Windstar: Japan Cruise Review

A non-stop flight from London to Tokyo of some 13 hours brought us to a huge, buzzing city whose various neighbourhoods offer a whole range of options, from top-end shopping at lavish designer shops, to manicured parks and gardens, magical shrines alongside towers and skyscrapers, intimate traditional neighbourhoods of local shops and wooden houses, and neon filled alleyways with a night-life that has to be seen to be believed.

We stayed in Shinjuku, convenient for public transport to tour the city, and on the right side of the city for a trip to Mount Fuji. Travelling around the city is an adventure in itself with plenty of options: we took a while to master the local rail and metro network, and enjoyed observing the locals in their day-to-day routines. Whilst the distances are huge, it is great to take a train to a particular area then explore on foot.

We found the local people to be unfailingly polite, bowing when you catch their eye, and attempting to assist your efforts to buy a ticket for example, although rarely able to communicate in English. We made sure to have a stock of polite responses in Japanese: a heartfelt 'arigato', or better still: 'dōmo arigatōgozaimasu', will go a long way.

People-watching is extraordinary, and we loved sitting down to watch all the fun, from young women in the latest designer gear, with pink hair and plenty of tiny accessories, to elegant matrons dressed in immaculate kimonos with flawless make-up. Likewise, it was so strange to wander the markets and shops and marvel at the range of brightly coloured tat, beautiful artefacts and above all the amazing street food: variety and colours such as you have never seen.

For Western visitors, a sober reminder of World War II can be found in Nagasaki, where memorials and museums give a thought-provoking insight into the recent past. We also learned more about early trade options, and the sheltered harbour which was key to international culture, firstly with China and then with the western nations battling for supremacy in this lucrative market.

The Portuguese traders settled here, but following their expulsion in 1639, the Dutch became the only Europeans allowed to remain in Japan, staying in Dejima, a tiny artificial island in Nagasaki Bay. Back on board, we enjoyed the enlightening lecture programme as well as the Japanese lessons (although we didn't progress too far with these) as well as the stimulating conversation of our fellow guests who considered themselves to be travellers rather than cruisers, and who all had stories to tell of their experiences around the world.

We left mainland Japan and arrived in subtropical Yakushima, a lush and mountainous island whose ancient cedar forests are home to many endemic species such as the Japanese macaque and Japanese deer. Hiking through the national park and over the moss-covered boulders feels like exploring in a very ancient land, and indeed some of the trees are over 1000 years old.

We went on to the beautiful Amami Islands, to Oshima with turquoise waters lapping at white sand beaches, rugged forest-clad hills and mountains, and an extraordinary history of silk making. In Okinawa we learned much more about recent and ancient history as well as walking the super-modern main streets boasting a range of global brands (Starbucks, McDonald's and more) before dodging down a side alley to find market stalls overflowing with rainbow coloured fish and monstrous sea creatures, boneless pig heads (vacuum packed) and marzipan sweets in vibrant pink and purple.

Our final port of call was in Taiwan, with the extraordinary contrasts of the seedy port of Keelung, and the gleaming capital city of Taipei. Travelling further afield, the spectacular scenery made for an unforgettable visit.

As we cruised to Hong Kong, where we were to disembark, we enjoyed Windstar's signature deck party, with a lavish barbecue and the endearing spectacle of our favourite crew members line dancing in the Windstar way, then grabbing the guests for an exuberant farewell party. Windstar will resume its Japan itineraries on the new 200-guest Star Seeker in autumn 2026 and spring 2027, to coincide with cherry blossom - or Sakura.