Last Updated on 09/05/24 by Rose Palmer
BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
My tour around Japan with Heritage Expeditions, ended, literally, with a big bang!
Our group was on Sado Island, learning the Japanese art of Taiko drumming. Our instructor banged out a few rhythmic beats and we attempted to repeat them in unison. Then he banged out a slightly more complicated set of beats and the group repeated them in unison once again. And again. And again.
It was a blast, or should I say, a BANG! It was a perfect way to end my 10 days touring Japan off the beaten path.
Japan off the Beaten Path
Japan is one of my favorite destinations, and after three previous visits, I was ready to see the hidden gems that were not on the normal tourist route. Heritage Expeditions Sacred Japan and South Korea tour and their new ship, the Heritage Adventurer, took me to a number of off the beaten track locations around Japan that I would not have considered seeing on my own.
Day 1 – arriving in Osaka, Japan
Our holiday started with a team dinner at the Osaka Hilton where we were staying the first night of the tour. The Hilton was perfectly situated across the street from the Osaka Train Station.
I actually arrived in Osaka two days before the start of the tour and chose to add a few extra nights’ stay at the Hilton. This location made it very convenient to catch the subway for sightseeing in Osaka or a JR train for a quick day trip to Kyoto or other nearby sights, like Universal Studios.
At our welcome dinner, Heritage Expeditions’ Operations Director Nathan Russ welcomed us warmly and introduced some of the expedition team for our journey, including Heritage Expeditions’ founder Shirley Russ (his mom).
Day 2 – exploring some highlights in Osaka, Japan
Our off-the-beaten path adventures started first thing this morning as we took a short bus ride to the outskirts of Osaka to explore Minoh Park. An easy 2.5 kilometer trail led to the beautiful 33 meter high Minoh waterfall.
The paved trail climbed slowly as it followed the Minoh River. Shops and homes quickly gave way to a dense green landscape of maples and evergreen cedars with the stream gurgling past. An occasional tea house offered opportunities for a break if needed.
Halfway to the falls we passed the extensive and quite photogenic Minoh Ryuanji temple complex. After another kilometer, a classic red lacquered bridge came into view – the perfect spot from which to admire the scenic Minoh Waterfall.
From Minoh Park, we headed to Osaka’s famous Dotonbori district. Known more for its lively, illuminated, nighttime scene, Dotonbori was no less interesting during the day. Larger than life sculpted figures poked their heads and bodies out of the buildings, while colorful displays enticed passers by into restaurants and shops.
We made our way into one of the side street restaurants for a typical Japanese meal, some of which we cooked ourselves in a hot pot. After lunch we had a little time to explore the quirkiness of Dotonbori on our own and try some of the street food as well.
Up next, a short bus ride took our group to Sakai City on the southern outskirts of Osaka. I learned that Sakai is one of the three great knife producing centers in Japan. At one of the major knife shops we had a quick lesson about the history of Japanese knives and the production of the different types of blades. Knife purchasing opportunities were also available.
A block away we stepped into the small workshop of an artisanal knife smith. The space was cramped and dark, but extremely neat and orderly, much as I would expect from a Japanese manufacturing process.
The master craftsman showed us the complete process of forging a blade from a strip of metal into its final shape. In just a few minutes he deftly transformed a blank metal rod into a crude knife blade. I was surprised though at the lack of personal protective equipment, especially as hot sparks were flying when he hammered the blade into shape with a power hammer.
The final stop for the day was a brief tour around Osaka Castle with its massive protective stone walls and moat. The original castle was completed in 1585, but in the intervening years, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt numerous times due to fires and conflict. The current version was an authentic reproduction of the original Edo period structure, but with modern amenities in the museum inside.
After a long and eventful day of sightseeing, our small group arrived at Osaka Port where we were introduced to the Heritage Adventurer, our home for the next 9 nights. I wrote a detailed review of the ship with lots of photos in my post A Heritage Expeditions Review – Cruising in Style on the Heritage Adventurer.
Day 3 – Uno, Japan
Today’s port stop was Uno, gateway to Japan’s famous art island, Naoshima, along with other interesting sights on the mainland around the nearby city of Okayama.
The morning began with a coach drive to the Okayama Korakuen Garden, designated as one of the three great gardens of Japan. The garden was established in 1687 and took 13 years to complete.
Korakuen was large and we didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to explore all the nooks and crannies, but I enjoyed what I saw. Designed with many picture perfect perspectives, lots of water features, and flora that provided blooms every month of the year, it is understandable why it was designated a cultural treasure.
