Kobe, Japan

A feeling of utter contentment fills us as we prepare to sail away towards our final Japanese port. We reflect on a wedding ceremony witnessed at Ikuta Jinja, a shrine built in AD 201. Beauty and harmony intertwine as do the lives of this new couple. A purification ritual takes place while sipping sake in a sacred choreography for their future.

Tired, frozen feet seeking respite and ravenous appetites were easily satisfied by endless alleyways and streetscapes of ramen houses and international restaurants. We encounter local organic soba and sake and forget for the moment about the biting cold night waiting for us on our journey back.

Welcomed by fire boats shooting cannons and a post-sunset fireworks display, Zuiderdam makes her maiden port call to much fanfare. She and her passengers were made to feel at home in Kobe as the first cruise ship of the season. While we must say so long, or ‘matta ne,’ for now, we know we will surely return.Read more