Days 73 and 74 - at Sea

Tuesday 20th March and Wednesday 21st March 2018

Tuesday

A bonus (?) day at sea, so a lie in and leisurely start.  Weather still overcast and showers around, the sea on the rough side, and it’s windy.

Usual activities, these fill our time very easily.

However this afternoon a Japanese workshop was organised.  The Cunard Japanese hosts and quite a few of the Japanese passengers freely gave their time to show off their skills, and to teach them to us in the hopes we could improve/learn skills such as using chopsticks and creating origami. Also demonstrations of calligraphy and wearing Kimonos.

The day continued much as other sea days without much improvement in the weather.

Wednesday  

A day at sea, just, whole day spent anchored within sight of Osaka.  Still cold and windy.  Nothing to see and Cunard didn’t add anything extra, so a normal sea day.

Dinner in the main restaurant, just to change the routine.

Day 72 - Kagoshima, Japan

Monday 19th March 2018

The area was originally known as Satsuma and ruled by the Shimadzu Clan for over 700 years, it was the centre of the Satsuma Rebellion which was part of the Samurai Rebellion against the opening up of Japan and the end of it’s isolationist policy.  Kagoshima City is in Kagoshima prefecture which is located on the southern tip of Kyushu, which is the most southerly of the four main islands in Japan. Kagoshima is nicknamed the ‘Naples of the East’ due to both the city and the bay being dominated by the magnificent active volcano, Sakurajima, on Kinko Bay.  At its base, the Nagisa Lava Trail winds through lava fields filled with boulders. Once set on an isolated island, the volcano became connected to the Osumi Peninsula after an eruption in 1914.

Early alarm today, wether looking pretty poor, low cloud and rain about.  Yvonne must have had a premonition as she had declined the pleasure of today’s trip, preferring to enjoy the delights of the laundry room!

Captain announced this morning that the wind and waves off Korea were too much to allow our proposed call to Busan to go ahead, therefore we would be cruising in more sheltered waters around Japan to avoid the worst.  A great disappointment.

So, after joining my tour group set off through the rain, first stop to board the ferry to Sakurajima Island, well, almost an island, it now being joined to the mainland with a lava flow from the volcano.

Views of the volcano, still active and which regularly grumbles and belches out smoke and ash, obscured by the cloud.  

This is the view we should have had, shame it's just a postcard!

Went to the viewpoint anyway, not so much rain here, view OK apart from the top half of the volcano!

This is what we actually saw

Among the strange formations of lava are things like this which from the right direction looks like a lion.

Just in case, all around the volcano the population and visitors are provided with shelters from falling volcanic debris.  The last real eruption being only in 1914, so always a chance of another.

Sakurajima is known for growing the world’s smallest tangerine, the Komikan and the world’s largest radish, a basketball sized white radish the Sakurajima Daikon.

Back across on the ferry and to the Sengan-en Gardens.  Quick trip through the museum and then out into the garden. The garden being still owned and maintained by the descendants of the Shimadzu Clan, now run by the 33rd head of the clan, who created the garden in the 17th century to surround their residence.

A beautiful garden even in the rain, apparently Japanese gardens are designed to be enjoyed even in the rain.

Views across the bay toward the volcano not really there but trees, plants, rocks and water with many flowering trees still looked great.

Back on the bus for the return to the ship.  Learnt today that the local cars are all painted silver as this reduces how much the continuous fall of volcanic ash shows up on the paintwork, perhaps this explains the choice of colours for Japanese cars in England!

The afternoon taken up with more trivia and afternoon tea.  Then sailaway, in the rain, followed by dinner and the show in the theatre.  Let’s hope for better at our next port.

Day 71 - at Sea

Sunday 18th March 2018

A day gently cruising along, weather stayed dull all day, mostly quite overcast.  Spent most of the day just filling time with trivia and a few meals thrown in.

Highlight of the day was to join a couple of our usual quiz team to help them consume a couple of bottles of champagne in their Princess Grills Suite.  We are always there to help out where we can, very pleasant for an hour or two before dinner.

Early to bed, yet another early start.

Day 70 - Hiroshima, Japan

Saturday 17th March 2018

St Patrick’s Day

Fifth Sector Osaka, Japan to Hong Kong

15th March - Osaka, Japan

16th March - Kochi, Japan

17th March - Hiroshima, Japan

19th March - Kagoshima, Japan

20th March - Busan, South Korea

22nd March - Osaka, Japan

24th March - Nagasaki, Japan

26th March - Shanghai, China

28th March - Xiamen, China

30th March - Hong Kong

(oops this should have been done in the Osaka page)

Located in Western Honshu, Hiroshima is a major industrial centre and a thriving, prosperous city. It was the target of the world’s first atomic bomb on August the 6th 1945.  People from all over the world come here to visit the A-Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Park, to pay their respects to the victims and to contemplate the tragedy.