Another hour drive took us to the Kurashiki Historical Quarter which has been preserved as it was in the Edo period. The canal that was once used for transporting goods was now lined with weeping willows and offered traditional boat rides.
The rice storage houses have also been preserved and were now cute cafes and boutiques that were fun to peruse. The quarter is also known for the Ohara Museum of Art and its impressive collection of Japanese and Western art with pieces by renowned artists such as Renoir, Monet, and Picasso, just to name a few.
After lunch on board the Heritage Adventurer, we took the ferry across to Naoshima island. I have wanted to visit Naoshima for a long time and was thrilled to finally have the chance to do so.
The island has many contemporary art museums along with numerous art installations. We started with a quick tour of the Benesse House Museum and then moved on to check out the some of the vacant houses that have been turned into art installations as part of the Art House Project.
We ended the day with a stroll along the waterfront to the island’s most famous sculptures, the polka dot pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama. It was fun to also see the many polka dot influences around town.
Day 4 – Hiroshima and Miyajima, Japan
This morning’s tour took us to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park. Our guides showed us the most important memorials in the park while explaining the impact that the atomic bomb had on Hiroshima – physically, culturally, and emotionally.
At the heart of the Peace Park was the Cenotaph where the names of all those that perished in the atomic bombing were remembered. Behind the Cenotaph was the Peace Flame which will burn continuously until all threat of nuclear bombs have been eliminated.
The centerpiece of the park was the A-Bomb Dome which were the only physical remains of a building near the bomb’s hypocenter, and which is also a UNESO listed World Heritage Site.
I found the Children’s Peace Monument to be the most moving spot in the Park. This memorial is dedicated to all the children that died as a result of the atomic bombing. It’s become a tradition to donate paper cranes here as a token of peace and our group did just that with all the origami cranes we learned to make the night before.
At each port we were sent off with a performance by local entertainers. One of the best was at the Hiroshima port where a group of Taiko drummers energetically banged out intricate rhythms in unison as our ship prepared to depart.
I wrote a detailed post about My Visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park – A Continuing Classroom for Peace.
Back on board we enjoyed a lovely al fresco BBQ lunch that featured fresh, locally sourced oysters along with lots of salads and a selection of grilled meats. I enjoyed watching the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea as we cruised the short distance to nearby Miyajima Island.
Miyajima is considered a sacred island and is a popular destination for the Japanese as well as the foreign tourists. The zodiacs dropped us off near the ferry port, and from there it was an easy 10 minute walk to the main sights on the island.
The highlight on Miyajima island was the UNESCO listed Itsukushima Shinto Shrine with its large torii gate that appears to float in the middle of bay during high tide. There has been a torii gate here since 593 ACE, but the current incarnation was built in 1875. We were there at low tide and it was possible to walk right up to the torii gate for close up photos.
We had the afternoon to walk around the island and explore the temples, the many souvenir shops, and the eateries. I couldn’t resist trying fried oysters, one of the local delicacies. I describe all my experience in more detail in my story Japan’s Most Sacred island – A Day in Miyajima.
Day 5 – Hagi, Japan
A cool and rainy morning didn’t stop us from taking the zodiacs to the small port in Hagi. (Heritage Expeditions supplied us with plenty of umbrellas). For the past 400 years, Hagi has been known as one of the most famous pottery areas in Japan.
We started our day with a tour of the Yoshika Taibi Memorial Museum and workshop. Hagi pottery is known for its earthen qualities which were evident in the many pieces on display in the museum. During our tour of the museum, we saw pottery being made and also learned how artist Yoshika Taibi transformed these humble pieces that were used for everyday tasks into a highly regarded art form.
The museum also had a lovely retail area where I couldn’t resist buying a one of a kind tea pot.
A short bus ride took us to the historic Hagi Castle Town area, another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Japan. The preserved samurai quarter was a wonderful example of a feudal era Japanese town.
Our group toured the Kikuya residence with its traditional interior and classically landscaped gardens surrounding the home. Free time allowed us to explore the district on our own, taking in the style of what were once samurai and merchant houses.
This region was also known for its grapefruit-sized, sweet oranges and lots of orange flavored products were available for sale. I tried a chilled orange, custard, and cream concoction which was very good.
For those that were interested, we had the option to eat lunch at one of the local restaurants in the seafood market near the port. Our guide Hide-san helped us understand the menu and helped us order (and then pay after we were done). After lunch it was fun to walk around the market and look at the seafood the vendors were selling, some of which I did not recognize.
