NEW! Japan Discovery

Learn about the decades-long recovery of Hiroshima and take inspiration from its remarkable restoration. Drive with your guide into the heart of the city, stopping to view the skeletal remains of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. This was the only building left standing close to the hypocenter of the bomb’s blast—its hollowed dome, appropriately named the Atomic Bomb Dome, was intentionally left in ruins as a stark visual reminder of the bomb's destruction. Stop at the arched tomb cenotaph and take a moment to remember the victims of the disaster. Each one of the 220,000 victims’ names is inscribed on the stone chest beneath the arch. After your visit, continue to the shopping district, where you will have free time to shop for a treasured memento of your trip. After, make the journey back to your awaiting ship.

Visit a local restaurant to sample okonomiyaki, one of Hiroshima's culinary specialties. After a short drive, you will arrive at the restaurant and take your seat for a traditional dining experience. Settle in to enjoy okonomiyaki, a name derived from combining okonomi, which means “what you like,”  and yaki, or “grill.”  This savory dish resembling a cross between a pizza and a pancake is made with flour, yam, egg, cabbage and spring onion. There are two types of okonomiyaki—Osaka and Hiroshima. In the Osaka-style version, ingredients are mixed together in an omelette fashion, while the Hiroshima-style version layers ingredients with udon or yakisoba noodles. After dinner,  walk for approximately one mile to the Atomic Bomb Dome to see its illuminated arch, serving as a reminder of the bomb’s destruction. Take a moment to reflect, then return to your ship.

Visit the island of Itsukushima and enjoy an up-close look at its “floating” Shinto shrine. Embark a ferry to this charming island located in Hiroshima Bay. On arrival, discover the majestic Itsukushima-jinja shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The present structure dates back to the mid-16th century and is an important Shinto shrine. Its dramatic 50-foot-tall, red-orange torii gate is distinctive—built over water and giving the illusion of floating in the sea during high tide. Built on pillars, the shrine complex consists of multiple buildings, including a prayer hall and a main hall, which are all connected by boardwalks. There is also a Noh theater stage, where plays that paid homage to the gods were once performed. Following your visit, enjoy some time to explore the island at your leisure before embarking your ferry and returning to your ship.

Experience the beauty and tranquility of an Edo period castle and garden in Hiroshima. Transfer by motor coach to Hiroshima Castle, a flatlands fortress built by a powerful samurai clan in the late 16th century. The castle's five-story main keep was restored in 1958 after it suffered damage from the 1945 atomic bomb. Explore the site, which includes castle ruins, a shrine and an array of defensive fortifications. Continue to Shukkei-en garden, or the “shrunken scenery garden.” Modeled after a region in Xihu, China, the gardens date back to 1620 and are home to miniature forests, valleys and mountain landscapes. Set out on foot along its winding paths and around the central pond, which is surrounded by several quaint tea houses. After, drive by the Peace Memorial Park, a symbol of Japan’s desire for peace, as you make the journey back to your awaiting ship.

Journey to Iwakuni and visit the distinguished landmarks of the Yamaguchi Prefecture. Begin with a drive to the Kintaikyo Bridge, a historic wooden arch bridge spanning the Nishiki River across a series of five stone pillars. In 1950, 300 years after its initial construction, it was destroyed by a typhoon; later, it was painstakingly rebuilt by determined locals using traditional engineering techniques. Next, head to Iwakuni Castle, where you will board a cable car and ascend 650 feet to the summit of Mt. Shiroyama. Built in 1608, the castle’s original structure was torn down by order of Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa shogun. The castle was left to languish for nearly 350 years before its reconstruction in 1962. See its curved walls, black tile roofs and Edo-period architecture, interspersed with Momoyaman influences, before returning to your ship.

Discover one of Hiroshima’s hidden gems and visit powerful exhibits at the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Board your motor coach and travel to the Mitaki temple—constructed in 809 AD in a steep, forested valley, the name of this Buddhist temple derives from the three waterfalls located within its grounds. Stroll through the complex and see its stone lanterns, Jizu statues, and the two-storey Tahōtō Pagoda, relocated here in 1951 in remembrance of the victims of the 1945 atomic bomb. Continue to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, where you will explore moving displays that serve as a reminder of the devastation caused by the bomb. Take a walk through history as you peruse exhibits that contrast the state of the city before and after its restoration, and learn how the park has become a symbol of Japan’s desire for peace, before returning to your ship.

Discover notable landmarks of Hiroshima and learn about its restoration following 1945's devastating atomic bomb. Begin with a drive to the skeletal remains of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park—the only building left standing in the immediate vicinity after the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. Its hollowed dome was intentionally left in ruins as a stark visual reminder of the bomb’s destruction. After viewing this historic site, continue to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum to see moving displays and peruse exhibits that contrast the state of the city before and after its restoration. After lunch, transfer to the ferry terminal and set sail for the island of Itsukushima to explore its famed floating shrine. You will have free time to explore before embarking your ferry and returning to your ship.