Not too early today, but three days in a row!  Weather looking very promising, sunny even though quite cool first thing.  Just sailing into our berth in Hiroshima, not so many watching our arrival.

Same procedure, after breakfast joined our group to catch our coach and set off on our tour.

This time it’s to Hiroshima Station to catch the Bullet Train.  

Watched a couple of trains passing through before ours came, boarded for a short trip to Shin Iwakini, a very comfortable and smooth ride, seemed pretty quick but no indication of speed attained.  We later heard that we had travelled 50km in about 15 minutes from when we got on to when we got off.

After alighting from the train a short coach ride to our lunch stop in a hotel near the Kintai Bridge.  Lunch a Japanese style meal, all sorts of dishes of indeterminate specific content, meat, fish, vegetables, rice, noodles, etc. etc.  All very nice even though not to everyone’s liking.

This is lunch just for one, and a look under the covers

Then it’s back on the coach for a very short trip, took us about twice as far from the bridge as the hotel was, completely pointless!  

Still, walked back to the bridge to walk across to Kikko Park.  The bridge a very picturesque piece of ancient engineering designed to resist being swept away by frequent flooding.  Kikko Park a peaceful and delightful residential area containing fine examples of Samurai homes and many cherry trees just coming into bloom.  

We are still a bit early for the cherry blossom season but warm weather is bringing it on as we continue our time in Japan.

On again, this time to Hiroshima Peace Park.  

Here, within a few meters of the point of detonation of the Atom Bomb (Uranium) stands the ruins of the so called Atomic Bomb Dome, the only building anywhere around that remained not completely destroyed by the blast and preserved today as a monument to the event.  The aiming point for the dropping of the bomb was the “T” made by the river and the bridge, only missed by a couple of hundred meters, the air detonation also meant that this close to the blast the force was vertical leaving the walls of the domed building still standing.  In the following days the effects of the residual radiation were reduced by the onset of a major typhoon with heavy rain which washed away the radioactive material, saving many lives.

The Peace Park also contains many other monuments, statues, pools, etc.  

Many adorned with Origami Cranes, a symbol of long life, in many colours and some in long strings and formed into patterns.

A short visit to the Museum containing artefacts and info boards concluded our visit before the return to the ship.

An early dinner before we were once again entertained on the pier by a brass band playing to us as with families waving and shouting out bye bye as we sailed away.

Day 69 - Kochi, Japan

Friday 16th March 2018

Kochi is a cosmopolitan, vibrant modern city with friendly people.  Located on the Island of Shikoku, with easy access to the sea and mountains, there are sweeping beaches, hidden temples, botanical gardens and a hilltop castle, trendy malls and bustling palm-lined arcades of Kochi downtown.  Katsurahama Beach is one of the most popular spots in Kochi and is ranked in the top 100 beaches in Japan, a crescent-shaped beach, framed by rocky capes and Japanese pines. 

Kochi Castle that was built following the battle of Sekigahara in 1600. An impressive ‘donjon’ (main tower), the splendid ‘Otemon Gate’ and the ‘honmaru’ (ring of defence), which remain as originally constructed, the beautifully restored Tsumemon Gate and the castle grounds, now a popular public park, dotted with magnificent statues of the Yamanouchi family.

Hirome Ichiba Market, an indoor market with a Latin atmosphere ful of restaurantds and food stalls.  The most famous dish is Katsuo Tataki, lightly seared and seasoned tuna.

The Chikurin-ji Temple is a Shingon temple that is said to have been founded in the early 8th century and forms part of the Shikokuk 88 temple pilgrimage, Japan’s most famous pilgrimage route. The temple grounds feature an interesting array of halls and structures, including a beautiful pagoda. A treasure hall displays several Buddhist statues and scrolls of importance to the temple, and the hondo (main hall) offers a view of the building's interior and a nicely kept garden.

Not quite so much of a rush this morning but still that darn alarm and again people out in the rain watching our arrival.

Docked in Kochi this morning, and it’s overcast and raining.  Not at all our usual luck with the weather.

Still you get what you get, so onto the bus for our tour, first stop at Katsurahama Beach.  Not beach weather, sand very coarse and nasty currents in the sea preventing any option for swimming.  However beach quite picturesque even in the rain and a very quick paddle in the shallows had to suffice.

