Day 9 (Sunday 4th October 2026) Exploring Kochi Markets

 Yesterday we arrived at the port of Kochi, Japan. The weather was overcast, with a light drizzle that occasionally turned into gentle rain. As on previous port mornings, we were quick to get up, shower, have breakfast, and make our way down to the disembarkation area. At 10:00 am, we boarded a shuttle bus into the city, a journey that took around 25 minutes.

Rather than joining one of the ship's organised excursions, we decided to explore Kochi independently. Our day took us through a Japanese shopping centre and a lively Sunday morning market. While the market's goods were very much geared towards local residents rather than tourists, it was still a fascinating experience. What stood out most were the incredible aromas drifting from the various food stalls. The sights and smells combined to create a wonderfully authentic atmosphere.

Roads passing through shopping centres 

Local markets 

As always, we spent some time searching for gifts and souvenirs for friends and family back home. Before long, it was time to make our way back to the ship, ensuring we were on board before the all-aboard time of 2:30 pm. 

Dock performance to farewell shop

Another curious and thoroughly entertaining aspect of visiting Japanese ports is the farewell tradition organised by the host city. As ships depart, local performers often gather on the quayside to put on a display of singing, dancing, or a combination of both to bid passengers farewell.

Despite the rain, we were lucky enough to witness a small group of performers in Kochi giving our ship a warm send-off as we left the harbour. Equally heart-warming was watching the constant exchange of waves between those on shore and the passengers aboard the ship. Whether they were local residents, performers, or fellow Japanese passengers returning home, everyone seemed determined to keep waving until the ship disappeared from view.

It is a simple, charming custom that perfectly reflects the warmth and hospitality we have experienced throughout Japan, and it made for a memorable departure from Kochi.

Once back on board, we enjoyed lunch followed by a well-earned afternoon nap.

That evening was a special one, as we had booked dinner at the Crown Grill, the ship's speciality steakhouse. We chose it to celebrate our birthdays, as we both enjoy a good steak. True to form, Cos never learns and promptly ordered the largest steak on the menu! It was an excellent meal, but by the end we were both feeling very full, with Cos perhaps suffering the consequences a little more than Melissa.

Birthday cake 

Crown Grill

After dinner, we headed to the theatre for a musical performance that blended opera and popular music. It was an entertaining and enjoyable show that rounded off the evening nicely.

Following the performance, we retreated to the ship's Wheelhouse Bar for a few drinks before calling it a night.

One attraction we unfortunately didn't manage to visit was Kochi Castle. It's a shame we missed it, but it gives us a good reason to return to Kochi someday.

Day 8 (Saturday 3rd October 2026) A Day in Osaka: Castles, Shrines, Ferris Wheels, and Unexpected Celebrations

The day began in the best possible way — breakfast delivered straight to our cabin. We ordered, blinked, and ten minutes later it arrived: fresh, beautifully prepared, and exactly the kind of gentle start you hope pfor on a cruise morning.

Samurai diorama

Japanese souvenirs at the castle

View from the castle 

Soon after, we headed out on our excursion to Osaka Castle and a nearby Shintō shrine. Disembarking was effortless; the crew handled everything with that polished professionalism we’ve come to appreciate.

The shrine 

The shrine

Our coach wound its way through Osaka, a city buzzing with excitement thanks to a national baseball final. Even with all the activity, Osaka still felt calm, clean, and wonderfully organised. The wide, tree‑lined boulevards and modern skyline made it clear: this is a city we’d love to return to and explore properly on another trip.

Osaka Castle itself was a highlight. One of Japan’s most famous landmarks, it played a major role in the unification of the country during the Azuchi–Momoyama period. The inner keep sits on a vast one‑square‑kilometre plot, perched on raised platforms of cut‑rock walls built using burdock piling. From the outside it rises five stories, but inside it stretches to eight — all resting on a massive stone foundation designed to keep attackers at bay.

A maze of moats and fortifications surrounds the keep. The inner moat has both wet and dry sections, while the outer moat forms a full ring around the castle, divided neatly into four water‑filled quadrants. The grounds themselves cover about 61,000 square metres and include thirteen structures designated as important cultural assets. We even spotted the famous Octopus Stone, a megalith with no official cultural status but plenty of character.