For the afternoon, we headed into the hills outside of Hagi to the Akiyoshido caves. I was expecting just another typical cave with lots of stalactites and stalagmites, but this cave was anything but ordinary.
I learned that at 9 km long, this was the largest cave in Japan, though only about 1 kilometer was open to the public. As we walked downhill, the space opened up into large caverns that were carved out by a rushing river. Along with stalactites, thousands of years of lime saturated water also formed layers of beautiful travertine terraces.
As we approached the exit, the river flowed into a vast lake before rushing out the exit. Finally stepping outside, the contrast between the dark, barren cavern, and the lush and vivid greenery was remarkable.
Back on the ship, we quickly went through the Japanese immigration process before setting sail toward Korea.
Day 6 – Ulsan, South Korea
As our ship docked at the port in Ulsan, South Korea, I was impressed by the modern city around me. This was my first time in South Korea, and while I knew that a lot of products were “made in Korea”, including cars, I did not expect to see a sea of them laid out before me, waiting to be shipped all over the world.
A short drive took us to nearby Gyeongju City and the UNESCO listed Daereungwon Tomb Complex (also known as Tumuli Park). Our well spoken Korean guide provided a lot of information about the Silla kingdom that ruled a large part of this peninsula from 57 CE to 935 CE.
The tomb complex is where the kings and nobles of the Silla kingdom were buried. The Gyeongju area is dotted with over 200 tombs of which 23 can be found in Tumuli Park. While most of the mounds have been left intact, we were able to go inside one that had been excavated.
The tomb of ruler Cheonmachong is believed to be from the 5th century. When it was excavated, archeologist discovered over 10,000 lavish items buried alongside the body. As we walked through the tomb, mock ups with duplicates of some of the elaborate gold pieces showed us how much wealth these rulers enjoyed.
To see the real gold treasures discovered in the tomb, we stopped at the nearby Gyeongju National Museum. So much was unearthed that only a small portion of the artifacts could be displayed at any one time. The detail on many of the gold pieces was exquisite and impressive.
For lunch we went to a Korean restaurant where the food was served family style and just kept coming and coming and coming. While I didn’t recognise some of the dishes, it was all delicious.
Our afternoon stop was the Bulguksa Buddhist Temple which was lavishly decorated with colorful paper lanterns in honor of the upcoming Buddha’s birthday celebrations. Visitors could purchase paper tags where they would write their wishes and prayers. These were then hung from the paper lanterns.
The temple was first constructed in the 6th century and is now also part of the UNESCO protected sites in the Gyeongju area. The temple complex was impressively large with many different halls and different representations of the buddha.
At the end of the day, we quickly cleared Korean customs, and then headed back toward Japan’s western coast.
Day 7 – Sakaiminato, Japan
We had a relaxing morning as we continued cruising back toward the Japanese coast. It was nice to be able to sleep in for a bit after so many busy days. For those interested, Heritage Expeditions offered two informative lectures during the morning, one about the life of a Geisha and the second about the modern day US-Japanese political relationship.
Once we reached the port of Sakaiminato in Japan and cleared passport control, we headed out to two wonderful and distinctly different gardens.
At the Adachi Museum of Art, the gardens surrounding the building are as much a part of the art on display as the paintings inside. The museum’s founder Adachi Zenko believed that “a Japanese garden is thought of as a living canvas”, and that is exactly what they were here.
These gardens demonstrated a variety of typical Japanese styles: a dry landscape garden, a white gravel and pine garden, a moss garden, and a pond garden.
The gardens here were designed to be viewed rather than walked through. The perspectives were framed by the windows with various viewpoints looking out over the different garden styles. I was impressed by how seamlessly the formal garden design melded with the surrounding natural landscape.
The museum also had three cafes, including a formal Japanese tea room where I had time to enjoy a traditional Japanese matcha tea and sweet.
In contrast, Yuushien Garden on Daikonshima Island was meant to be enjoyed by strolling along wooded paths and over bridges. The long rays of the afternoon sun cast a beautiful warm glow as I strolled under the maples.
As is typical in Japanese garden, water also played an important role in this garden design. A stream, a waterfall, and a pond were surrounded by lush vegetation and were spanned by a traditional vermillion colored bridge. It was such a pleasure to amble along the quiet paths, taking in this beautiful natural and uncrowded setting.
Back at the port, we were sent off with another fun musical performance that also included lots of soap bubbles.
