All Inclusive Springtime Japan

Tokyo in early April is the city at its most celebrated moment. The Somei Yoshino cherry trees are at or near peak across the city’s major parks and the Meguro River, lined with cherry trees on both banks, is one of the finest cherry blossom walks in Japan. Your included 4-star hotel gives two nights to explore before Celebrity Millennium departs. Shinjuku Gyoen holds over 1,000 cherry trees and gives the most complete blossom viewing experience in Tokyo. The Ueno Park cherry blossom festival, one of the most famous in Japan, is at full operation in early April. The Meiji Shrine’s inner garden and the Imperial Palace East Garden give quieter alternatives to the main blossom crowds.

A second full day in Tokyo before tomorrow’s embarkation and the cherry blossom is the organising principle. The Chidorigafuchi moat at Kitanomaru Park, where rowing boats move beneath the overhanging cherry branches and the petals fall on the water, is the most romantic single cherry blossom experience in Tokyo and is at its finest in early April. The Yanaka district, with its preserved Meiji-era streetscape and cemetery lined with cherry trees, gives a sense of Tokyo beyond the tourist circuit. Tonight is the last Tokyo evening before the voyage begins.

A final Tokyo morning before the transfer to Yokohama, where Celebrity Millennium is docked. The cherry blossoms may still be showing their final days in the city before the petals fall. Board this afternoon and watch Tokyo Bay open as the ship heads southwest for Japan’s west coast and two extraordinary days in Kyoto.

A sea day heading southwest as Celebrity Millennium makes for Osaka and Kyoto. The Pacific coastline of Honshu is visible to starboard and two full days in Japan’s ancient imperial capital are ahead. The cherry blossom season in Kyoto typically peaks a few days after Tokyo, which means early April arrivals often find the city at its absolute finest. The Cellar Masters and the Tuscan Grill are both worth reserving for this first evening at sea.

Celebrity Millennium docks at Osaka and Kyoto is 30 minutes away by express train. Early April in Kyoto is the city at its most extraordinary: the Somei Yoshino cherry trees in full bloom at every temple and the Japanese concept of hanami, the practice of sitting beneath the blossoms and appreciating their transience, fully in operation across every park and garden. The Maruyama Park in Gion, where the famous weeping cherry tree at the centre of the park is often the last tree to reach peak bloom, is the most celebrated single blossom viewing site in Kyoto. The Philosopher’s Path, a 2-kilometre canal walkway lined with cherry trees connecting the Nanzenji and Ginkakuji temples, gives the finest cherry blossom walk in the city. Fushimi Inari Shrine with its 10,000 vermilion torii gates is accessible in the afternoon and gives the visit a cultural depth beyond the blossom alone.

A second full day in Kyoto and the city opens its quieter layers. Yesterday’s famous temple circuit gives way to the neighbourhoods that visitors to Kyoto for a single day never reach. The Arashiyama bamboo grove and the Tenryu-ji garden on the western edge of the city, the preserved machiya townhouses of the Nishiki Market district and the Kinkakuji gold pavilion reflected in its garden pond give the second day a completely different character. The Nishiki Market, the narrow covered lane known as Kyoto’s kitchen, is the finest single food culture experience in the city. The Gion Shijo district at dusk, with the teahouse district lights beginning to come on and the cherry trees still holding their final blossoms along the Kamogawa River, gives the day its perfect close.

Kochi is Japan without the crowds and all the better for it. The relaxed capital of Shikoku Island rewards slow travel and has a warmth of character that the larger, more visited cities lack. The historic Kochi Castle, dating to the 1600s and one of Japan’s few original remaining feudal fortresses, is accessible by a short walk from the port. The Saturday market — the longest-running outdoor market in Japan, stretching nearly a kilometre with fresh produce, local crafts and street food — falls on this day. The region’s signature katsuo no tataki, lightly seared bonito with garlic and ginger served at the tables of the Hirome Market, is reason enough to come ashore. The Niyodo River, often cited as the clearest water in Japan, is accessible by organised tour.

Living like a local is the best way to experience Kochi. No rushing or speeding between excursions is necessary here. Shopping at Sunday Market is a must-do activity for weekenders looking to experience fresh produce and local goods in Kochi, plus there’s an entire shopping district along Harimayabashi Street where travelers can purchase clothing, handcrafted goods, and Japanese artwork. Take a break to see penguins and other marine species at the aquarium on Katsurahama Beach, then stop in at a restaurant to try the region’s signature katsuo no tataki, broiled bonito fish served with onion and garlic. While you’re on an Asia cruise, the small-town vibe of Kochi will make you feel right at home.

