The day after we left Kobe we had a day of scenic cruising through the Kanmon Straits.  We are traveling from the east side of Japan to the west side of Japan. This is a stretch of water separating Honshu and Kyushu, two of Japan’s four main islands.

We went under the Kanmon Bridge, a suspension bridge.

The Straits connect the Sea of Japan and the Inland Sea. The Kanmon Straits is used by many cargo ships as a shortcut to Osaka and Tokyo from Korea and China. It is less than half a mile between Honshu and Kyushu in the Kanmon Straits. The day was overcast, not a perfect view for taking pictures. And of course, very cold!

On March 5th we arrived in Fukuoka, our last Japanese port.

We did not book an excursion, thinking a shuttle would be available into the city center. On our arrival it was cold, rainy and no shuttle was available. We were happy to stay onboard. Between noon and 3:30 everyone had to go off the ship into the port terminal for a mandatory face to face immigration inspection as we “checked out” of Japan. Since we had a 1:00 appointment for our Bridge tour, we were in line right at noon to get checked.

At 1:00 a crew member came down to Desk Services and escorted ten of us up to “The Bridge” on Deck eight. The Bridge is the brain of the ship where all the helm/steering, speed, navigation and ship’s current conditions takes place. Think of it as the cockpit of an airplane only much, much larger. The first thing you notice are the huge windows followed by all the electronics. We were told we could take pictures but we were asked not to put them on social media for security reasons. Therefore we are limited in the pictures we can post on the blog. A senior officer named Tim gave us a tour. For over an hour he explained everything and answered all our group questions on every subject we could think of. He did an excellent job and we certainly left feeling even safer than ever. I asked what areas of the world are particularly challenging and he said definitely China. There is so much boat and ship traffic in that area of the world. The Chinese ships and boats don’t always pay attention or obey the rules. They particularly like to cross too close in front of big ships like cruise ships. They think doing so wards off evil spirits. Tim said they have to get themselves mentally prepared for Chinese waters. It was an informative and fascinating tour.

In the evening each cabin received an interesting flyer in our cabin mailboxes. A tailor would be on the ship for several days taking orders for custom made clothing for men and women. Fittings for orders of all types of clothing of many different quality fabrics from England, Italy and France would be taken. The clothing would be ready to be picked up when we reach Hong Kong on March 16th. It would be interesting to know how many passengers took advantage of this offer. 

Next up: Shanghai, China 

We had two sea days between Okinawa and Tokyo. Gus Antorcha, the President of the Holland America Line, joined the ship in Okinawa for a four day visit. He always joins the yearly Grand World Cruise to meet with the passengers and crew to see how things are going and plan future cruises. One afternoon he had a presentation for all the passengers. The theater was packed, including the balcony. The presentation began with an update on how Holland America is doing as a company. Evidently very well, including breaking several records for number of cruises booked in a day. Next he announced the itinerary for the 2026 Grand World Cruise. The future grand world itinerary is always announced two years in advance on the current Grand World Cruise. This gives current world cruise passengers first opportunity to book the cruise, securing their favorite cabins and dining room seating.

The President then spent over 90 minutes taking questions, comments and criticisms from anyone who wanted to talk. Many people began with compliments followed by “however…”. At one point he jokingly said next year he was going to wear a shirt with the word “however” on the front. We thought he was very patient and graciously listened to everyone. Some of the “howevers” made me want to roll my eyes. He had an assistant who took copious notes. Don’t know what will change, but it was important that people felt like they were heard.

During these two days at sea, the ocean was very rough with gale force winds and deep ocean swells, particularly on the second night. We have become quite used to the rough seas, but they were rough enough during the night to wake us up several times as the ship rolled, pitched and shuddered.  We could hear the wind constantly howling through the balcony door. I guess King Neptune really did turn us into “shellbacks” last month since we are not phased anymore by all this, and one or two seasick pills is all I need. 

