Japan Cruise Guide: Cherry Blossom, Autumn Colour and Ports

Overview

Japan has become one of the fastest-growing cruise regions in the world, and it is unusual in having two distinct peak seasons that book out a year in advance for entirely different reasons.

Cherry blossom season runs from late March in Kyushu to mid-April in Hokkaido, moving north as a front. Cruise lines schedule itineraries against the historical average, but the actual bloom shifts by up to two weeks year to year. Booking a cherry blossom cruise is buying a good probability, not a guarantee, and any line promising otherwise is overselling.

Autumn colour in late October and November is more predictable and, in our reviewers' view, at least as beautiful. It is also slightly cheaper and less crowded, which makes it the better booking for most travellers.

Japanese itineraries typically run seven to fourteen nights from Yokohama, Tokyo, Kobe or Osaka, with some sailings continuing to South Korea, Taiwan or Russia's far east historically.

The single most important practical fact is that Japanese cruise ports are frequently a long way from the cities they serve. Yokohama is 45 minutes from central Tokyo. Kobe is 30 minutes from Osaka and an hour from Kyoto. Shimizu is 20 minutes from nothing in particular but has a superb Mount Fuji view.

Japan's rail network makes independent port days genuinely practical, more so than almost anywhere else in Asia. Trains are punctual to the minute, signage is bilingual in cities and an IC card works across most networks. Ship excursions in Japan are expensive and often unnecessary.

• Two peak seasons: cherry blossom and autumn colour.
• Ports are frequently 45 to 90 minutes from the city they serve.
• Japan's rail network makes independent port days unusually practical.
• Typhoon season from July to October causes genuine itinerary disruption.

The best time to go

Late March to mid-April for cherry blossom, late October to November for autumn colour. Those are the two reasons to cruise Japan and both are worth planning around.

May and June are pleasant, quiet and much cheaper, though June brings the rainy season to much of the country. September and early October carry typhoon risk but deliver warm weather and low fares.

The ports, honestly assessed

Japanese ports vary enormously in convenience. The transfer time is the number that determines your day, and it is often longer than passengers expect.

• YokohamaJapan

  The main Tokyo cruise port, 45 minutes from central Tokyo by train. Yokohama itself has an excellent waterfront and Chinatown.

• KobeJapan

  The port is in the city. Kyoto is 60 minutes and Osaka 30 by train. The best-placed port for the Kansai region.

• NagasakiJapan

  The port is central and walkable. The Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park are essential and accessible by tram.

• HiroshimaJapan

  Ships dock at Ujina, 20 minutes by tram from the Peace Memorial. Miyajima and its floating torii are a 40-minute ferry.

• ShimizuJapan

  The best Mount Fuji view from any Japanese cruise port on a clear day. Little else nearby.

• KagoshimaJapan

  Sakurajima volcano is directly across the bay and often actively venting. A short ferry gets you to its base.

• OsakaJapan

  Tempozan terminal is central. Kyoto and Nara are both under an hour by train.

• HakodateJapan

  Southern Hokkaido. The morning market is a five-minute walk and the Mount Hakodate night view is famous.

• AomoriJapan

  Northern Honshu. The Nebuta Museum is a five-minute walk and Hirosaki Castle is a superb cherry blossom site.

• Okinawa, NahaJapan

  Subtropical and culturally distinct. Shuri Castle and the Churaumi Aquarium are the two draws.

• BusanSouth Korea

  Frequently paired with Japanese itineraries. Gamcheon Culture Village and Jagalchi fish market are the highlights.

Weather, month by month

Japan spans 1,900 miles from subtropical Okinawa to subarctic Hokkaido, so national averages are misleading. The figures below are for the Kansai and Kanto regions, where most ports sit.

What it actually costs

Japan cruise fares run above the Mediterranean and below Alaska. The main variable is season: a cherry blossom sailing costs 40 to 60 percent more than the same itinerary in May.

Port-day costs are moderate and independent travel is cheap. A day trip from Kobe to Kyoto by train costs about 2,500 yen return, against $180 for the equivalent ship excursion.

Popular itineraries

Japan itineraries fall into four shapes, and the season matters more than the route.

• Japan intensive, ten nights

  from $2,250 per person

  10 nights from Yokohama or Tokyo

  Calls: Shimizu, Kobe, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Busan

  Best for: The standard Japan circuit

• Cherry blossom, twelve nights

  from $3,600 per person

  12 nights from Yokohama

  Calls: Shimizu, Kobe, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Aomori, Hakodate

  Best for: Following the blossom front north

• Autumn colour, twelve nights

  from $2,820 per person

  12 nights from Tokyo or Kobe

  Calls: Hakodate, Aomori, Kanazawa, Kyoto via Kobe, Hiroshima

  Best for: The most reliable and arguably prettiest season

• Japan and South Korea, fourteen nights

  from $3,080 per person

  14 nights from Yokohama

  Calls: Nagasaki, Busan, Jeju, Kagoshima, Okinawa

  Best for: Adding Korea to a Japanese itinerary

• Northern Japan and Hokkaido, eleven nights

  from $2,530 per person

  11 nights from Tokyo

  Calls: Hakodate, Otaru, Kushiro, Aomori, Sendai

  Best for: Cooler summer sailings and lavender season

Travel tips from our sailings

• 1

  Book cherry blossom sailings a year ahead. They sell out earlier than any other cruise product in Asia.

• 2

  Understand that blossom timing is a probability, not a promise. The front moves by up to two weeks between years.

• 3

  Autumn colour in November is more reliable than spring blossom and costs 20 to 30 percent less.

• 4

  Use the trains. A Kobe to Kyoto return costs about 2,500 yen against $180 for a ship excursion covering the same ground.

• 5

  Buy an IC card such as Suica or ICOCA on arrival. It works on almost every urban transport network in the country.

• 6

  Carry cash. Japan is more cash-dependent than most developed countries, particularly at temples, small restaurants and rural stations.

• 7

  Check where your ship actually docks. Yokohama is 45 minutes from Tokyo and Kobe is an hour from Kyoto.

• 8

  Typhoons between July and October do cause real itinerary changes. Buy insurance that covers itinerary alteration, not just cancellation.

Japan packing essentials

• Slip-on shoes. You will remove them at temples, some restaurants and any traditional accommodation.
• Layers for spring and autumn, when mornings and evenings are considerably cooler than midday.
• A compact umbrella; Japan sells excellent cheap ones everywhere but you will want one from day one.
• A small towel, since many public restrooms do not provide hand drying.
• Cash in yen, obtained from a post office or convenience store ATM, which accept foreign cards reliably.
• A Type A power adapter, which matches North American plugs at 100 volts.
• Modest clothing for temple and shrine visits.

The full list, including the banned-items rules, is in our cruise packing guide.