Taipei City, Taiwan China Cruise from Keelung to Otaru — 20 Days

Keelung, Taiwan

Keelung is Taiwan’s northern gateway, a busy harbor city with an easy rail connection to Taipei. Taipei’s museums, temples and shopping districts make a rewarding day ashore; Keelung offers local life closer to port. At Miaokou Night Market, sample seafood and Taiwanese snacks beneath the lantern signs. Heping Island Geopark offers wave-shaped rocks and broad coastal views.

At Sea (At Sea)

Naha, Japan

Naha is the gateway to Okinawa, where Japan’s subtropical south feels distinct from the mainland. Begin at Shuri Castle, former seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom, now being rebuilt after the 2019 fire. Along Kokusai Street, browse local crafts and taste Okinawan specialties, including bitter melon and sweet-potato treats. For a quieter glimpse of island life, explore Shikinaen, a royal garden with ponds and traditional architecture. Naha rewards curiosity beyond the waterfront.

Okinoerabu-jima Island Japan (Scenic Stop)

Amami Oshima Island Japan, Japan

Amami Oshima lies between Kyushu and Okinawa, with coral beaches, mangrove channels and forested hills. The island’s forests form part of a UNESCO World Heritage site and shelter the rare Amami rabbit. Explore mangroves by kayak, swim sheltered coves, or visit villages known for Oshima Tsumugi, its prized silk textile. Allow time for island roads; villages, forests and beaches are spread across this substantial island.

Yakushima Island Japan, Japan

Miyakojima, in Okinawa’s southern island chain, offers a quieter Japan of sugarcane fields, coral shores and turquoise water. Hirara Port puts the island’s main town, beaches and coastal viewpoints within reach. Cross the 3.5-kilometre Irabu Bridge for sweeping sea views. Yonaha Maehama’s pale sand and clear shallows reward an unhurried stop. Try Miyako soba, then take in the limestone landscape that gives this reef-fringed island its distinctive character.

Uwajima, Japan

Uwajima sits on Shikoku’s southwestern coast, where a compact castle town overlooks the sheltered bays of the Uwa Sea. Its castle, one of Japan’s 12 surviving original keeps, rewards the climb with views across town and water. At Tensha-en, ponds, stone bridges and seasonal flowers recall the world of the Date lords. At scheduled bullfighting tournaments, two bulls lock horns in a local tradition with no riders or blades.

Beppu, Japan

Steam curls above Beppu, Japan’s celebrated hot-spring town. On Kyushu’s east coast, mineral-rich waters feed public baths and traditional inns. The famous Eight Hells are vivid geothermal pools, best admired rather than entered. Choose a soak in a neighborhood bathhouse, or sample cuisine cooked with volcanic steam. Beppu rewards travelers who make time for the water.

Itsukushima Island Japan, Japan

Step ashore on Itsukushima, better known as Miyajima, and the Seto Inland Sea sets the scene. Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, stands above tidal flats; its vermilion torii rises offshore at high tide. Explore the shrine’s corridors, browse local shops for maple-leaf cakes, or take the ropeway toward Mount Misen’s wooded summit. Ferries link the island with Miyajimaguchi for easy access; stay overnight to find quieter shores after day-trippers leave.

Hiroshima City, Japan

Hiroshima is a modern city with a history that reaches far beyond the events of 1945. At Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome and museum offer a moving, carefully documented account of the bombing. Across the city, local trams make it easy to reach Shukkeien Garden, lively Hondori and the riverside. A short train and ferry journey reaches Miyajima, famed for Itsukushima Shrine and its great torii gate.

At Sea (At Sea)

Busan, Korea

Busan pairs the scale of a modern port city with easy access to temples, markets and broad beaches. Visit Gamcheon Culture Village, browse Jagalchi Fish Market or ride Songdo’s cable car over the sea. The city’s best-known sights are spread across several districts, so plan your day around one area. For a quieter pause, visit Beomeosa Temple on the forested slopes of Geumjeongsan.

Hakata-Fukuoka City, Japan

Fukuoka is Kyushu’s largest city, a compact gateway where old Hakata meets modern Japan. Hakata’s shrines, covered shopping arcades and lively yatai food stalls reveal its character. Try famed tonkotsu ramen, then visit Ohori Park, where a broad lake lies beside Fukuoka Castle’s ruins. Efficient buses and subway connections make it easy to balance heritage, waterfront walks and contemporary city life.

Oki Islands Japan (Scenic Stop)

Maizuru, Japan

Maizuru brings you to Kyoto Prefecture’s Sea of Japan coast, far from the crowds around Kyoto’s temples. Its naval past is tangible in the red-brick warehouses, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Several now house museums, shops and cafés. Visit the Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum, or travel onward to Amanohashidate, one of Japan’s celebrated scenic sites.

Kanazawa, Japan

Kanazawa rewards visitors who look beyond Japan’s best-known cities. On the Sea of Japan, it preserves a samurai quarter, historic castle and teahouse district. Stroll Kenrokuen, one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens, then explore Omicho Market for seafood from nearby waters. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and gold-leaf workshops reveal a modern city with a rich craft tradition.

Sadoshima Island Japan, Japan

Off Niigata’s coast, Sado Island rewards the crossing with a Japan few visitors expect. Sado’s history spans Aikawa’s gold mines, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and temples linked to centuries of exile. Follow the rugged coastline, visit the traditional village of Shukunegi, or hear taiko performed by Kodo, the island-born ensemble. Sado is large, rural and best explored by car; allow time for its winding roads and quiet coves.

Akita City, Japan

Akita offers a quieter, distinctly Japanese day ashore, with samurai-era history and celebrated regional food. Senshu Park occupies the former grounds of Kubota Castle. At the Akita Museum of Art, a striking mural by local-born painter Tsuguharu Foujita commands attention. Try kiritanpo, rice mashed, shaped around cedar skewers and grilled, alongside local sake. In August, the Kanto Festival brings towering lantern poles into the streets, carried with remarkable balance.

Hakodate, Japan

Hakodate rewards travellers who look beyond the waterfront. At the morning market, vendors serve Hokkaido crab, sea urchin and squid caught in local waters. The star-shaped ramparts of Goryokaku tell a sharper story: Japan’s final years of samurai rule. Ride the ropeway up Mount Hakodate for a celebrated view of the city and its twin bays. Below, Motomachi’s churches and former consulates reflect the port’s opening to foreign trade in 1859.

Sapporo-Otaru, Japan

Otaru rewards a slow walk, with a canal, old warehouses and sea air recalling Hokkaido’s trading past. Built in 1923, Otaru Canal once carried cargo; today, its stone storehouses frame one of Japan’s most atmospheric waterfronts. Nearby Sakaimachi Street offers glass studios, music-box shops and seafood restaurants, all within an easy stroll of the center. Come for the craftsmanship, then settle in for Hokkaido seafood and sushi.