We were up very early for the sail into the Tokyo Harbor. What a surprise we had when we stepped out on our balcony and saw Mt Fuji. It is an active volcano which last erupted 300 years ago. At 12,389 feet, it is the tallest mountain in Japan. We had read that it is usually clouded over, so we were surprised to see it. It is covered with snow five months of the year. It is one of Japan’s three holy mountains and is a treasured icon for the Japanese people.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan and the most populous city in the world with 14 million people. It has the second largest metropolitan economy in the world after New York. 

An isolated country, Japan is about the size of the state of California. About 10% of the world’s earthquakes occur in Japan, as well as many typhoons. Today, Japan has a shrinking population with many young people delaying marriage or choosing not to marry. The birth rate is only 1.6 children per family. The Japanese government is paying families with more children as an incentive. The shrinking population has led to a potential crisis with their pension system. Too many people living very long lives and not enough young people paying in. 

We booked an afternoon excursion that was somewhat disappointing. It was advertised as “Tokyo Landmarks”.  First sign of a problem was our guide, a petite Japanese lady with a soft voice. We could hear her on the bus when she was using a microphone but couldn’t hear her commentary at all off the bus. 

Our first stop was Meiji Jingu Shrine. Located within a 170 acre forest, it was quite a walk from the bus. The Shinto shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken. The shrine was built in 1915 and destroyed during air raids during WW2. It was replaced in 1958.

To get to the shrine we walked through a Torii gate, one of eight on the property. These torii symbolize the place where it is believed the gods come down, separating our world from theirs.

Next our guide took us to a purification station where you are supposed to wash your hands and rinse your mouth. Our guide did this but did not insist we comply.

Visiting the shrine was frustrating. We walked up steps to the entrance but could not go inside and there was a stern guard to be sure no pictures were taken and everyone remained very quiet.

Our guide demonstrated the process of making an offering. You throw a coin in a box, bow low two times, clap your hands to get the attention of the gods, say a prayer and then do another deep bow. She then said we could do it. I think she was surprised when no one took her up on the offer.

Our second of three landmarks was Shibuya Crossing. It is said to be the busiest intersection in the world and is pictured in many movies and photos of Tokyo. During the busiest time of the day, it is estimated between 1,000 and 2,500 people cross the intersection coming from several directions at once, every TWO minutes. I thought we would get off the bus somewhere nearby and walk through the intersection to experience being part of a mass of humanity. No, instead, we stopped at a light and slowly rolled through the intersection as a bus load of people jockeyed to take pictures. Are you kidding me? That is it? That is how we experience one of the three major landmarks of the day?

Our third major landmark was the Zojo-Ji Buddhist Temple. The main gate, from 1622, is the oldest wooden building in Tokyo. The original temple, and more than 120 surrounding buildings, were destroyed by fire, natural disasters and air raids during WW2. The temple was rebuilt in 1974.

Bill was able to get pictures of the inside temple from a distance, away from the guard’s watchful eyes.

On the property are trees planted by President Ulysses Grant and President George H. W. Bush. We were surprised to learn Grant visited Japan.

Throughout the afternoon our guide talked about how superstitious the Japanese people are and about some of the Buddhist beliefs. They believe that certain numbers are unlucky, such as the numbers 33, 42, 61, 73 as well as several others. When you reach those ages, they believe you need special prayers to the gods to protect you. 

There was a large bell on the temple grounds. At the end of the year and to bring good luck in the new year, large crowds gather while a priest rings the bell 108 times. Buddhists believe there are 108 types of defilements or unclean thoughts. Ringing the bell drives those defilements from the body in the new year. They believe the greatest defilements are anger, greed and stupidity. Special prayers are said repeatedly during the year to rid you of those.

On the grounds are over 1,300 Jizo statues with red hats and bibs. These represent children, both living and dead. Parents place statues here and visit to pray for the safety and good health of their living children. Parents of children lost to death, miscarriage, stillborn or abortion also place statues here to pray for their lost children. Some have placed pinwheels for the children to play with and to bring the spirits. The guide said the children go to hell because they have not collected enough good deeds. Upon seeing the look of horror on many of our faces, she quickly said it is okay because the jizo spirits take the place of the children so they can cross the river to the other side.

Please understand I really know nothing about Buddhism and I am trying to write this from my memory of what the guide said. 

