Sakata, Aomori, and Hakodate Japan

 On this cruise, the final three stops would be in northern Japan.  This is the same latitude as northern California, but by our surroundings, it seemed even further north.  Entering Sakata's harbor, we could see snow-clad mountains to the north, centered around Mount Chokai.  Mount Chokai has an altitude of only 7,336 feet (lower than our home in Colorado), but northern Japan is known for ample snow.  (While Colorado is suffering a drought.)

May 5, 2026, arriving at Sakata with snowy mountains to the north.

Sakata is located on a coastal plain, not really a touristy area, but a holiday had attracted many people to the local attraction: Kamo aquarium featuring many types of jellyfish as its main attraction.  We were swept through the exhibition halls on a dense wave of people.  Fortunately, tickets had been arranged in advance.

They did have tanks with regular fish, but the jellyfish got top billing and made Kamo aquarium popular enough to be profitable.

After the aquarium visit, we visited a local park, with fresh air away from the crowds.

And, of course, there was a nearby temple, but you have heard enough about temples (at least I have.)

At departure from Sakata, we were given a "good-bye" by several actors dressed as Samurai warriors.  

Next port was Aomori, located in a deep bay on the very north end of the island of Honshu.

Views of Mount Iwaki dominate the western horizon.  Although only 5300 feet high, a ski resort is located there because of the snowy climate.  Our days here were cool.

The first stop on our excursion was an entertainment venue.  The hall was decorated with elaborate murals.

Is that a banjo? or a cherished Japanese musical instrument?

The entertainment venue also included small displays and this park-like surrounding.  Note Mount Iwaki in the background.

This is the Hirosaki Castle.  The vast majority of castles were destroyed after Japan was a unified nation.  Not big and inspiring, but at least they have a real castle.

The castle is surrounded by an extensive park.  We see here that it is tulip season.

Mount Iwaki as seen from Hirosaki city (population 157,000).

After World War II, war memorials honoring Japanese military were highly discouraged as unhelpful to creating a sense of peace and forgiveness, but this one escaped the censor's banishment. 

What visit would be complete without visiting a local shrine?  Interesting to look at and meaningful as a remembrance of traditions, but I am not sure of the religious significance in today's world.

Our final cruise destination, prior to returning to Tokyo, was Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido.

As you can see, this city, population 240,000, is located on a peninsula.  We are standing on a high observation point near the end of the peninsula.  Our cruise ship, the Crystal symphony, can be seen to the west (left) of the city.

Our excursion visited some buildings from the early days of the city which included this small park.

A more focused view of the west side of Hakodate and the bay with our cruise ship.

A tourist-focused shopping mall is located within easy walking distance from our ships assigned pier.  Many pretty items, but we have little space in our suitcases and little need for more items.

Returning to Tokyo, we flew out that same day for Los Angeles.  There we rented a SUV and drove to Santa Barbara for a relaxing stop on our way home to Colorado.

It has been a very enjoyable five-week trip.  We have no further trips planned during the next seven months, but have been gone from Colorado for twelve weeks already this year. 

Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Sakaiminato, Kanazawa

 We have not cruised with Crystal Cruises previously.  We are told that our ship was originally designed for 800-900 passengers but then was reformatted by Crystal for about 650 passengers, and I tend to believe it.  Our cabin is 430 square feet, fairly spacious.  Two full-sized sinks in the bathroom, king-size bed, three separate rooms plus a walk-in closet.  We have a walk-in shower with a rain shower head about 18 inches in diameter which delivers an enveloping warm rain experience.  It is easy to find lounge space onboard (like I am doing now) to do some quiet reading or writing.  We enjoy a wide deck walking/ jogging track 0.27 miles per lap.  There are three specialty restaurants besides the general dining room.

What has really caught our attention is the fact that, wherever we have docked, we have been the only cruise ship present in each port.  As the entry title indicates, many of our stops are at ports not often visited by cruise ships (but what about Tokyo?).  Many excursion options are offered, arranged in groups of less than twenty persons.  Additionally, free shuttle buses to the town center are also offered.  Dawn and I enjoy walking and can usually find places of interest such as Chinatown, the fish market, a castle, restaurants, or a shopping district nearby.

Yesterday near sunset, we had a band, composed of drums and flutes, serenading us as the ship left the dock.  Many of our selected excursions have included castles (smaller than the European version), gardens, fish markets, or shopping.  Museums show you how life used to be.   We prefer shopping areas, street arcades or malls, which show you how people live today.

Nagasaki symbolic statue at the site of the atomic bomb memorial.

This one is not symbolic; it is the actual remnant of a cathedral devastated by the atomic bomb explosion.

A park view of Nagasaki harbor (on a misty day).  The landscape of hills and valleys made the damage from the atomic bomb explosion variable depending on the proximity and surrounding terrain.

A different view showing more of Nagasaki harbor and surroundings.

A statue of 'Madame Butterfly' a world-renowned singer from Japan's past.

A busy covered shopping arcade.  We never found anything to buy but it was fun looking.

Our ship, Crystal Symphony, at the dock.  A rather large and imposing shape but carrying only about 650 passengers.

The next city our cruise stopped at was Fukuoka.  Both Nagasaki and Fukuoka are on Kyushu Island.

Another castle; for a long period in history, Japan was a feudal state with numerous wars between competing shoguns.

Not a large castle but good for tourism today.  Many have been destroyed and the remaining castles are great attractions.  A nice shopping mall was located directly adjacent to this castle.

To me, this (tele)photo looks like a painting, the composition is so exact.  But it is an actual woman performing a tea ceremony which a 'snapped' through a window.

Children visiting the castle.  The world is an amazing place at their ages.  They are so cute to watch.