A sea day heading northeast from Kochi toward South Korea as Celebrity Millennium crosses the Korea Strait. The Kyoto cherry blossom days are behind and the voyage is turning toward the Korean peninsula and then south through Japan’s volcanic west coast. The Thalassotherapy Pool and the Solarium are both excellent on a calm spring sea day at this latitude.

Busan is South Korea’s second city and one of the most vibrant port cities in Asia. Its dramatic setting, where steep hillside neighbourhoods plunge directly toward the sea, gives it a character entirely distinct from Seoul. The ancient Beomeo-sa Temple sits in a forested mountain valley above the city, its main hall dating to 678 AD and the temple complex one of the finest in Korea. Gamcheon Culture Village, a labyrinth of pastel-painted houses on a hillside transformed by local artists in the 2000s, is one of the most photographed neighbourhoods in Korea. The Jagalchi fish market, the largest in the country, is an experience for every sense and gives the most vivid contrast with the Japanese fish markets visited earlier in the voyage.

Nagasaki is one of the most historically layered cities in Japan and a day here stays with you. The atomic bomb of 9 August 1945 destroyed the city and the Peace Memorial Park and Museum engage with that history with a directness and emotional honesty that is genuinely rare among war memorials anywhere in the world. The Atomic Bomb Dome stands exactly as it fell. The museum’s account of those killed by the end of 1945 is not easy to sit with, but it is important. The city also carries centuries of Chinese, Portuguese and Dutch influence visible in the Chinatown district, the Dejima island trading post and the Glover Garden overlooking the harbour. Nagasaki departs at 7pm, giving a full day and a generous evening in the city.

Sunny Kagoshima lives in the shadow of Sakurajima, an active volcano that last erupted in 2016. Kagoshima balances an air of mystery with a seaside approachability thanks to its location in Southern Japan along the coast and proximity to Sakurajima. In addition to being the capital of the Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, the city is home to ancient castles and traditional Japanese Gardens that delight locals and visitors alike.

Vacationers on an Asia cruise to Kagoshima, Japan can relax at Ibusuki Onsen, the local hot springs, while adventurous travelers will be awed by the volcano’s peaks after a hike to one of the many observation points. There are plenty of experiences for foodies in Kagoshima, too, like taking a tour of Shochu Brewery for sake tastings or enjoying a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

A sea day heading northeast as Celebrity Millennium rounds the Kii Peninsula toward Shimizu and Mt Fuji. The Pacific coastline of Honshu is to the east and the final port call arrives tomorrow. The Cellar Masters and the Tuscan Grill are both worth a farewell reservation for this penultimate evening at sea.

Mid-April at Shimizu is one of the finest moments in the Japanese calendar for the view of Mt Fuji. The cherry trees around the Fuji Five Lakes are typically at or approaching peak bloom in the third week of April, the higher altitude extending the blossom season beyond the city. The Miho no Matsubara pine grove, where the ancient pines frame Fuji’s perfect cone above Suruga Bay in the view that Hiroshige made famous, is the finest single landscape in the Shimizu day. The mountain in mid-April is clear of summer haze and the snow line is still high on the upper slopes. Travel inland to the Fuji Five Lakes for the classic cherry blossom-framed mountain view or walk the Miho grove for the pine and ocean combination. This is the voyage’s final Japanese port and Mt Fuji is the right way to close it.

Celebrity Millennium arrives back in Yokohama and the 12-night voyage concludes in the city where it began. The two Tokyo hotel nights open now and the city in mid-April, with the cherry blossom season moving through its final days and the late-blooming Kanzan varieties still pink in some parks, gives one last opportunity to experience the most celebrated seasonal spectacle in Japan.

A final day in Tokyo before heading home. Twelve nights have covered two full days of cherry blossom Kyoto, the Shikoku coast at Kochi, South Korea at Busan, Nagasaki’s layered history, Kagoshima’s volcanic drama and Mt Fuji from Shimizu. The Shinjuku Gyoen late-blooming cherry varieties may still be showing this weekend before flying home. Transfer to Narita or Haneda Airport for your flights.