There are several interesting cruise options for a tourist in Japan. Japan Cruises
offer visitors a thrilling range of options from conventional luxury cruises around the world, to one night cruises for a romantic getaway. There are also inland
Japan waterway
cruises like those on the Sumida and other rivers, popular especially during the spring.
Japan Cruises also include the Ferry Services that network the Japanese Archipelago. There are also international ferries plying between Japan and the outlying islands of other countries.
Ocean Liners and Sea Cruises in Japan
Japan has a few Passenger Cruising Lines to cater to the needs of locals and tourists alike. The best known among these is probably the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Cruising line. There are also International cruise lines like the Silversea, Silver Shadow Cruises which caters to high end passengers in Japan.
Some of the most famous Japanese Cruise Ships are-
• The MS Asuka of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Cruising line. The elegant 192.51 long boat weighs 28856 tons and carried around 592 passengers on double occupancy basis.
• The MV Nippon-Maru of the Mitsui OSK Cruise Lines. The ship has a length of 166.65m and weighs 21903 tons. The passenger carrying capacity is for 600 people.
• The MV Fuji-Maru of the Mitsui OSK Cruise Lines. Having a length of 167 m and weighing 23340 tons, the ship carried 600 passengers.
• The MS Pacific Venus from the Venus-Cruise Lines. The ship is 183.4 m long and has a weight of 26518 tons. The number of passengers that can be accommodated are 532.
• The MS Orient Venus of the Venus-Cruise Lines. Weighing in at 21884 tons, the ship is 174m long and can carry 606 passengers.
Japan River Cruises
Visitors to Tokyo can also try the cruise on the River Sumida. Especially popular during Hanami or Cherry Blossom viewing time, boats ply on the river near Asakusa, offering scenic views of the blooming trees and the elegant river walks. The 40 minutes ride costs 660 yen per person.
Japan Ferry Cruises
There is extensive travel between the Japanese Islands using the efficient Ferry systems. The Ferry Services offer visitors the opportunity for not just commercial inter-island travel but services like international ferries as well as chartered ferried for sightseeing.
The following Ferry Cruises are available-
• The Higashi Nihon Ferry plies between the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu.
• The Kansai Kisen Ferry Service provides daily cruises from Osaka to the areas of Kobe, Kyushu Beppu, and Shikoku Matsuyama
• The Kobe Ferry Center provides ferry cruises to Shikoku Island from Kobe.
• The Shikoku Ferry services provide cruises between Okayama and Shodoshima Islands; and between the Takamatsu and Shodoshima Islands.
• The Shin Nihonkai Ferry services operate between Hokkaido and Honshu Islands.
