Land of the Rising Sun: a taste of Japan on board Diamond Princess

Jo Kessel steps on board Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess and discovers it's the perfect way to experience Japan's intricate culture, standout destinations and world-class cuisine.

It’s pretty rare for a cruise to take you somewhere that’s not on the tourist map – but that’s what happens when I’m sailing around Japan with Princess Cruises.

My ship stops at a port called Toba. It’s not in my guidebook and even many Japanese don’t know it. But I’d heard of a tiny, mystical island not far from here and I ask a lady at the information desk how to get there. She’s surprised I want to go.

“There’s nothing there,” she says. “But then again, I suppose nothing can also be special.”

In the end, a local, 15-minute ferry delivers me to a parcel of land floating in the Pacific called Toshijima. A wander around leads to a small temple, a quaint harbour and several wide, blonde beaches, all empty. There are very few places left in the world that haven’t been found by tourists, but this is one of them: a blissfully offbeat slice of Japanese paradise.

Toshijima beach, Japan. (Image: Jo Kessel) Jo Kessel

Cultural cruising

I’m on a nine-night voyage circumventing Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun – a long, thin island nation that lends itself well to cruising. The trip comprises four major islands: Honshu (home to Tokyo), Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu. Surrounding these are thousands of smaller isles, of which Toshijijma is just one.

My ship is the 2,670-passenger Diamond Princess, Princess Cruises’ only liner to sail exclusively in the Japan region. It’s your regular, all-encompassing cruise ship with multiple pools, bars and restaurants, but it also offers an immersive cultural experience, with lots of subtle Japanese influences.

There are chopsticks alongside cutlery. Tea is more likely to be green than earl grey. And there are plenty of Japanese dishes on the menu, from ramen noodles to sushi and teriyaki. There is, however, no shortage of burgers, steaks and chips too, and Princess has hired slumber experts to design luxurious, bespoke beds for the cabins.

Pool onboard the Diamond Princess. (Image: Jo Kessel) Jo Kessel

The ship’s most standout Japanese offering is its ‘Izumi bath’ – a steamy experience designed to replicate the ancient Japanese ritual of bathing naked in hot springs called ‘onsen’. And gulp, yes, swimsuits must come off (it’s single sex).

Lovely though bathing in Izumi is, it’s no match for my swim on one of Toshijima’s beaches. The deep stretch of golden sand is set in a cove that hems in a crystal clear, calm sea. There’s no one else there and it’s one of my most memorable swims ever.

Lesser-visited spots

Think of Japan and you imagine thrumming, high-tech cities full of flashing neon and glinting skyscrapers. I’d seen this side during a pre-cruise stay in Tokyo, where I’d spent two days exploring temples, markets and parks, as well the world’s busiest zebra crossing – the one outside Shibuya train station, immortalised by Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation.

Shibuya crossing, Tokyo, Japan. (Image: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock) Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

But much of the country is made up of quiet, rural, mountainous regions and the beauty of cruising is that it can take you to these hidden destinations most travellers never reach. Many of these spots are steamy and that’s because Japan sits within the Pacific Ring of Fire and is volcanically very active. It’s one of the world’s leading hot spring nations with tens of thousands of geothermal sources.

There are public foot onsen called ‘ashiyu’ everywhere – shallow hot pools made for planting feet. I try my first when Diamond Princess stops in the western port of Sakaiminato the next day. It’s at the finishing point of a brand new 10-mile (16km) cycle path, which starts near the ship. After pedalling its full length, through pine forest and alongside a white-sand coastline, it’s a joy to remove socks and dip in toes.

On dry land

Back on board Diamond Princess there are plenty more opportunities to embrace Japanese culture. You can learn the art of Japanese paper-folding or attend a beginner’s language class. Or you can sample sake and seafood at the ship’s specialty restaurant Kai Sushi – the scallop sashimi is sensational.

Kai Sushi, Diamond Princess. (Image: Jo Kessel) Jo Kessel

Japan is an adventurous destination and that’s where cruising is brilliant. You can either join one of the ship’s guided shore excursions (at extra cost) or explore independently and, at the moment, exploring alone is definitely cheaper.

The yen is currently weak against the pound and everything in Japan is of great value. A fiver can buy you a subway ticket, entrance to a temple and a hearty bowl of noodles – and public transport is easy to navigate with a little help from Google maps. It’s also a safe country where trains are on time and you’re never more than a couple of minutes away from an immaculate, free public toilet.

My preference is to go it alone – but this does require doing detailed pre-cruise research so that you know exactly what you’d like to do in each port. There was no shore excursion, for example, that would have taken me to the island of Toshijima or cycling in Sakaiminato.

There is one ship excursion I make time for, however, and that’s in Busan, South Korea – a common port on many Japanese cruise itineraries. It’s to Haedong Yonggungsa Buddhist Temple, a sprawling, colourful complex carved into rocky cliffs overlooking the sea.

“If you pray hard here one of your wishes will be granted,” says our guide. I take my prayers to a giant, golden Buddha statue and he beams broadly in response.

Gold Buddha in Busan, South Korea. (Image: Jo Kessel) Jo Kessel

Standout experiences

The biggest thrill, however, is saved till last. Our cruise happens to coincide with Gion Festival, one of Japan’s biggest annual celebrations. It’s held every July in Kyoto, which is only a fifteen-minute bullet-train ride from where the ship docks in Osaka. It draws in the masses, who gather to watch a grand procession of floats pass through the city. Some of the floats are the size of double decker buses, with carnival-goers perched precariously on their roofs.

Yet despite their size and weight, they’re pulled along manually by a team of men wearing traditional Japanese costume. The expression on their faces is of pure concentration as they tug and heave, especially when they turn a corner. It’s a tricky manoeuvre which, once successfully negotiated, elicits cheers of appreciation from the crowd.

Gion Festival, Kyoto, Japan. (Image: Jo Kessel) Jo Kessel

Before the cruise draws to a close there’s something I’m keen to try…if I dare. And that’s to soak in a Japanese onsen the traditional way: naked in a mixed bath. The opportunity comes from the port of Akita in the north, not far from the country’s most historic springs, Nyuto Onsen. They were discovered and used by Samurai warriors some four hundred years ago.

The mixed bath is surrounded by beech forest and overlooks a thundering waterfall. Six people are in it already, however. And they’re all men. I clutch the towel wrapped round my body tighter, no longer so sure. Shall I, shan’t I? Suddenly I throw caution to the wind, ditch the towel, run and dunk. It’s heavenly and liberating; like being wrapped in heated, liquid gold.

This Diamond Princess cruise is exciting and different, offering a taste of Japanese culture, cuisine and countryside. There are so many experiences to embrace, be it trying new foods, learning cultutal practices such as the art of paper-folding, or stripping off in an onsen. And if you're lucky, you might just manage to find your very own slice of little-known Japanese paradise.

Getting there

A nine-night cruise on Diamond Princess full board costs from £1,219pp ($1,552). Japan Airlines has return flights from £1,127pp ($1,435). Doubles at Park Hotel Tokyo cost from £135pp ($172). For more info visit princess.com and parkhoteltokyo.com.