Japan, natural archipelago and secular heritage

With this itinerary, PONANT is inviting you aboard Le Jacques-Cartier for a unique expedition cruise between Osaka et Kagoshima. A magical 9-day trip to discover some of the natural gems and ancestral heritage of western Kyushu, as well as picturesque villages in the Seto Inland Sea, the theatre of many battles and historic events that have shaped its myth and grandeur over time and with the ebb and flow of the tides.  

Departing from Osaka, Le Jacques Cartier will set sail towards Tomonoura, at the heart of the Seto Inland Sea. This port town is known for its gentle way of life and its craggy landscapes which inspired the director Hayao Miyazaki for the film Ponyo.

After a trip aboard one of our Zodiac dinghies, in the pretty fishing villages of Shimokamagari and Mitarai, you will set out to discover Moji, on the northern tip of the island of Kyushu. In the past a strategic site for maritime trade with China, this stunning city of picturesque little streets will enthral you with its preserved architectural heritage evoking the traditional Japan of the Meiji era and the end of the 19th century. From the top of the Mojiko Retro Observation Room, you will be able to enjoy an exceptional panorama, a poetic combination of shinto sanctuaries and captivating maritime landscapes.

Then you will sail to South Korea, a small peninsula that juts out into the Sea of Japan, and discover Busan, South Korea's second city. This richly contrasting city will unveil its port and the old district of Chalgachi. 

Back in Japan, you will sail to the emblematic Nagasaki.  A symbol of nuclear horror, in the same way as Hiroshima, Nagasaki has become one of the archipelago's most peaceful cities and one of its most attractive. Warm and cosmopolitan, it reveals its religious heritage along its narrow streets: the Oura Catholic Church and its gardens, the Suwa Shrine, and the sumptuous Buddhist temples.

Between the Yatsushiro and Ariake seas, succumb to the charms of the island region of Amakusa, once the refuge of Christians fleeing the ban on Catholicism in the 17th century during the Edo period. 

Before this unique cruise draws to an end in the bustling city of Kagoshima, Le Jacques Cartier will travel westward to reach the fascinating Koshikijima Islands. Aboard one of our Zodiacs, you will be fascinated by the raw and authentic beauty of the monumental cliffs and huge rock formations dating back to the Cretaceous periodnearly 80 million years ago.