Japan Blog by Philbert Ono
Updated: Feb. 18, 2024 Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館) in Ueno Park, Tokyo is one of Japan’s most prominent museums. Clustered in six museum buildings, one is the swank-looking Gallery of…
First in a series of blog posts on luxury cruising, cruise ships, and cruise ports in Japan in 2022. In early summer 2022 when COVID-19 cases in Japan were relatively…
Overview of Japan’s luxury cruise ships in 2022 by Philbert Ono, Updated: Sept. 25, 2023 On this page: In 2022, Japan’s three major cruise ships were (largest to smallest) Asuka…
Japan’s largest luxury cruise ship. Asuka II (飛鳥Ⅱ Asuka 2) is the only cruise ship owned and operated by NYK Cruises Co., Ltd. based in Yokohama and a wholly owned…
Update: Sadly, Pacific Venus has retired from cruising with its final voyage ending on Jan. 4, 2023. Ship owner Japan Cruise Line announced on Nov. 1, 2022 that it will…
Distinctive look, famous name, and food. Built in 1990, Nippon Maru (にっぽん丸) is the smallest Japanese luxury cruise ship, but with the most distinctive paint job. Navy blue (almost black)…
Overview of Japan’s cruise ship ports. Being a stretched-out archipelago with a long coastline (34,600 km or 21,500 mi.) and hundreds of inhabited islands, Japan has many sea ports and…
Japan’s most historic and popular cruise ship departure port. Located on the west side of Tokyo Bay, Port of Yokohama is Japan’s most historic and storied port since it opened…
Historic port and Western Japan’s most popular cruise ship departure port.by Philbert Ono, Updated: Feb. 3, 2023 Port of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture (western Japan or Kansai Region) is one…
Centrally located in Tokyo Bay and being at the mouth of multiple major rivers, Tokyo has been a busy port town for centuries. However, it did not open up to…