22 March

Japan: Shimizu

Shimizu is one of the most spectacular ports in Japan, a sweeping bay in the shadow of the iconic Mount Fuji. You can spend some time admiring the views and wandering through peaceful pine groves, or visit the unique Shimizu Sushi Museum at the S-Pulse Dream Plaza shopping mall.

23 March - At sea

24 March

Japan: Kagoshima

The friendly southern Japanese city of Kagoshima enjoys a balmy climate, and sits just across the bay from the very active Sakurajima volcano, which erupts so regularly that an ‘ash forecast’ is included in local weather reports.

25 March

Japan: Hashima

25 March

Japan: Nagasaki

Three days after Hiroshima was flattened by an atomic bomb, Nagasaki suffered the same horrifying fate. The reconstruction of both cities has been quite extraordinary; Nagasaki today is a vibrant, cosmopolitan place, with a fascinating history that goes back a lot further than 1945.

26 March

South Korea: Busan

Busan is South Korea’s second biggest city and one of the world’s busiest container ports, but it’s an easygoing place with a discernibly different character to Seoul. Haeundae beach is a popular summer holiday destination for Koreans, while the pungent Jagalchi market sells every type of fish and sea creature imaginable.

27 March

Japan: Karatsu

The coastal city of Karatsu was a key port for trade with China and Korea thanks to its proximity to the Korean peninsula, and is known for the quality of its pottery. Local attractions include the large hilltop castle, which served as a base for general Toyotomi Hidetoshi's 16th century invasion of Korea.

28 March

Japan: Hiroshima

On 6 August 1945 the world witnessed the terrifying power of nuclear weapons for the first time, unleashed on the unsuspecting Japanese city of Hiroshima. The modern city's sobering Peace Memorial Park commemorates that fateful day, which left more than 140,000 dead.

29 March to 30 March

Japan: Takamatsu

The laid back port city of Takamatsu sits on the north coast of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s major islands, and is home to the beautifully designed Ritsurin Koen, one of Japan’s most famous historical gardens.

30 March

Japan: Tomonoura

31 March to 1 April

Japan: Osaka

Osaka, Japan’s third largest city, is a pulsating commercial hub, famous for its food, and the cityscape rivals Tokyo for neon-lit futurism. If you need respite from the urban sprawl seek out Osaka Castle and the surrounding Nishinomaru Garden, a particularly pretty spot during the cherry blossom season.

1 April

Japan: Kyoto

Wonderful Kyoto is Japan’s cultural and spiritual heart, scattered with tranquil gardens, traditional teahouses and some 2,000 temples and shrines. If you want to really get under the skin of Japanese culture then this is the place to come, with the chance to learn about everything from the importance of cherry-blossom season to the latest trends in manga.

2 April

Arriving in Osaka

Osaka, Japan’s third largest city, is a pulsating commercial hub, famous for its food, and the cityscape rivals Tokyo for neon-lit futurism. If you need respite from the urban sprawl seek out Osaka Castle and the surrounding Nishinomaru Garden, a particularly pretty spot during the cherry blossom season.