We then headed back to the ship. We did notice some interesting buildings and structures.

Bill noticed how the cars do not have bumpers. Some gas stations have the fuel pumps located in the overhead and the hoses are pulled down to the car.

The Tokyo Tower, a communications and observation tower, was built in 1958 and is the second tallest tower in Japan.

On our second day in Tokyo we rode the port’s free shuttle to a large mall. Along the way we passed the Statue of Liberty. The French loaned a Statue of Liberty to Japan from 1998 to 1999 as a symbol of friendship between France and Japan. When it came time to return it, the Japanese people wanted their own. The Japanese statue was created in 1999 with the permission of France and unveiled in 2000.  It is quite a bit smaller than our Statue of Liberty.

The Rainbow Bridge is another popular landmark. It is lit with white lights at night and has colored lights on special occasions.

We really liked the drink dispensers throughout Japan. If the drink had a blue line underneath, it was a cold drink. A red line meant it was a hot drink like coffee. Bill tested it out by getting a coffee. He said it was hot. Not super-hot but hot.

The captain announced in the evening that rough weather was expected tonight and tomorrow with gale force winds and rough seas. Nothing new there! But he added it might be too rough for us to dock at our next Japanese port, Omaezaki. If it is too rough for the pilot boat to come out to deliver a pilot to us, the port would be closed. 

Next up: Omaezaki? Yes or no? 

One note: With all the Japanese ports, we are a little behind in our blogs. Today, March 6, we are headed to China. We will be in Shanghai tomorrow. We have been told by our ship officials that the Chinese government will most likely block our tv satellite reception, some email accounts like Google, and all social media like Facebook. We may not be able to update the blog for a while. There may be a lapse between postings. We will be back! 

We arrived at the port in Naha, the capital of the island of Okinawa, Japan. Okinawa, the birthplace of karate, has a population of 1,384,762 and is 66 miles long and 7 miles wide.  There are 160 islands that make up Okinawa, with the island of Okinawa being the largest and main island. Okinawa is an important, strategic location for the United States Armed Forces. There are around 26,000 US military personnel stationed in Okinawa today.  There are 32 military installations that cover about 25% of the island.  The main economy is tourism and the US military presence. It has a fast growing population and a low unemployment rate. Okinawans have the longest lifespan in the world.

Okinawa was the location of the bloodiest ground battle in the Pacific, taking place from April 1 to June 22, 1945.  Around 95,000 Japanese and 20,195 Americans were killed. Approximately one fourth of the civilian population of Okinawa were either killed or committed suicide. Very few Japanese were in POW camps because the Japanese chose death rather than surrender.

From 1945 to 1952, the American military occupied Okinawa and then it was under the control of the Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands until it was returned to Japan in 1972.

Our tour guide told us some interesting information. He said the Okinawa citizens feel that Japan deserted them after the war. Because of this, they do not fly the Japanese flag, only the Okinawa flag. They do not teach the Japanese national anthem to the school children. He also said that for many years the young people on Okinawa resented the American military presence in Okinawa today. But when North Korea started launching missiles over Okinawa and China started threatening Taiwan, the young people began to appreciate the US presence. We got the feeling that the people of Okinawa would like to be their own country rather than under Japanese rule. 

We were in Okinawa for two days. The first day we took an excursion and was fortunate to have an excellent tour guide. The first place we went was the former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters led by Japanese Rear Admiral Ota. The tunnel complex was dug in 1944 by 3,000 men using pick axe.

It is 65 feet deep, 1,476 feet long and built in the shape of an arch with concrete.

It was left untouched for years after the war ended. After the recovery of soldiers’ remains, 820 feet of the tunnel was restored and opened to the public in 1970.  This was done by the Okinawan people in the hope that “future generations would see the futility of war and instead pursue world peace”. 

As the end of the Battle of Okinawa approached, Japanese Rear Admiral Ota sent a telegraph to the vice minister of the navy saying that the Okinawan people did their very best in the battle and deserved special recognition. Later, he and his remaining men committed suicide in the tunnel rather than be captured. Approximately 4,000 men committed suicide or were killed. Holes and scars on the walls from his suicide, and others, by grenades are evident on the walls throughout the tunnel. 

