
In his 500-year history of Tokyo, Mansfield presents the Japanese capital as an "indestructible organism" that has survived bombs, earthquakes and radiation and continues to thrive. An easy introduction to a fascinating city.
Bending Adversity, Japan and the Art of Survival
Financial Times Asia editor Pilling captures the dynamism and diversity of Japan after the 2011 tsunami. He interviews, among many, novelist Haruki Murakami, former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, industrialists, bankers, activists and artists, teenagers and octogenarians
The Little Book of Japan
Veteran Japanophiles Vilhar and Anderson produced this illuminating collection of 44 essays on Japanese life and culture, which, even in the 21st century remains elusive and poorly understood.
The Samurai
This historical novel by one of Japan's best-known modern writers is set in the world of the 17th-century Samurai. A Roman Catholic, Endo explored Christianity and morals in his many novels and stories.
In Praise of Shadows
This extended essay by the great Japanese novelist, first published in 1933, offers tremendous insight into traditional Japanese art, architecture and design.
Japan's Cuisines
This illustrated overview charts the transformation of Japanese cuisine over the ages, revealing the influences of private and public institutions, exploring the rise of tea and showing how lunch became a gourmet meal.
Thousand Cranes
This novella by the great Kawabata may be Japan's best-known literary work, a story of love, grief and redemption. Kawabata's prose is as economical as the tea ceremony itself and very beautiful.
A Traveler's History of Japan
A lively and concise narrative history of Japan and its transformation from Shinto, Shogun and Samurai traditions to 20th-century powerhouse.
The Dog Shogun
Arguably one of the most notorious figures in Japanese history, Tsunayoshi (1646 to 1709) was viewed as a tyrant with eccentric policies, including the Laws of Compassion, which made maltreatment of dogs an illegal offense, punishable by death. Bodart-Bailey delves deep into the shogun’s life, offering an engaging and brilliantly researched biography of the fifth Tokygawa shogun.
Kaempfer's Japan: Tokugawa Culture Observed
A good account of what it was like to travel in the Tokugawa period.
Eyewitness Guide Japan
Dazzling illustrations, architectural cutaways and color photographs, along with useful local maps, give this guide to Japan's many attractions a distinct edge.
Culture Smart! Japan
A concise, no-nonsense guide to local customs, etiquette and culture, this is a helpful travel tool for visitors to Japan.
The Book of Tea
A graceful, witty meditation on Japanese aesthetics and culture as reflected through the tea ceremony. A celebrity and cultural ambassador, Okakura was a curator at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
Walking the Kiso Road: A Modern-Day Exploration of Old Japan
William Scott Wilson travels along the ancient Kiso Road, historically used by samurai and warlords and relatively unchanged today. As he makes his way, Wilson engagingly ruminates on Japanese history, culture and folklore.
The Book of Tokyo: A City in Short Fiction
This anthology of contemporary Japanese short stories was edited with the traveler in mind. The ten pieces of literature, mystery, science fiction and horror form an imaginary tour of the city of Tokyo.
Super Sushi Ramen Express
Using keen insight and sarcastic wit, Booth describes the cuisine and culture of Japan as he recaps the nearly three months-long foodie road trip he and his family took through the island nation. A fun journey, sure to both entertain and inform.
Where the Dead Pause, and the Japanese Say Goodbye
When her American father passes away, Mockett seeks consolation in her mother’s home country of Japan. She visits a radiation zone, a Buddhist school, temples and festivals in an effort to understand the Japanese way of grieving, to bury her dead and find healing.