Day 8 – Kanazawa, Japan
After a slower day yesterday, today was once again packed with lots of unique sightseeing experiences. We started with an early morning exploration of the Omicho Market. This market has been here since the early 17th century (the Edo Period) and it is still going strong today.
I always enjoy ambling through markets like this in Japan. It’s fun to see the variety of seafood and produce for sale, which often includes items I don’t recognize.
Our next stop was the Nagamachi Samurai District. Like Kyoto, Kanazawa was spared from extensive bombing during World War II. As a result, the city still has many preserved historic areas, and Nagamachi is one of them.
Our group toured the historic Nomura Samurai House with its tatami mat covered floors and rice paper screen doors opening out onto intimate traditional style gardens. I also had time to wander the area on my own, exploring the cute shops and cafes.
Once again, we were offered the choice to have lunch at a local restaurant and I jumped at the chance. The fresh sashimi was exquisite – beautifully presented and utterly delicious.
Nearby were our next two stops: the Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden. As we walked around the castle grounds, our guides told us about the many times the castle burned down during its 500 year history. What we saw on our tour was a reconstruction of the way the castle looked in the 1850’s.
From Kanazawa Castle, the path led directly into the vast expanse of the Kenroku-en Garden. This garden was also considered to be one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan.
Our guides described how the design of Kenroku-en Garden tried to embody the six attributes of a perfect landscape: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, and panoramas. As I walked around the many different sections in the garden I certainly could see examples of all six themes.
To cap off this eventful day, we finished our explorations of Kanazawa in the Higashi Chaya District. As in Kyoto’s Gion district, this was one of the neighborhoods where Geishas lived and performed their arts (and still do).
The city has three of these historic entertainment districts and Higashi Chaya is said to be the largest and best preserved. It was a pleasure to amble along the narrow lanes lined with traditional wood latticed buildings, most of which were now shops or restaurants.
Kanazawa is also renowned for gold leaf production. I certainly could not leave the Higashi Chaya District without trying a truly unique gold leaf covered ice cream cone.
Day 9 – Sado Island, Japan
Our day on Sado Island was my favorite stop on this trip.
The sixth largest island in Japan was situated on the western coast in the Sea of Japan, not far from the port of Niigata. As we arrived on shore, we were greeted by an enthusiastic welcoming committee, which also included local dancers in traditional outfits.
Our first experience took us around the harbor in a “tarai bune” or typical tub boats. Young women wearing traditional dresses stood in the flat bottomed boat and twirled their paddle like a propeller as they expertly guided us around the cove. Originally made from washtubs, these unique, round boats were developed in the late 1800’s to make it easier to harvest abalone and seaweed in the narrow coves around the island.
Sado Island also had a well preserved historic district, the Shukunegi Village, and this was our next stop. We started with the fascinating Ogi Folk Museum which housed a replica of a traditional cargo ship, or Kitamaebune, in what had once been a school.
Then we explored the nearby old town with its densely packed houses and narrow lanes. This village prospered during the height of the Edo period and the houses are still inhabited today.
The day ended with our stop at the Sado Island Taiko Center where we each had the opportunity to bang the drums slowly, or quickly, trying to imitate the instructor’s rhythms. Our instructors also gave us an energetic taiko demonstration on two huge drums that were hand carved from a 600 year old Japanese Zelkova tree.
Day 10 – Niigata, Japan
Our cruise was over, but our tour was not quite done. Along with the Heritage Expedition guides, we all boarded the Shinkansen (bullet train) for Tokyo – yet one more iconic Japanese experience that for us, came with a traditional bento box lunch.
Once we reached Tokyo Station a few of hours later, the Heritage Expeditions staff helped everyone get on their way to their next destination.
My amazing cruise was over and it gave me everything I was hoping for. I have to commend Heritage Expeditions for the thoughtful itinerary that provided so many unique sights and experiences. I got to see Japan off the beaten path in a very easy and comfortable way.
This won’t be my last Japan travel experience, but it was certainly a memorable one. Thanks Heritage Expeditions!
Please note that I was hosted by Heritage Expeditions on this cruise. All content and opinions are my own.
Other Japan travel stories I’ve written:
All my favorite Japanese experiences: My Favorite Unique Japanese Experiences
Seeing the snow monkeys: Exploring Japan’s Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park from Tokyo – A Look in the Mirror
Learning shibori dyeing in Kyoto: Experience the Kyoto Shibori Museum – Keeping An Ancient Artistic Tradition Alive
Thank you for visiting
Rose Palmer
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