We took the lift to the fifth floor and climbed the remaining three flights to the top. The observation deck rewarded us with sweeping views of the castle gardens, moats, and the city skyline beyond — Osaka stretching out in every direction.

The Shintō shrine was just as memorable. Today happened to be a special day, so locals were out in large numbers, dressed beautifully and moving through the rituals with quiet grace. We were lucky enough to witness a traditional wedding — something our guide said only 20–30% of Japanese couples still choose, with most opting for hotel or restaurant ceremonies instead. Watching the rituals unfold felt intimate and uniquely Japanese, and our guide walked us through the proper way to make a prayer at the shrine.

The 

shrine

A special mention must go to our bus driver, who somehow manoeuvred a 52‑seat coach into tiny, improbable spaces all over the city. Truly a master of his craft.

By 2pm we were back on the ship for lunch, and after a quick break we headed out again to the shopping centre beside the pier. The star attraction was a giant Ferris wheel towering over everything — even the ship. Naturally, we had to ride it. The full rotation took about 15 minutes, giving us incredible views and a fun contrast to the morning’s history and culture.

Inside the mall we found anime stores, quirky shops selling Japanese‑themed clothing, and all sorts of knickknacks. It was a colourful, lively place to wander.

Dinner took us back to one of the specialty restaurants for another Japanese meal — mostly raw, except for the eel, and absolutely delicious.

We planned an early night… but travel has a way of rewriting plans. We bumped into the delightful couple Ann Marie and Damien from the UK, and since it was Damien’s birthday, we joined them in the Wheelhouse Lounge for celebratory drinks. Midnight came and went in a blur of laughter and good company. So much for an early night.

Melissa and I ended the evening quietly, sharing a champagne and marking her retirement on 4 October — a lovely, gentle close to a full and unforgettable day.

Day 7 (Friday 2nd October 2026) unexpected sea day

 The day began with an unexpected twist when the captain announced that strong winds made tender operations impossible, turning our planned port visit into a bonus sea day. With nowhere to rush off to, we happily slipped back under the covers and enjoyed a long, luxurious sleep before finally emerging for a very late breakfast—closer to brunch—around 11am. Indulgent, absolutely, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Skywalker lounge 

The Wheelhouse Bar

View from Skywalkers

After a leisurely meal in the ship’s Irish‑style pub, we headed to what was billed as a whiskey tasting. In reality, it was a tasting of just one whiskey—apparently the cheapest on hand—but the real treasure was meeting Steve and Tina, a Canadian couple who were instantly delightful company. Steve is a serious whiskey collector with more than 3,200 bottles, which made my modest dozen feel positively minimalist. We spent a good part of the afternoon chatting with them and enjoying scones with jam and cream at afternoon tea.

A short rest later, we wandered into the Platinum Lounge Skywalker lounge (and later night club) for drinks and nibbles, enjoying the perks of cruise‑line loyalty. The Skywalkers Lounge, where the views were spectacular—wide stretches of ocean framed by soft afternoon light.

Dinner took us to another venue, where we met Craig and Sally Ann, a lovely English couple celebrating their honeymoon. Conversation flowed easily, and we stayed talking with them until it was time to return to our cabin and get ready for tomorrow’s excursions.

Day 6 (Thursday 1st October 2026) boarding the Diamond Princess.

 Today we embarked on the Diamond Princess, slipping into cruise mode with that familiar mix of excitement, sunshine and mild disbelief that we’re finally here.

Mt Fuji?

Diamond Princess- viewed from our Hotel 

Our ship was only a short stroll from the hotel—no more than fifteen minutes—and breakfast set the tone for the day: a cheerful blend of Western favourites and Japanese staples. From our vantage point on the 17th floor we’re fairly sure we glimpsed Mount Fuji, hazy but unmistakable, and of course the ship herself waiting patiently in port.

7/11 store Yokohama 

Yokohama Street 

Yokohama with our hotel in background 

Yokohama 

Yokohama has been a delight: tree‑lined streets, spotless footpaths, and a gentle politeness that seems woven into everyday life. At 10am we set off for the pier, slightly worried about the long ramp leading up to the cruise terminal, but it turned out to be nothing at all. Clearly all this walking has done us good.