We ended the day sampling saki at a local distillery.  Saki has never been a favorite of mine; I prefer plum wine.

Sakaiminato was the next cruise stop.

Food, flowers, and forest all in a large private park.

A central feature of the park was this large open sphere framework with many internal displays.

Early May and the flowers are in full bloom.

Great scenery plus Daisen volcano in the background.

The park was in a hilly region with surrounding forest.

Another view of flower fields and the Daisen volcano in the background.

Does anyone know who the comic artist is who created these characters?  He is very famous in the Fukuoka area with statues in many local places. 

Our cruise ship next moved on to the port at Kanazawa, Japan.

We love these Japanese nature parks; artistry using nature as the canvas.

Even the trees are sculpted using selective pruning to create distinct impressions.

A young Japanese couple wearing traditional garb in the park.  Was this their idea, or were they paid actors?

The wooden arch shown here (and similar arches elsewhere) symbolizes a 'gateway to the gods', although we were told that many Japanese don't take their gods too seriously.

Clear water with a glass-like surface in a slow-flowing stream and lush green surroundings.

Not seen, off to the left is an area of 'old town' narrow streets with shops, but we found this family-oriented festival on the river to be more interesting.

Children examining the brightly colored streamers while monitored by their parents.

 

            

Drummers providing a farewell concert for our cruise ship.  They put a lot of energy into this loud, rousing concert on the dock, and it was appreciated by our cruise passengers.

South Korea: Yeosu, Jeju, Incheon, Busan

 In South Korea, our ship makes stops at Yoseu, Jeju Island, Incheon, and Busan.  Overall, we are very impressed.  Did you realize that small South Korea produces many more ocean-going vessels than the US?  Its auto manufacturers, Hyundai & Kia, are major world players.  Korean’s Samsung is ubiquitous in electronics.  In the entertainment industry, K-Pop is a world force.  S. Korea is also known for quality cosmetic skin care products. Prosperity there is similar to the US or Europe. 

 We visited a shopping mall in Incheon that matches or exceeds anything we have experienced elsewhere.  At this huge mall (six levels), we visited a store, Uniglo, with an open storefront where checkout is self-service.  We visited another store which had NO clerks.  Checkout was on the honor system!  The mall was serving many shoppers, unlike the vacant failing malls at home.  We spent our time exploring only the first floor of this complex and took few photographs.

Looking toward central Incheon from the harbor.  Can you pick out the tallest building at 1001 feet tall?  Many of the buildings are quite tall, and this is not the only complex of such buildings.  We chose not to go to Seoul; it would have meant a long bus ride to spend time in an even larger urban complex.

The crime rate is extremely low.  They are a very hard-working, moral society.  But they also have an artistic/aesthetic aspect.  Looking at central Incheon from the harbor, you see a mass of very tall high-rise buildings.  The tallest is 68 stories, 1001 feet high, which is only slightly taller than other buildings in the vicinity.  At first, we thought, “It must be terrible to live in such dense surroundings.”  But as we approached downtown, we discovered many lush parks with flowers, trees, grass, and walking paths.  Outdoor relief has been provided for those high-rise apartment dwellers.

The harbor at Yeosu, impressively modern skyline.

Camellia Island provides a nature preserve right on the harbor at Yeosu.

Part of the Heungguksa Temple complex located inland from Yeosu.  There were very few people present at the time of our visit.

          

Central shrine at Heungguksa Temple which contains a huge bell, rung by swinging a wooden log suspended by chains.

      

A temple complex should always include flowers.

.... and more flowers

Our cruise next stopped at Jeju Island.

Jeju harbor, looking north toward mainland South Korea.

We visited a 'folk village' where many of the aspects of a traditional lifestyle are retained.  It was here that we visited a self-checkout store with no clerks.

Statue at small temple at Sunrise Peak parking lot. The Peak is a very popular attraction.  You can trek to the peak (on this day wrapped in clouds) or descend to the beach and even take a boat ride.

Sunrise Peak located on the eastern shore of Jeju Island.  On this morning the sun was blocked by clouds, but it was still a very popular destination.

Boats loading tourists for a seaward view of Sunrise Peak.

If you were impressed by the tall buildings at Incheon, consider that the tallest building at Busan is 1350 feet tall.

United Nations Memorial Cemetery at Busan with a bit of the city skyline in the background.  Soldiers of many nations served, and died, in South Korea during the war with North Korea and China.

I was very impressed with the immaculate condition of the Memorial Cemetery and the respect with which it is treated.  There were many Korean visitors to this Memorial commemorating the sacrifice of foreign soldiers in defense of the country.  

Those Korean soldiers looked very sharp in executing a well-rehearsed ceremony.

Look at all the tall buildings in Busan!  A great contrast from the well-groomed green fields of the military cemetery.

On a visit to a beach, a group of South Koreans posed at the end of a glass-bottomed platform extending out above the ocean hundreds of feet below.

Full coverage for this female diver harvesting marine creatures off the coast at Busan.  (telephoto)

In this part of Asia, when you visit a 'fish market', the display is extensive and impressive.  Every possible product of the sea is on view from many vendors.  Here we see crabs.

 

This is one of many displays of fish, most of which are laying on a bed of ice.

I believe that these are called sea cucumbers.  I have no idea how they taste but would be willing to try one.

Dawn and I spent much of our time in Busan taking walks on our own.  Streets, arcades, a terminal, and 'China town' and good exercise (better than doing laps of our ship deck).

Sign outside a transportation terminal that we passed through going from our dock to nearby sights.

A view of the Chinatown area.

 

Our ship at the pier with nearby pleasant landscaping and walking areas.

Tall buildings and an artistic suspension bridge, all very modern and visually appealing.