We descended a series of steep steps into the tunnel where tall people had to really watch their heads. The passageways were low and narrow in places.

Next up was the Himeyuri Peace Museum, where we learned the unbelievably sad story of 222 female students from ages 15 to 19, and 18 teachers, who were ordered to go to a Japanese army hospital. The Himeyuri Monument was built in 1946 and The Himeyuri Peace Museum was opened in 2009. No photography is allowed in the museum. For a time the surviving students, over 90 years of age, served as curators and tour guides at the museum until they could no longer travel to the museum.

They became known as the Himeyuri Student Corps and worked in several  underground hospital caves made of limestone. The working conditions were deplorable. They were originally told they would be working in hospitals away from the fighting but instead they were placed on the front lines. The museum is located where five teachers and 46 students hiding inside Ihara third surgery cave were killed during an attack by US forces. The only access to the cave was by ladders down a hole. Injured soldiers were carried down the ladder on the backs of other soldiers.

In the dark cave for three months they had to help with crude surgery and amputation, often done without anesthesia. They had to care for the gravely ill, help bury the dead, transport ammunition and supplies to front line troops under life threatening conditions. 

The girls endured disease and malnutrition, often giving their daily food rations to the suffering soldiers. Before June 19, 1945 only 19 students had been killed. They were ordered to “go home” on June 19, 1945.  Many then died in crossfire and a few died by suicide using grenades and cyanide given to them by Japanese soldiers or by jumping from cliffs. They had been convinced by the Japanese if they were captured by the Americans they would be raped and killed. By the end of the battle, 211 students and 16 teachers had died.

Our guide told us a harrowing story of his grandmother and members of her village hiding in one cave. His grandmother gave birth to her first child in the cave, a son who was our guide’s uncle. She constantly held the baby, afraid he would cry and make noise. Nearby Japanese soldiers would kill any babies who made noise because it would alert American soldiers of their location. Inside the museum was a painting of a threatening Japanese soldier standing over a woman and her baby with a sword.

Another painting showed a child reaching for a pamphlet and the mother holding him back. Our guide told us that Americans sent pamphlets down from planes telling the citizens if they brought that pamphlet to an American soldier they would be safe and not hurt. If the Japanese soldiers found a Japanese citizen with one of those pamphlets in their possession, they were killed. 

Our last destination was the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum which was opened in 1975.

It was built next to the “Suicide Cliffs” where the Battle of Okinawa ended.

Nearby is the Peace Prayer Park with a semicircular path of stones engraved with the names of those who died by nationality, including a section for Americans.

There was a Peace Flame and Fountain with a map of the Pacific. The flame is lit up when important people visit or during special occasions.

The museum did a nice job describing the island of Okinawa and the events leading up to the battle. Information on the battle as well as life for the Okinawan people after the war was also detailed. No photography is allowed in the museum.

Peace Hill Monument, Okinawa (Japan). Represents a naturally formed cave, in which many citizens of Okinawa hid and fended for themselves.

We took an elevator up to an observation deck. A flight of stairs led further up with beautiful views of the ocean and park.

The only other people up there were a couple with their two young children. We struck up a conversation with them. They were fascinated by our cruise and had lots of questions about the places we had been and were going. Turns out he is in the Marine Corps, serving in Okinawa. They said they like living in Okinawa, with the wife saying she loved their own little world there. Bill thanked him for his service before we went our separate ways.

The excursion had been a day full of overwhelming sadness. Our hearts felt heavy as we reflected on it on the way back to the ship. 

Our second day in Naha, Okinawa we decided to explore on our own. We walked from the ship to Kobusai Street, a popular area with stores, malls, souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants. The port had provided a free shuttle back and forth from the ship to Kobusai Street. After walking around, we were more than happy to take the shuttle back to the ship.

That evening the ship had “The Great Fun Fair”. The inside pool deck had been turned into a carnival atmosphere with carnival games, prizes and food such as popcorn, candied apples, ice cream, appetizers and drinks. It was loud and very crowded so we didn’t stay long.

Next up: Two days in Tokyo