MS Westerdam - April 13, 2024

Japan's second largest city and one of its leading seaports, Yokohama belongs to the extensive urban-industrial belt around Tokyo called the Keihin Industrial Zone. The city has four universities; a variety of Christian churches, Shinto shrines, and temples; and numerous parks and gardens, notably Nogeyama Park, which was created after the earthquake of 1923. It is the site of Kanazawa Library, founded in 1275, which houses a large collection of historical documents.

Famous for its succulent Kobe beef and cosmopolitan flair, this booming port town sits between the Rokko Mountains and Osaka Bay. Home to many foreigners, this commercial center is the most international in western Japan, containing a remarkable architectural mix of Swiss chalets, Muslim mosques, and Russian Orthodox churches, tucked between traditional Japanese buildings.

On the upper tip of Japan's southern island of Kyushu, Fukuoka (Hakata) is one of the few large cities in Japan that can actually be described as "laid back." Fukuoka is one of Japan's most colorful and fun cities, famous for its raucous nightlife and world-class restaurants. If you're headed here, though, put off the fancy restaurants for a day or two and head to the famous ya-tai alley for wonderful, inexpensive food.

Opened to U.S. ships in 1854 and then in 1857 to general foreign trade, Hokodate was the chief port of Hokkaido until recently replaced by Sapporo. It is linked with Aomori on Honshu by the Seikan Tunnel. A commercial and industrial center, the city's main industries are fishing, shipbuilding, and food processing. Of interest is the Goryokaku, the fort where the Tokugawa shogun made his last stand.

Japan's second largest city and one of its leading seaports, Yokohama belongs to the extensive urban-industrial belt around Tokyo called the Keihin Industrial Zone. The city has four universities; a variety of Christian churches, Shinto shrines, and temples; and numerous parks and gardens, notably Nogeyama Park, which was created after the earthquake of 1923. It is the site of Kanazawa Library, founded in 1275, which houses a large collection of historical documents.