Boarding was classic Japan—efficient, calm, and astonishingly quick. Our scheduled embarkation time was 11am and we were stepping aboard a few minutes early.

One of the joys of cruising is meeting new people, and today delivered. We met a lovely couple from Manchester, Ann‑Marie and Damien, and later reconnected with the Western Australian couple we’d chatted with at the hotel. 

Sake barrel for embarkation 

Once aboard, exhaustion caught up with us and we indulged in a quick nap before dinner at the ship’s Japanese restaurant. Almost everything was raw except the barbecued eel, but thankfully nothing moved on the plate. We’re becoming quite fond of Japanese cuisine.

Japanese restaurant

Japanese cuisine 

Naturally, a couple of champagnes on arrival and a cocktail or two in the evening helped us settle in. Our cabin is probably the smallest we’ve had in recent years—perhaps ever—but it’s cosy and comfortable. The passenger mix is fascinating: roughly half Japanese and other Asian travellers, the rest a blend of English, Australian and North American guests.

The weather has been glorious today—clear, sunny and warm—a welcome change from the dampness earlier in the week. Tomorrow we tender ashore at Toba, an earlier start than we’ve had lately, but we’ll make it work.

Day 5 (30th September 2026) More Tokyo

Another slow start to the morning—clearly we’ve embraced the “cruise‑adjacent lifestyle” early. Breakfast at 9am, where we met more Aussie travellers from Perth. At this point Japan must think Australia is empty because everyone seems to be here instead.

Exits on a train 

We took the train from Kannai to Akihabara, which is basically Tokyo’s neon‑lit shrine to anime, hobby gear, craft supplies, stationery, and IT gadgets. The ride was 45 minutes plus a short walk, all conducted in absolute silence. Japanese trains are so quiet you start questioning whether you’re the noisy one just by existing. Everything is spotless, efficient, and clearly labelled—like someone designed public transport after reading a thousand angry customer feedback forms.

Akihabara

Cat Cafe Akihabara

Food in Akihabara

Cat cafe -2000yen for 1 hour 

Akihabara itself was damp and overcast, but still buzzing. Lots of foreigners wandering around with the same expression Cos had: the “I might need a second suitcase” look. The streets were clean enough to eat off, though thankfully we didn’t need to test that because there’s food everywhere.

Anime Akihabara

Akihabara

Akihabara Yodabashi Akiba model heaven

Cos dove straight into the model shops. TamTam was two floors of temptation—plastic models on one level, trains on the other, and enough paint and supplies to make you wonder if you should take up miniature modelling professionally. Then came Yodobashi Akiba, which is less a store and more a vertical universe. Floor 6 is the model section, and honestly it’s so huge it feels like someone accidentally built a warehouse inside a department store. Cos went hunting for rare kits and tools with the intensity of a man on a sacred quest.

Racing exhibition 

Yodobashi Akiba

The sound of a cross walk in Tokyo, sounds like the hoot of barn owl😄 or some sort of bird!i

Typical street 

Not just Anime

Classy drinks?

Mad science meets make-up

Akihabara Street 

Craft supplies 

Cat cafe

Meanwhile Melissa hit BIC Camera for Christmas presents and Japan‑only gifts. Cos joined her after an hour, probably because he’d reached the point where he needed someone to stop him from buying a model kit the size of a microwave.

Time flew, and we headed back just before 4pm to dodge the commuter crush. We even got seats—miraculous. The schoolkids on the train were tiny, independent, and navigating Tokyo’s rail system like seasoned office workers. It’s a stark contrast to Australia, where a child can’t walk to the letterbox without a helicopter parent hovering overhead.

Some stations are 25-30metres below ground 

Train station storage 

Typical train 

After a quick break, we jumped on another train to Don Quijote and the ramen shop for round two. We chose a less volcanic ramen this time, which was still delicious and didn’t require medical supervision. Armed with a store map, Don Quijote felt less like a labyrinth designed to test human endurance. We picked up small gifts for friends and family, feeling very proud of ourselves for not getting lost.

Ramen round 2 in Yokohama 

Highly recommend Ten-Poo

Back at the hotel, we tackled the washing in preparation for boarding the Diamond Princess tomorrow—the same ship that had the first COVID outbreak back in early 2021. We waited in the guest lounge while the washing did its thing, feeling very domestic and very ready for cruise life.