Unlocking The History, Culture & Beauty of Japan

Delicate cherry blossoms that create a fairytale ambiance. Vibrant, beautiful cities honoring their storied histories. The rich heritage of Haiku. Off-the-beaten-track Kochi. A voyage in Japan with Oceania Cruises offers memorable experiences that will give you insight into this intriguing country. Learn more about the history, culture and beauty of this fascinating destination from esteemed Guest Speaker John McBride, who will be sailing aboard Riviera in Japan next spring.

In 2023, The New York Times voted a regional Japanese city as the second top city in the world to visit after London in their “52 Places to Visit” listing. In 2024, a Japanese regional city was voted the top third city on the list after the Eclipse Path in the United States and Paris. I was a bit sad that Japan didn’t get the second top spot again, but I suppose Paris does have the Olympics this year! Why does the world have a fascination with regional Japan? And how can you best take advantage of these wonderful Japanese cities on an Oceania Cruises voyage?

Departing from Hong Kong in March 2025, Riviera will make four spring cruises visiting Japan, stopping off in delightful regional Japanese cities, all worthy of The New York Times list. The beauty of Riviera’s journey is that there are few sea days, and even on those days, I assure you I will be doing my best to provide you with as much information as possible about Japan through my lectures. I hope to inform you so that you can walk through these Japanese cities with an eye for culture, society and history. The other positive is that Riviera's small size allows her to visit quite difficult-to-access regional Japanese cities. I hope with a few hints from me, their beauty and interest will be revealed.

Cherry Blossom Season
Spring is a wonderful time to visit Japan; with cherry blossoms blooming the length of the country, the chances are good we will enjoy this emblematic symbol of Japan. The beauty of cherry blossoms is fleeting, and the Japanese are attracted to this sense of the passing of time and enjoying every moment of life – a very Zen philosophy, the history of which we will discuss on board. There is cypress and cedar pollen in the air at this time of year, so you will see some Japanese wearing hay fever masks. Or it may be just a commuter who hasn’t put her makeup on until she reaches the office.

Learn More About the Uniquely Japanese Tradition of Woodblock Printing
Two of our cruises see us dock at the regional city of Shimizu, a small port on the ancient Tokaido. I am an expert on walking the highway systems and pilgrimage routes of old Japan, and the Tokaido was the first walk I undertook 45 years ago as a student of classics at a university in Tokyo, walking the full 340 miles from Tokyo to Kyoto. There are 53 post-towns on the Tokaido Way, and they were depicted in woodblock prints by Japan’s famous landscape woodblock print artist Hiroshige. There is a museum near Shimizu dedicated to this artist. I will brief you on board about how the woodblock prints are made and explain how to understand these prints.

Kochi – A Destination Difficult to Access
We visit the city of Kochi, on the Pacific Ocean side of Shikoku, on two of the cruises. Kochi is so often ignored because it is difficult to access. One must usually fly in, as train or bus travel is onerous from the mainland. It is a city of many temples associated with the 88 Temples Pilgrimage of Japan. I will discuss the history of these pilgrimage routes and the walk I designed in the footsteps of these pilgrims. Chikurin-ji Temple in Kochi City is one of my favorites on top of a mountain overlooking the city. The deep valleys of Kochi where pristine waters flow and Japanese washi paper is made are equally fascinating. I was happy when a walk I helped develop along the best parts of the Shikoku pilgrimage was voted 21st best adventure in the world by The Times of London in January 2024. I will be pleased to share with you knowledge of this pilgrimage on board.

Witness How Nagasaki and Hiroshima Have Transformed into Messages of Peace
Several of our tours will visit Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Both were affected by atomic bombings which brought World War II to a close, and we will discuss the role of these bombings. Ashore you will be amazed at the recovery and great beauty of both these cities. Nagasaki is known as one of the three great night views of the world after Hong Kong and Rio de Janeiro. So, be sure to be up on deck if we steam out at night – it is very romantic. Hiroshima, likewise, is a vibrant, clean, modern city. The good citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are often asked why they don’t have anger in their hearts. But this strong emotion has been deliberately shifted to providing a message of peace to the world and a promise to young generations that we will never let this happen again.

Discover the Rich Heritage of the Haiku
On the fourth cruise we will sail north towards Hokkaido and eventually to Vancouver across the entire sweep of the Aleutian Island chain. I am very excited about this, and I am looking forward to the visit to northern Japan, including Onahama and Sendai. These are regional cities which the father of Haiku poetry, Matsuo Basho, stayed in or passed by in 1689. The walk I designed following in the footsteps of Basho was voted the top fourth walk in the world by CNN Travel in 2022. On board I will describe to you how I translated this pre-modern literature and then designed the walk. Basho stayed in Sendai for several days and loved the city, as will you.

Ready to plan your adventure in Japan? Explore these sailings as well as other voyages across the Far East here. I look forward to seeing you aboard Riviera soon!

About John McBride
John McBride has earned degrees from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Japanese classical literature), Australian National University (International relations and economics) and Melbourne Business School (MBA). John’s interest in pre-modern 18th and 19th century Japanese travel literature has seen him walking the old highway systems and pilgrimage routes of Japan for over 40 years. Following academic and corporate careers based in Japan over two decades, John has returned to walk the history and art trails of Japan. He has been guiding history walks and art tours in Japan since 2012. In 2010, John was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) for his services to business and cultural links between Australia and Japan.