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12 Night Coastal Japan Imperial Dynasties and Modern Culture Cruise from Kanazawa

Ship: National Geographic Resolution
Cruise Line: Lindblad Expeditions
Sailed:  Thursday, Sep 7, 2023 from Kanazawa, Japan
Ended: Tuesday, Sep 19, 2023
The itinerary information below reflects the original day-by-day port of call schedule for the Thursday, Sep 7, 2023 departure of the National Geographic Resolution. If Lindblad Expeditions modified this itinerary for weather or operational reasons after departing , the modified schedule would not be reflected here.
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Day by Day Summary and Map

Day 1 - Thursday - Sep 7, 2023
Kanazawa, Japan
Kanazawa, Japan      
Zip north on Japan's famous bullet train to Kanazawa, a port city on Honshu's northwestern coast, where National Geographic Resolution awaits. Get to know your beautiful home for the upcoming days and settle into your cabin. Overnight onboard. Step into Old Japan in Kanazawa, once a powerful city ruled by the Maeda clan. Stroll past the lovely wooden homes of the samurai in the Nagamachi district, where the streets are intentionally narrow and winding to confuse enemies. Then, explore the geisha and teahouse district of Higashi Chaya. Next, wander the pathways of Kenroku-en, one of Japan's designated "three best landscape gardens", established in 1676 by the Maeda family and developed over 150 years.
Day 2 - Friday - Sep 8, 2023
Captain's Choice, United States
Captain's Choice, United States      
Day 3 - Saturday - Sep 9, 2023
Sakai-Ko, Japan, Japan
Sakai-Ko, Japan, Japan      
Bus Travel      
Matsue, Japan      
Bus Travel      
Adachi Museum of Art, Japan      
Bus Travel      
Sakai-Ko, Japan, Japan      
Follow the coast west to Matsue, situated between a lake, a lagoon, and the sea. Tour the 17th-century Matsue Castle built as a defensive fortress and discover its clever design elements intended to foil the enemy. Continue to the Adachi Museum of Art, which blends an impressive collection of 20th-century Japanese art with a gem-like traditional garden.
Day 4 - Sunday - Sep 10, 2023
Hagi, Japan      
In the castle town of Hagi, known for its fine ceramic arts, tour the historic district, once home to wealthy merchants and samurai. Stroll past serene rows of stone lanterns at the town's two Zen Buddhist temples, where the feudal lords of the powerful Mori clan were laid to rest. This afternoon, we chart our course for the Korean Peninsula.
Day 5 - Monday - Sep 11, 2023
Pusan, South Korea
Pusan, South Korea      
Bus Travel      
Kyongju, Korea      
Bus Travel      
Pusan, South Korea      
Dock in Busan, and travel to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla kingdom and the crown jewel of Korea's cultural heritage. Packed with the ruins of temples, pagodas, and palaces dating back more than a thousand years, the historic areas of the city have been collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Bulguksa Temple, a masterpiece of Silla architecture originally built in AD 528. At the Gyeongju National Museum, examine jewelry, weapons, and other Silla artifacts. See Cheomseongdae, a seventh-century observatory, and wander among towering royal burial mounds.
Day 6 - Tuesday - Sep 12, 2023
Nagasaki, Japan
Nagasaki, Japan      
Long before World War II, Nagasaki was a cosmopolitan trading center, drawing merchants from Europe and China to its picturesque harbor as early as the 1500s. Visit Oura Cathedral, the oldest Christian church in Japan, and venture into Sofukuji, a 400-year-old Ming-style Zen Buddhist temple. Visit Nagasaki Peace Park, where a poignant exhibition illustrates the aftermath of the atomic bomb attack on the city, and see the somber monument erected at ground zero.
Day 7 - Wednesday - Sep 13, 2023
Kagoshima, Japan
Kagoshima, Japan      
Bus Travel      
Minamikyushu, Japan      
Bus Travel      
Kagoshima, Japan      
At the southern end of Kyushu, the city of Kagoshima sits just across the bay from the active volcano Sakurajima. Take a walk in Sengan-en Garden, designed by the city's ruling Shimadzu clan in 1658 to incorporate the bay and its simmering volcano. After lunch, travel along the Satsuma Peninsula to the village of Chiran, where the samurai designed gardens inspired by their travels.
Day 8 - Thursday - Sep 14, 2023
Yakushima, Japan
Yakushima, Japan      
The diverse ecology of Yakushima Island, including a subtropical coast and temperate rainforest in the interior, has earned this island UNESCO World Heritage status. On a hike, discover the island's ancient yakusugi cedar trees, many of which date back more than a thousand years. Our ship turns north toward the island of Shikoku this evening.
Day 9 - Friday - Sep 15, 2023
Uwajima, Japan
Uwajima, Japan      
Bus Travel      
Uchiko, Japan      
Bus Travel      
Uwajima, Japan      
Rise early for a morning hike to Uwajima Castle, one of just 12 original Edo-period castles that remain intact. Continue to Uchiko, once a center of wax production. Take a walk in the town's well-preserved Yokaichi district, where beautifully crafted wooden merchant homes recall the prosperity of the Meiji period.
Day 10 - Saturday - Sep 16, 2023
Miyajima, Japan
Miyajima, Japan      
Hiroshima, Japan      
Start the day on the island of Miyajima, home of Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its red torii gate that seems to float atop the water at high tide. In Hiroshima, visit the Peace Memorial Park. See the Atomic Bomb Dome, one of only a few buildings left standing after the attack, and learn about the city's dedication to peace following World War II.
Day 11 - Sunday - Sep 17, 2023
Naoshima, Japan
Naoshima, Japan      
Takamatsu, Japan      
The small island of Naoshima was transformed from a dwindling community to a vibrant art center by Benesse Holdings, which began inviting artists and architects to create a hub for the arts in the early 1990s. Discover the island's cutting-edge creations, from an underground museum designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando to the famous polka-dotted pumpkins of Yayoi Kusama. After lunch, cross to Takamatsu on Shikoku Island. Explore Shikoku Mura, an open-air museum that showcases traditional building styles. End the day at the Noguchi Garden Museum, which features the sculptures and workshop of Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi.
Day 12 - Monday - Sep 18, 2023
Okayama, Japan
Okayama, Japan      
Land Travel      
Kurashiki, Japan      
Land Travel      
Okayama, Japan      
Dock in Okayama and head for our second of Japan's "three best landscape gardens": Koraku-en. Wander paths that wind along forest streams and past traditional teahouses tucked amid maple and cherry trees. See the black-walled Okayama Castle, before continuing to the former shipping center of Kurashiki, where centuries-old rice granaries line a lovely canal. Browse local handicrafts, and visit the renowned Ohara Museum of Art and the 18th-century Ohashi House.
Day 13 - Tuesday - Sep 19, 2023
Kobe, Japan
Kobe, Japan      
This morning, disembark in Kobe. Pay a visit to 17th-century Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "White Heron Castle". After lunch, transfer to the airport in Osaka for your flight home.