Next moved on to Kochi Castle, a more original castle than most in Japan, most of the others burnt down before or during World War 2.

The defensive walls being stonework but the central towers all being constructed of timber.

Luckily it had stopped raining by now but still overcast and definitely cooler.  Climbed up the very high steps and steep stairways in the tower for great views.  Back to ground level to watch a demonstration of swordsmanship with Samurai Swords, seriously sharp!

Back into town to visit the local market for lunch.  Not  much market but lots of food stalls selling some very odd looking food.  The walk back through the town saw this amazing building with sculptured trees and air plants growing on the branches.  Japanese surround their homes with very small gardens, beautifully tended with the trees trimmed to fit.

So back to the bus to move on to Chikurin-ji Temple.

This is a Buddhist Temple.  The entrance gate guarded by a couple of very fierce looking statues.

Inside the temple area an impressive five storied Pagoda and some surrounding buildings and shrines.

All the Buddha’s here seemed to be wearing red wooly jumpers and hats, don’t blame then it was pretty cool here.

Back to the ship for recovery and sustenance.

Sailaway entertainment provided by the port consisted of an orchestra, then a lady  singing and playing a traditional stringed instrument (sorry name unknown) and then a troupe of very energetic dancers, they are all very happy to see us and to encourage return visits, again a lot of people came to watch the ship sail away.  Time for dinner whilst a very promising sunset glowed in the sky.

Day 68 - Osaka, Japan

Thursday 15th March 2018

Osaka has a population of 2.6 million, it is located on the Southern coast of western Honshu, the largest of the four main Japanese islands.

Osaka first gained prominence when Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a well known warlord, built Japan’s most magnificent castle here in the 16th century. Osaka Castle was destroyed by a series of fires throughout the ages. The present structure dates from 1931, and although not as large as the original, this is still one of Japan’s most famous castles.

The Shinto shrine of Sumiyoshi Taisha is the headquarters of over 2,000 Sumiyoshi-sha Shrines nationwide. Over three million people visit this shrine at the beginning of a new year, and it is widely respected as the home of the guardian deity of sailors.

A very early start again!  Osaka is laying on all sorts of events for the benefit of the Queen Elizabeth.

First on is a very pretty coloured water spray by a fire boat tug as we sailed in, this again as the rising sun glowed in a rather murky sky.

Then on the pier where we were berthing, an energetic brass band gave us a welcome show, with a large group of spectators watching our arrival.

Today we are on tour, so joined our group, boarded the bus and set off through the city, by now the sun had come out and so we were blessed with a good day.

First stop at the Sumigashi Taishia Shrine.

A Shinto Shrine area with many shrines designated for the worship of different deities, all sorts of religious rights carried on here requesting blessings and wishes from good luck in all areas of human life and death.

The whole site had a peaceful feel and the buildings, bridges, shrines and grounds all very well kept.

Many colourful banners and strings of origami cranes all around.

The Japanese are pretty much all born into the worshiping of Shintoism, mainly for the happy aspects of life, birth, marriage, etc.  Alongside this most are Buddhist, by personal choice, mainly for the less happy aspects such as death and burial.

Back on the bus we set off for Osaka Castle.   A large park surrounds the castle, with multiple moats and many defensive walls and gates.  

Making our way to the central tower, or Donjon, climbed up to the top floor, a couple of hundred steps, for amazing views over the park and the city.

The floors below each contained museum exhibits relating to the history of the castle.

Not enough time to appreciate as the tour schedule didn’t allow any where near enough.

Back to ship for a short break and a cuppa.

Then out into the town, first stop just by the ship a small shopping centre where a ceremony by the Port Authority welcomed the Queen Elizabeth, in the person of the Captain and her Officers, all involving lots of speeches, gift giving and the opening and drinking of a barrel of Sake, lucky we’re not due to sail till late tonight.

Captain and deputy Captain 

Model of Queen Elizabeth made from Lego

Investigated the area near the ship and took a ride on the giant Ferris Wheel for views over the ship and the city, wheel about 100m across.

Back on ship to catch the Shinto Dragon Dance ceremony to bless  and to bring good luck to the remainder of the voyage and the passengers.

After it got dark, off ashore again to ride the Ferris Wheel to see the lights.

The Ferris Wheel itself putting on a spectacular light show.

This was best seen from the ground, so spent a long time just being amazed by the clever images produced by the lights and continued to be entertained through a late dinner, with again lots of people watching our departure with waving torches.

Soon time for bed.